What Is Meranti Wood? [5 Super Features]

What is meranti wood? When deciding on the furniture I am going to purchase, paneling, flooring, or a wooden DIY project, the first and the most important decision I have to make is the choice of materials. Especially, it’s crucial to make the best choice when selecting wood. Thousands of tree species make fantastic woodwork. If you also have a hard time making the best choice, join me. I’d like to share my fascination with meranti wood.

We all know and admire elegant and classic oak, cherry, and walnut pieces.

However, there are wood species that, though not as common, are beautiful in appearance and workable, too.

One of them is meranti wood. Let me tell you about this type of wood, its main features, and applications, and maybe you will give it a chance.

Meranti wood: the basics

This diverse wood species comes all the way from Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. You can easily find meranti in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Under the umbrella of meranti (scientifically called shorea species), we can find a variety of wood types, such as yellow meranti, dark-red meranti, light-red meranti, seraya, Borneo cedar, Philippine mahogany, and more.

Trees in the meranti family are usually tall, growing up to 230 feet with thick trunks, lush crowns, and large leaves. Their natural habitat is tropical rainforests where they thrive.

Meranti wood is famous for its hardwood qualities. Unfortunately, this popularity resulted in the situation where some types of shorea trees are now considered critically endangered.

Meranti hardwood features

Let’s look at the features that make meranti valuable for the wood industry.

#1. Hardwood: with sturdy and dense structure, this wood is simple to work with. It also features a consistency in measurements.

Even in a humid environment where other types of wood will swell, meranti will keep its dimensions intact.

#2. Ribbon grain pattern and gloss: intricate grain patterns are the main reasons for the meranti luxurious appearance; the shine that the wood features adds to its lush tones.

The hues may be different depending on the type of meranti, from pale pink, almost white, to dark red and purplish-brown.

#3. Workability meranti: a delight for craftsmen. It’s never complex to do any kind of woodwork with meranti: sanding, cutting, machine processing, or carving.

It’s good to stain and finish, and it can keep the screws and nails exceptionally well, which is a precious quality for wood.

#4. Moisture resistance: this characteristic probably comes from meranti’s Southeast Asia rainforest origin. Even after an extended period of exposure to the elements, it remains presentable and even keeps its original dimensions.

#5. Termite resistance: although not invincible, meranti shows a substantial level of pest resistance. This natural quality can be improved by special anti-termite coats, and that will make meranti almost completely immune to pesky pests.

If you opt for ecological solutions, choose among environmentally friendly options.

Diversity of meranti woods

As I’ve already mentioned, there are many kinds of meranti wood, or Philippine mahogany, as it’s often called.

I’ll tell you briefly about the most common of them.

White meranti

It has the palest tone compared to other types, although it can come in several hues, some of which are darker than others. And it’s also the least heavy, which limits its applications.

Yellow meranti

This meranti wood is also quite light but resilient at the same time. It got its name from the unconventional yellowish, sometimes yellow-brownish hue.

Light red meranti

This wood has a pale brown tone, often with reddish notes in it. Having a straight grain, it looks more reserved than the woods with whimsical patterns.

However, it’s one of the few types of meranti which does not have a high level of pest resistance.

And its durability is not very impressive either. Although with a high-quality finishing, it can be improved.

Dark red meranti

The color is reddish brown and looks quite similar to mahogany, although is not as hard. Besides, it has an open grain pattern, unlike mahogany wood. It also features light resin dots on its surface and is rough to the touch. It’s workable and durable enough to be a popular woodwork material.

Meranti woodwork applications

Meranti wood is a well-renowned material and has a wide range of applications that arise from its specific and often unique features. Its workability and natural beauty contribute to its worldwide recognition.

Boat building

Meranti wood, specifically the dark varieties of red meranti wood, is widely used in the shipbuilding industry. First of all, because of its moisture and humidity resistance. Boats made of meranti wood can survive prolonged periods at sea.

Besides, meranti is more affordable than mahogany, but its reddish-brown color provides the same elegant and sophisticated vibe to the boat interior, decks, and hulls.

It’s popular for boat building also because it’s more durable than many other woods.

Furniture production

As I have already shown you, meranti wood is a material that is very easy to handle. Hence, a furniture- making application. It works great in outdoor furniture because of its moisture resistance. Garden furniture will remain in top condition for years.

Apart from the outdoor projects, meranti makes amazing tables, cabinets, and chairs.

Beautiful grain patterns and natural gloss will make even simple forms look unique and tasteful. Of course, many species of wood can be used for that purpose, but if you like the color palette and wavy and straight-grain patterns, give meranti a chance.

Its outdoor use benefits are obvious, so you may start with a garden furniture project, for example.

Construction

Apart from furniture making and boat building, this wood has found its use in windows, doors, and other elements of the building decor. Here again, its water resilience comes into play. Especially in parts of the world where the weather is hot and humid all year round, entrance doors from meranti can come in very handy.

Plywood

Plywood, made from meranti, is often a better quality than plywood made from other wood types. It’s dense and strong and boasts a very high level of resilience. With additional coatings and treatments, those valuable qualities will be boosted even higher.

Flooring and paneling

Here, the strength of meranti compared to other wood types plays its role again.

Floors, especially in busy areas, must be made from a durable material, so meranti wood is a wise choice.

Meranti’s popularity for paneling arises more from its beautiful grain patterns that look gorgeous on the walls.

Musical instruments

Primarily, the wood is used to create guitars. Not any kind of wood can be applied to musical instrument manufacturing. However, meranti has the essential tonal properties that are mandatory for the task.

In conclusion

The market offers us an abundance of different types of wood. Such a great number of options makes it hard to navigate and select the wood that will suit you perfectly. It can be a furniture-making project, a boat purchase, or an outdoor DIY job.

Think about meranti wood: its unique features, hardwood properties, and beauty are fair arguments in favor of that choice.

I hope you find my article useful because I truly believe that exploring new things and finding fresh and creative solutions brightens our lives.

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