Where To Buy Mahogany
Mahogany earned its initial popularity hundreds of years ago through the renowned English cabinetmaker Chippendale. It became very popular in the mid-19th century, and it has stayed in vogue for several decades. The natural color is reddish-brown, and it can be stained with other tones. Tropical Exotic Hardwoods include mahogany trees in its tropical hardwoods list, which also includes teak, cherry and maple.
where to buy mahogany
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Although it is called an imposter by some, African mahogany is considered real mahogany by The Wood Database, even though it is classified differently. It is lighter than Honduran mahogany, and it does not have ripple marks in most cases. There are other species that are similar to mahogany but not as closely related; one is called utile or sipo, and although it is generally a bit darker, it is quite similar. Sapele is darker yet and also heavier and harder to work with, and bosse can have inconsistent graining. Other similar woods include African walnut and Australian red cedar.
Mahogany is sometimes sold by the board foot, and prices can average $6 to $28 or more per piece. This is about 10 times more than comparable furniture-grade woods. BellForest listing of African mahogany's price per board foot, for example, falls on the lower end, with different grades ranging from $8 to $8.20; discounts are available for quantity purchases.
When buying mahogany wood furniture, flooring or anything else made from this wood, it is best to ask what type of mahogany was used. Real mahogany is expensive, and the Vintage House explains why. It grows only in tropical locales and has to be imported. Mahogany is also costly because of its quality and appearance. It is among the most beautiful of the hardwoods and is solid, heavy and durable.
It depends on whom you ask, but one way to decide is to compare mahogany to a more commonly used wood: oak. Real Simple explains that there are two varieties of oak. White oak has a tiger-stripe grain marked by yellow rays and flecks, and red oak can range from pinkish-red to brown, with swirls. Its visible, wavy grain is appealing, and it is very durable. Oak is generally priced at about $2 less per board foot than mahogany.
On the downside, oak is very grainy. Not everyone likes that look, but some people do. If done the wrong way, the stain can make the oak look two-toned. Oak wood is harder to work with than mahogany, and it may splinter or shatter if not handled correctly. It can also crack or shrink when not cared for properly.
The Wood Database has great things to say about mahogany aside from its aesthetic value. This wood has the right density to make it easy to work with and straight, consistent grain. It is also exceptionally stable and stays put with minimal swelling and shrinkage. Mahogany is also more rot-resistant than other woods.
Since mahogany is also great for staining and carving, you can find ornate, detailed pieces or ones that are sleeker and more modern. Although it is a strong wood, it has a high moisture absorption rate that increases when the wood is curved. This can cause it to expand, warp, crack and shrink. Because of this, the majority of mahogany furniture is made with mahogany veneers.
The veneers are made from thin pieces of mahogany that are adhered to hardwood cores. Although this may sound like a lesser quality, it is not. It looks just as good as solid mahogany and is superior in terms of construction and durability. Older, solid mahogany furniture should be kept in constant low humidity to avoid any degradation.
Solid mahogany is not commonly used for outdoor decking, according to BuildingAdvisor. Instead, most companies use Philippine mahogany, also known as dark red meranti. This hardwood has a similar reddish color and a density close to real mahogany but costs less. It is also easy to work with but might not last as long as other hardwoods. Dark red meranti rates close to 900 on the Janka scale for wood hardness.
ImproveNet prices its mahogany decking by square foot. Basic quality costs $8.03, better is $8.82 and best is $9.57. Keep in mind that if you are not installing the deck yourself, you will have to pay for professional installation. According to HomeGuide, this can cost anywhere from $4,380 to over $10,000 depending on the materials used, the contractor used and the part of the country.
Old growth Mahogany has wonderful potential in many applications. As stated above, the problem is that old growth Mahogany has become extremely difficult to source and is extremely expensive when found; prices ranging from $25/LF and up. The few companies that offer genuine old growth mahogany have limited supply, much of which is reclaimed or imported years ago. Although old growth Mahogany would make for a great deck, we have concluded that it may be equally cost effective to build a time machine, travel back in time, and import old growth Mahogany 100+ years ago to build your deck, than it would be to purchase genuine old growth Mahogany board planks for a deck today. This brings us to plantation grown Mahogany.
Nova Batu Mahogany Decking closely resembles the classic look of Genuine Mahogany. Our Batu (Red Balau) is naturally a deep and rich mahogany color. Batu ranges from a medium red to a deep red / brown with purple tinges, and often has resin canals with white contents in concentric lines on end surfaces which produce a warm and visually striking effect. By applying a Mahogany tinted oil finish, your deck can retain its rich Mahogany look for years to come.
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Mahogany is a hardwood desired for fine furniture, music instruments, and items subject to atmospheric conditions like boats or outdoor tables and chairs. Unfortunately, some mahogany species are endangered, making it unsustainable and, in some cases, illegal to trade their wood. However, when sourced from sustainably managed forests, wood is better for the environment than plastic.
Growing mahogany in its native tropical forests is sustainable, but logging practices are a cause for concern. Mahogany forest plantations, such as those found in Asia, might lack biodiversity yet could be sustainably managed.
The big-leaf, the most traded genuine mahogany, is listed on the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES. It means the trading of these species requires governmental verification regarding its legality and sustainability. The other two species are now commercially extinct due to uncontrolled harvesting and illegal logging.
Mahogany trees grown in Africa are not of the genus Swietenia but genus Khaya. They grow natively in Africa, primarily found in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria. Though African mahogany is not considered the same quality as genuine mahogany, the wood is still sourced at a high price, especially with the restricted export from Latin American countries.
Turning mahogany wood into furniture has a relatively low carbon footprint because wood waste can be recycled fully as by-products or biomass pellets to offset the carbon emissions during harvesting and processing. Significant reduction in carbon emissions can also come from using fossil-free energy.
The first step of manufacturing mahogany furniture involves cutting down trees and turning them into lumber in a sawmill. In one calculation, diesel utilized in harvesting the African mahogany Khaya wood to the mill accounts for 27% of all total carbon emissions up to delivering timber for furniture manufacturing. The actual emission of this step depends on how energy is generated to operate sawing machinery.
Transporting is a carbon-intensive stage in the life-cycle of mahogany furniture due to the emissions associated with operating the hauling vehicles that take timber to sawmills and factories, then furniture to stores.
The emission during this stage depends on the type of vehicles used, the fuel they need, and the distance the wood travels. For example, in one calculation, diesel utilized in transporting the African mahogany Khaya wood to the sawmill accounts for 21% of all total carbon emissions up to delivering timber for furniture manufacturing. In this case, much diesel is used due to transporting logs over long distances, on bad roads using low efficient trucks.
After the furniture is made, it is then transported to the stores. If the consumer market is in Europe or the U.S., far away from native mahogany forests, the transporting emission is much higher than when it is traded locally.
Mahogany wood is resistant to rot, mold, and other decay organisms, making it a stand-out option also for outdoor furniture. Because mahogany has no pockets or grooves, it is immune to water damage. It is up to 70% more stable than any other form of hardwood like oak or balsa. Outdoor furniture made from mahogany can last up to 40 years.
In another end-of-life scenario, products like a mahogany table can be burned for biomass energy displacing coal or natural gas in generating electricity. For example, in one calculation, burning a hardwood floor at the end of life can offset 75% of biomass energy consumed when making it. 041b061a72