Solid wood is the new name of natural timber material introduced at the advent of synthetic fiberboards like MDF. The name seeks to differentiate timber materials that are entirely natural from fiberboards which are wood fibers glued together with synthetic compounds in an engineering process.
While solid wood has traditionally been used for furniture making for centuries, the rise of fiberboards in recent times is challenging this norm, prompting the debate as to which of them is better and which of them carpenters and furniture makers should continue with. This very debate has been raging among our very own experienced carpenters, and though no clear winner is in sight, we were able to write down some very valid points from both sides. But first, let’s look at the solid woods and fiberboards popular among furniture makers in Nigeria today.
Solid Wood Species Used for Furniture Making in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s location in the tropics with abundance of sunshine means that we have lots of nice solid wood species that are splendid for furniture making. These include both hardwood and softwood. While some are sought for their beauty, others are sought for their strength. A good number of woods used in furniture making in Nigeria are also sought for their resistance to insect attack and ability to withstand harsh weather conditions. The most popular of these wood species are:
1. Iroko.
Iroko is a premium hardwood highly sought for their toughness and resistance to insect attack. Iroko is milled from the logs of tropical Iroko tree that is found across West and Central Africa.
Iroko is referred to as African Teak in some corners, a name it owes to it’s yellowish hue and beautiful grain patterns, features that it shares with another premium hardwood specie named Teak.