If you’re looking for dark, durable wood that can be used to create some astonishing visual results, Wenge might be the choice for you. However, due to its relative rarity, you might not know a lot about it.
Let’s go over what Wenge timber is and some of its top uses.
What is Wenge Timber?
Wenge is a wood that comes from the central and western portions of Africa. It’s predominantly grown in various parts of Congo, and it’s exported globally as one of the region’s most widely popular timber. However, Wenge takes a considerable amount of time to grow to full maturity. A Wenge tree gets up to 60 feet in height, but its slender truck is only 3 inches in diameter. This drives up its costs, and it has forced more responsible harvesting methods since the tree has been placed on the endangered species list.
For those who are able to get a hold of it, Wenge has some beautiful visual traits, though.
First, it’s a luscious, darkly-colored, wood with a defined grain and high flexibility when processed properly. Not only that, but it’s a hardwood that exhibits extreme durability.
Beyond its construction uses, the unprocessed wood from a Wenge tree is often used throughout the region for medicinal reasons and skin treatments.
Top Uses for Wenge Timber
Wenge isn’t used for a massive variety of things, but the few primary construction uses it has are capable of producing astonishing visual results.
Veneer:
Wenge is most commonly used to make hardwood veneers. These veneers can be used to make flooring, paneling, and anything else you can think of for veneer wood. However, Wenge veneers gain two major benefits over other options.
First, the dark coloring of Wenge makes it a natural dark option with a richness in color that you rarely get in other veneers without dyes and other additives that distract from the wood’s natural beauty. This makes it a great option for making flooring or luxury vehicle paneling that stands out among other options on the market.
Then, the high surface durability of Wenge makes it a long-lasting option that won’t get banged up with just a couple of short years of use.
Furniture:
With Wenge being a high-durability hardwood, it’s one of the better exotic options for furniture building. Its rich coloring and exotic wood grain ensure that the furniture you build with it will stand out with a luxurious flare if you have the craftsman skills to match its natural beauty.
Combined with its incredible strength, Wenge can withstand the weight of multiple people, or in the case of tables and similar objects, hold the normal items you’d place on such things with no problems.
Cabinetry:
Finally, Wenge is commonly used to make cabinetry. Its durability and overall strength make it perfect for shelving applications, and of course, its coloring can give any kitchen or bathroom an exotic vibe.
However, there’s a caveat to this. Wenge isn’t particularly water-resistant. So, a sealant is required to keep the moisture in such areas from warping the wood over time or causing rot to set in.
