Exotic Hardwood: Lapacho

Posted: Friday, September 02, 2011

Strong, stable, and durable partially describe the appeal of Lapacho hardwood flooring. In addition to its superior strength, Lapacho also brings a rich beauty to any environment. If you are looking for a hardwood flooring choice that can endure heavy traffic and also offer elegance, Lapacho is an excellent option for you next decorating project.

From Central and South America, Lapacho can also be known as Ipe or Brazilian Walnut. The lighter yellow sapwood of this species can run through the olive brown, almost black heartwood. This contrasting color appearance makes it a very attractive flooring option. With continued exposure to sun and light, Lapacho will darken in color over time. The grain of this exotic species can range from straight to highly irregular. Lapacho’s texture can be fine to medium.

Lapacho does have an oily make up with low luster, so it is important to over-dry the product prior to installation. This will help to prevent any possible shrinkage during installation. Its density and extreme hardness make it more difficult to cut with machining and must be handled with well-sharpened tools. Pre-drilling nails holes is suggested for installation to combat blunting of tools.

Its extreme hardness also puts it in the top fire rating class along with concrete and steel. This species is often used to construct docks and railroad ties, to give you an idea of its strength. With a Janka hardness of 3060, Lapacho is one of the hardest wood available.

Once you overcome the challenges Lapacho’s strength presents for initial installation, you will be left with the most durable wood flooring option available. This species does not lack beauty for strength and will provide stable and stunning hardwood flooring for years and years to come.