Merbau
Trade name – MERBAU (Heavy hardwood).
Botanical name – Intsia palembanica, Intsia bijuga.
Family – Leguminosae.
Merbau is widely used due to its beautiful red-brown look and marvelous physical characteristics: hardness, durability, and moisture resistance. It is ideal for the production of parquet battens because its perscentage of shrinkage is low. It is very hard material, and performs well in any heavy traffic areas. It has regular texture that resists deformation even in large sizes. In some countries it is used in the production of doors and windows because it can withstand any weather changes. The texture is rather coarse; grain straight to interlocked or wavy; luster variable.
Origin and distribution – It is widely distributed in East Africa, India, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, northern Australia and Polynesia. Komodoor supplies Indonesian Merbau, mostly from Irian Jaya, which is considered the best in the region.
Komodoor Merbau flooring is selected for Prime, Select and Natural Grades, and for Light, Medium and Dark colours. Skirting is supplied only in Select Grade and selected for L, M, D colours.
PRIME
Quarter and semi-quarter sawn. No life knots, sapwood, stain, pin holes. No colour variation. Some yellow resin are accepted.
SELECT
Flat and quarter sawn. No sapwood, stain, dead knots, pin holes. Slight colour variation. Some life knots and yellow resin are accepted.
NATUR
Flat and quarter sawn. Sapwood on back side, some life knots, pin holes, yellow resin, colour variation, wild grain and stain are accepted.
