In this world, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of tree species. Trees have many benefits, especially wood which can be made into household appliances or furniture. One of them is meranti wood. Not only used to make home furniture, but this type is also used to make veneers. Then what are the advantages of choosing meranti veneer for your home?
Table of Contents
Get to Know Meranti Wood
Before discussing the advantages of choosing meranti veneer, it’s a good idea to get to know this type of wood in advance. Meranti is a type of wood that has the best quality. No wonder this wood is often regarded as the prima donna of wood. Even in the Asian region, especially the southeast, the quality of this type of wood is not in doubt.
Meranti wood is usually used as a raw material for making furniture. However, it is not uncommon to use it as a raw material for building construction. For this reason, the existence of this wood is often sought for use as raw material for furniture and buildings. Marketing this type of wood is also not difficult. That’s because the quality provided is not canned.
What are the Advantages of Meranti so That It Is Used as a Veneer?
Not all types of wood are used as wood veneer materials. Because not all types of wood have strong properties; however, meranti, because it has good quality, can be used as a wood veneer. One of the advantages of meranti as a veneer is that it is easy to dry. The drying process is very influential on the results. Wood with low water content is of good quality and will last longer.
Meranti wood can be dried with the help of tools, and it only takes approximately 7 days to complete. Meranti veneers will take even less time to go through the drying process. Because basically, the veneer is in the form of sheets which incidentally will dry faster than logs.
Besides being easy to dry, meranti also has good quality. So, its existence is much sought after to be used as raw material. The quality of this type of wood can be seen from the age of the wood. The age of the wood is indicated by the color; the brighter the color of the wood, the younger it is. Conversely, the darker the color of the wood, the older it is.
This type of wood has stable properties, is hard, and is not easily cracked. Its hard nature makes this type of wood avoid shrinkage and expansion. Shrinkage and expansion can occur due to environmental factors. But in this type of wood, it is no longer valid. Because of these properties, this type of wood is then used as a meranti veneer material.
Lack of Meranti Wood Factor
Behind the advantages, often accompanied by weaknesses or deficiencies. Like other types of wood, meranti also has its drawbacks. However, this deficiency is usually not taken seriously by its users. Because they only think about the advantages that are profitable for them.
The drawback of this wood is that it is quite expensive, so not everyone wants this wood. The high price is not seen from the original quality. But in terms of the age of the wood used. Usually, the older the wood, the more expensive it is. Even though meranti wood does not have super good quality like teak, the existence of this wood is still often sought.
Besides being quite expensive, this strong wood has a rough texture. There is even a line running across its surface. It is important to pay attention to both rough and smooth textures. Because it will affect the production results. To make this wood smooth, there are methods or ways to overcome the solution. But it will take a lot of time because it is quite difficult to do.
Type of Meranti Wood
Most people probably already know about the types of meranti or mahogany wood. Meranti wood is divided into three types. The three types include white meranti, red meranti, and yellow meranti.
1. Red Meranti
This type of meranti is most commonly found in forests. Especially if you live in a mountainous area, you will often encounter this tree with your own eyes. This wood has good resistance to pest attacks. The advantage is that it is not easy to experience decay.
2. Yellow Meranti
As the name implies, this wood has a brownish-yellow color. If the age of the wood is old, then the color will be darker. This type of wood also has large pores. So that it requires extra energy and patience in turning it into a smelly material. Unlike the red meranti, this species is easily attacked by pests. Then this wood will rot faster than the others.
3. White Meranti
White meranti is different from the others. The surface is quite smooth, so it is often used for furniture, such as chairs, doors, and others.
Those are some of the advantages of choosing meranti veneer for your home needs. If the basic material for your furniture is made of other types of wood, you can use a veneer of the meranti type. The quality of this wood will bring benefits to you—both in the short and long term. Our woodworking factory in Indonesia often use meranti veneer to meet the customers’ demand.