Rubberwood is a high-quality wood from the rubber tree, which is grown for its natural latex sap. It is environmentally sustainable and durable, making it popular for furniture and flooring. The wood is often compared to teak and can be found in various finishes.
Rubberwood is taken from Hevea brasiliensis, also called rubber tree or Para rubber tree. These trees are grown for their natural latex sap, but they also produce a high-quality wood with a tight grain that can be used in a wide variety of applications. Despite the name, rubberwood doesn’t bounce or stretch; the name is a reference to the parent tree. In addition to being beautiful, this wood is also an environmentally sustainable wood, making it popular with people concerned about the health of the world’s forests.
Rubber trees belong to the Euphorbiaceae family and produce a commercially valuable sap. People have been harvesting rubber trees for latex for centuries, and while synthetic alternatives have been developed, there is still a vibrant market for natural latex. After about 30 years, however, a rubber tree will start producing much less latex, making it no longer commercially viable. These older trees are cut down so that new ones can be planted.
The wood from felled rubber trees has traditionally been used for fuel and to make furniture in regions where these trees are grown, but latex farmers realized that the wood could also have commercial value and started to export it. Since the trees are not cut down specifically for lumber use, many people consider rubberwood to be environmentally sound, simply by using a waste product from the latex manufacturing industry. It’s also a great building material, as it’s durable and very strong, and requires a variety of finishes.
Many companies that focus on high quality and unusual furniture use rubberwood in their products. It may also be labeled as parawood, to dissociate it from the rubber images. Consumers can recognize the wood by its density and tight grain, and furniture made from it is very solid, with a smooth, uniform appearance that some people find quite pleasing. The wood is sometimes compared to teak, another close-grained tropical hardwood, and some people prefer rubber to teak, as teak isn’t always a sustainable choice.
Unfinished rubberwood is rare outside of South America. With some effort, the boards can be ordered for custom projects or flooring, but most of the wood that comes from South America is exported in the form of finished products such as manufactured furniture, toys, and flooring. These products can be stained or stained to bring out the natural beauty of the material, and wood has a wide range of finishes, so can be found in an assortment of colors.
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