Wenge, not as good as it looks

Wenge (pronounced "wengay") is an African hardwood with a warm dark colour and distinctive figure. It has been used for hundreds of years in Africa to make ceremonial masks and statues paying homage to the gods.

Produced from the Millettia Laurentii tree, Wenge is a heavy and hard wood with straight grains and features a coarse texture. Its distinctive characters include dark brown heartwood and close, fine black veins and white lines. The combination of these white bands against the dark wood with the black streaks gives it its attractive look.

Wenge is similar to maple in its natural abrasion resistance although with its dark coloration and interesting figures, it makes for a dramatic-looking floor. Although freely available in the UK as flooring, very few people are aware of the fact that it is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Greenpeace Lists of Threatened Species, which means it is vulnerable to illegal and unsustainable logging.

Wenge also presents some health hazards as the dust created when sawn can cause skin allergy and respiratory problems. Proper ventilation and the use of masks and protective clothing are recommended. Add to that the high prices you’ll have to pay for this product and a question comes up; is it really worth it?

Here at Ecora we are committed to supplying our customers with reclaimed and new flooring from sustainable and well managed forests. As you have probably guessed Ecora doesn’t sell any Wenge, although we can propose a few alternative solutions such as reclaimed Panga-Panga, which we supply as reclaimed parquet flooring.

Wenge and Panga-Panga are closely related species. In fact, they so closely resemble one another that in some areas, the wood is sold interchangeably. Wenge grows in swampy areas in Cameroon, Congo, Zaire and Gabon while, Panga-Panga, grows in the open forests of Tanzania and Mozambique. Both tree species are modest in height and averaging about 60 feet and 2 foot in diameters although, they can sometimes reach up-to 90 feet in height and 3 to 4 foot in diameter. Wenge weighs between 52 and 62 pounds per cubic foot while Panga-Panga weighs 50 pounds per cubic foot. Wenge and Panga-Panga drying methods also differ slightly as Panga-Panga dries quickly while Wenge is slow drying and must be carefully checked to avoid degrade, like surface checking. Both have small movement in service.

Other alternatives available in our showroom include new Smoked or Thermo-Treated Oak, which offer a dark pallet but without the ecological concerns. The Smoked oak can be supplied in 20mm thick solid or multilayer and the Thermo-Treated Oak is available in 21mm multilayer only.

If you would like to know more about this article or if you require additional information about any of the flooring or paint we supply please give us a call us on 020 7148 5265 or stop by our Showroom in Belsize Park. It will be our pleasure to help you.

Ecora Wood Flooring