Meranti, Light Red
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Other Names
Perawan, Meranti Bunga, Binatoh (Sarawak), Borneo Cedar, Light Red Seraya, Seraya Majau (Sabah), Meranti Merah (Indonesia), Meranti Bakau (Malaysia), Saya (Thailand), Damar (Borneo), Alan Bunga (Sarawak), Almon (Philippines), Shorea albida, Shorea leptoclados, Shorea rugosa, Shorea acuminata, Shorea leprosul, Shorea macroptera, Shorea ovalis, Shorea parvifolia, Shorea smithiana, Shorea quadrinervis
Light red meranti is a tropical rainforest species found throughout South East Asia and the South West Pacific, where it is used for decorative purposes.
Light red meranti is a tropical rainforest species found throughout South East Asia and the South West Pacific islands, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and east Malaysia. In Australia, light red meranti is marketed simply as meranti, or can be found under the names Borneo cedar, seraya, lauan, and Philippine mahogany.
The timber's heartwood ranges from pink to pinkish-brown. The sapwood is sometimes lighter than the heartwood, but differentiation cannot always be made. The grain is moderately coarse but even in texture with quarter sawn material sometimes displaying an attractive ribbon figure. Growth rings are absent and rays are medium to fine.
Light red meranti is a softer wood and not resistant to termites. It can be dried using conventional methods and bonded using standard procedures. While the sapwood readily accepts preservatives, penetration of heartwood is insignificant using current commercial processes. The timber can be painted, stained, or polished but the open grain means surfaces should be filled before finishing. This species also machines well to a smooth surface and takes standard fittings and fastenings easily.
Light red meranti is commonly used for decorative applications including paneling, flooring, joinery, mouldings, plywood and turnery. It is regularly sought after for furniture and carving as well.
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Botanical Name
Shorea argenifolia
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Preferred Common Name
Meranti, Light Red
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Species Type
Appearance
Light red meranti heartwood ranges from pink to pinkish-brown. The sapwood is sometimes lighter than the heartwood, but often it is difficult to distinguish it as separate. The grain is moderately coarse but even in texture with quarter sawn material sometimes displaying an attractive ribbon figure. Growth rings are absent and rays are medium to fine.
Common Applications
Light red meranti is commonly used for decorative applications including panelling, flooring, joinery, mouldings, plywood and turnery. It is regularly sought after for furniture and carving.
Common Form
Sawn
Workability
Light red meranti can be dried using conventional methods and bonded using standard procedures. While the sapwood readily accepts preservative impregnation, heartwood penetration is negligible. This timber can be painted, stained or polished but its open grain means surfaces should be filled before finishing. It also machines well to a smooth surface and takes standard fittings and fastenings easily.
Origin of Timber
Availability - Further Information
Shrinkage
| Very Low | Low | Medium | High | Very High | |
Tangential : |
5.10% |
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Radial: |
2.80% |
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Unit Movement Tangential: |
0.28% |
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Unit Movement Radial: |
0.15% |
Strength Group 
Very High |
High |
Reasonably High |
Medium High |
Medium |
Reasonably Low |
Low |
Very Low |
|
Unseasoned: |
S1 |
S2 |
S3 |
S4 |
S5 |
S6 |
S7 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seasoned: |
SD1 |
SD2 |
SD3 |
SD4 |
SD5 |
SD6 |
SD7 |
SD8 |
Stress Grade
| Structural No. 1 |
Structural No. 2 |
Structural No. 3 |
Structural No. 4 |
Structural No. 5 |
|
Unseasoned: |
F8 |
F7 |
F5 |
F4 |
|
Seasoned: |
F11 |
F8 |
F7 |
F5 |
F4 |
Density per Standard
Seasoned: |
400kg/m3 |
|---|---|
Unseasoned: |
|
Joint Group
Very High |
High |
Reasonably High |
Medium |
Low |
Very Low |
|
Unseasoned: |
J1 |
J2 |
J3 |
J4 |
J5 |
J6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seasoned: |
JD1 |
JD2 |
JD3 |
JD4 |
JD5 |
JD6 |
Colour
| White, yellow, pale straw to light brown | Pink to pink brown | Light to dark red | Brown, chocolate, mottled or streaky | |
Mechanical Properties
Modulus of Rupture - Unseasoned: |
46 |
|---|---|
Modulus of Rupture - Seasoned: |
66 |
Modulus of Elasticity - Unseasoned: |
7 |
Modulus of Elasticity - Seasoned: |
9 |
Maximum Crushing Strength - Unseasoned: |
23 |
Maximum Crushing Strength - Seasoned: |
41 |
Impact - Unseasoned: |
|
Impact - Seasoned: |
|
Toughness - Unseasoned: |
|
Toughness - Seasoned: |
|
Hardness - Unseasoned: |
2 |
Hardness - Seasoned: |
2 |
Durability
| Low | Moderate | Reasonably High | High | |
| (0 - 5 yrs) | (5 - 15 yrs) | (15 - 25 yrs) | (more than 25 yrs) | |
In-Ground: |
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| (0 - 7 yrs) | (7 - 15 yrs) | (15 - 40 yrs) | (More than 40 yrs) | |
Above ground: |
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| (0 - 20 yrs, usually < 5) | (21 - 40 yrs) | (41 - 64 yrs) | (More than 60 yrs) | |
Marine Borer Resistance: |
Lyctid Borer Susceptibility: |
Susceptible |
|---|---|
Lyctid Borer Susceptibility - Other: |
|
Termite Resistance: |
Not Resistant |
Fire Properties
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |
EFH Ignitibility: |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
EFH Spread-of-Flame Index: |
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EFH Smoke-Developed Index: |
Joinery
Timber joinery products offer a classic, unique and stylish touch to any interior or exterior design. The products are produced for a variety of internal applications including door and window frames, cabinetry, skirtings, mouldings and architraves. When looking to the outdoors, joinery products range from decorative eaves and posts to eye-catching railings.
Many timber species are suitable for joinery products and care should be taken in selecting the perfect timber for the particular product and its intended finish. Rare and exotic species such as Teak and Rosewood can generate pieces of outstanding beauty but material cost and availability are also important considerations.
Commercially available species like Tasmanian oak, Australian cypress, spotted gum and the like, often make the more practical choice, with the added benefit that they can be easily matched with other timber products within the building, like flooring.
Solid timber for joinery products is generally supplied as ‘clear finish grade' but ‘paint grade' options are available and these are usually comprised of a composite material like MDF or glulam.
A large number of specialist suppliers and producers offer the consumer extensive choice of profiles for all of the most common and popular joinery products. Choice is in many cases, limited only by imagination.
Cabinetry is often associated with joinery and most typically includes, cupboards, benches and other similar ‘built in' furniture. Like joinery, cabinetry is generally specified as either paint or clear finish grade and naturally for clear finish grade timbers, appearance and surface finish are critical in achieving a successful application.
Doors
Whether manufactured from solid or engineered timber, there are many stylish and practical options that won't compromise on strength and structural performance. A distinctive timber door can also create visual impact, adding value to any commercial or domestic building.
Timber makes an attractive choice for door design and construction, offering a strength, flexibility and versatility that other materials find hard to match.
Protected from moisture, a timber door will perform satisfactorily for the life of any building. With regular maintenance, carefully designed and finished timber doors can perform in the toughest external environment and if required, can be refurbished or updated easily and effectively.
This application guide outlines the common elements involved in specifying and finishing timber internal and external doors.
Panelling, Interior
Internal panelling, also known as appearance boards and linings, is not just a practical means of covering one or more walls and ceilings in a building, its inclusion in a room's interior design can generate looks that are both dramatic and stylish. Internal paneling comes as either solid natural timber paneling or as sheets of engineered wood products that provide a durable and hardwearing surface for areas subject to high impact. As they typically function as appearance products they generally have no structural requirements. This guide describes the variety of panelling products available and outlines the straightforward process of installing them.
Mouldings
Timber mouldings add style, class and an elegant touch to any interior, offering a depth of beauty and warmth in a way only wood can. From period times to those more contemporary, timber mouldings have graced the most stylish and chic of interiors, decorating furniture, doors and windows. Decorative mouldings such as architraves, skirtings, cornices and ceiling roses remain an ever popular choice for designers seeking a finished result of beauty, style and quality. Like all timber products, mouldings are extremely versatile and durable, enhancing the aesthetics of any interior and functioning as the perfect finishing touch for designs with a focus on beauty and splendour.
Mouldings can be created from any commercially available species of timber and the moisture resistant wood product, MDF, is also a popular choice. When it comes to style and design, the sky is the limit with many suppliers offering custom matching to existing mouldings, as well as efficient supply of those that are individually designed. Installation is a breeze, with the majority of mouldings easily attached with a reputable wood adhesive. Finishes can be tailored by design requirements and the preferences of the end user, with mouldings commonly being both stained and/or painted.
Rails and Balustrades, Interior
The versatility, beauty and strength of timber makes it the ideal material choice for interior handrails and balustrades. Treated softwood and durable hardwoods are the most popular timber choices and these can be turned to create a range of unique styles and designs to suit a variety of tastes and decors.
When used internally balustrades and handrails are typically finished with a clear lacquer to showcase the natural beauty of the timber and with appropriate care and attention will last a lifetime. Find here general information on member sizes, connections and suitable materials, as well as important considerations, for the specification and construction of interior handrails and balustrades.
