Natural wood furniture is always a good choice, but it's even better if it's high quality material that will last the owner for decades. Everyone knows about the excellent properties of oak, beech or ash wood, but for most consumers, products made from such material are simply not affordable. Looking for an alternative, buyers increasingly began to notice good and fairly budget furniture made in Malaysia, made of rubber wood. Solid hevea is a relatively new material in the woodworking industry, but it has already proved itself well in the Western European and American markets. What kind of tree is it, where is it grown and how is it prepared for the production of furniture - this, as well as other useful information in our article.
Hevea - what kind of tree is this?
Brazilian Hevea is the most popular species among the trees of the Hevea genus. There are about ten of them in total, but it is the Brazilian one that is most common and is grown on special plantations. The countries of South America and Asia (Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia) are engaged in its cultivation. Another name for this tree is the Malaysian oak, also known as the rubber tree. Initially, the main purpose of the cultivation of hevea is the extraction of rubber, from which latex is produced. Hevea has not been used as a raw material for the production of furniture or other interior items for many years, it was simply burned.
Preparation of juice from this tree is a specific process. The trunk is excised in a special way and a container is substituted for the incision, into which a valuable substance flows. A he althy tree is ready to produce rubber 5-6 years after planting, but in 25 years its reserves run out and the hevea is cut down. A new planting is created in place of the cut trees. Since hevea is specially cultivated, the trees are not allowed to grow much, and their trunks, as a rule, do not exceed 50 cm in diameter and 30 meters in height. However, if a rubber tree grows in the wild, its trunk can be up to one meter thick.
Quality of raw materials, its features
Hevea is a valuable wood. This is one of the varieties of mahogany, which is famous for its durability and beautiful appearance. It is not for nothing that Hevea is called Malaysian oak - the fact is that its wood density is not inferior to European oak. It grows in a special tropical climate, where there is no change of seasons and strongtemperature differences, and therefore in the section of the hevea trunk there are practically no annual rings. Due to the fact that a certain percentage of rubber remains in the wood, it has a dense structure. Rubber holds the fibers of the trunk together, and it also prevents mold and pests from developing in them.
A distinctive feature of the hevea is that the color of the wood of its trunk changes from bottom to top. At the same time, the gradation of shades is noticeable to the naked eye - if the wood at the root has a creamy-beige color, interspersed with brown veins, then in the middle part the trunk becomes perfectly beige, and in the upper part, near the crown, it becomes pale pink. After sanding, the wood is pleasant to the touch and has a soft sheen. The texture of the wood is straight-grained, weakly expressed, it is quite dense and uniform - because of this, the wood can split if nails are hammered into it. But with proper drying of lumber, this drawback is completely eliminated. Later, any furniture can be made from it: a bed, a chair, shelves, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a table. Hevea is even used to make countertops, including for bathrooms, because this material is not afraid of high humidity.
Making wood from rubber tree
If processed incorrectly, hevea will be unsuitable for making good furniture. The most important requirement for raw materials is its high-quality drying, during which almost all moisture is removed from the wood. According to the standards, its amount should not exceed 10%. Manufacturers are doing thisThe result is due to the fact that the logs are placed in chambers where high pressure is applied to them, pushing water out of the wood. Then the workpiece is impregnated with an antiseptic substance, which fills the voids formed as a result of oppression in the structure of the tree. If this is not done, the tree will quickly collapse.
Array types
Hevea is grown by a number of Asian countries, but still the main exporter supplying the hevea array around the world is Malaysia. The tables, chairs, beds and cabinets sold in most furniture stores are also made there. In this country, the woodworking industry was declared a priority type of management. Good working conditions have been created for planters, but at the same time, the controlling authorities put forward rather strict requirements for them regarding the quality of the material and products they make.
The finest hevea furniture is made from solid pieces of wood. There is also glued material, it is made from bars. To prevent the products from drying out and deforming, the bars must be well dried, because due to the content of rubber in the wood fibers and their high level of moisture, they are difficult to glue. It is also worth noting that the geography of the tree is important. If it grew on rocky soil, then the wood will be harder than that of a hevea grown on black soil (on average, this figure varies between 3.5-4 HB).
Applying an array
As we already mentioned, hevea wood was originally used exclusivelyas a fuel material. Now its application is much wider and more diverse. The following products are made from it:
- furniture;
- parquet;
- toys;
- decorative figurines and figurines;
- kitchen utensils;
- veneer for covering cabinet furniture;
- cladding panels.
The peculiar texture of wood allows you to make the finest carving on it. Thanks to this, craftsmen carve very beautiful furniture from hevea wood. Chairs and tables are covered with patterns, although, as a rule, manufacturers prefer not to hide the rich texture of wood behind excessive decor, simply by varnishing products.
Hevea furniture: types and benefits
This material is absolutely versatile. Almost any kind of furniture is made from it. A bed made of solid hevea looks especially interesting - it can be made in a modern or classic style. The stores present single sets, in which both cabinet and upholstered furniture are assembled from this wood.
Dining room and kitchen furniture sets are the most popular among buyers. Such tables and chairs look great visually, in addition, they are soundly made and are stable and durable. Due to its resistance to moisture, hevea products can be used not only in a dry room (bedroom, nursery or living room), but also in the kitchen and even in the bathroom.
How to care for furniture fromhevea?
Special care for the massif rubber tree is not required. It is enough to keep the furniture assembled from this material clean, and also try not to succumb to sudden temperature changes. Even experts in the sale of furniture recommend moistening the room in which hevea products are installed. If the air in them is too dry, then the wood can dry out and deform. You can avoid this with the help of a household air humidifier, and if there is no such device at hand, it will be enough to place a vessel with water (a glass or a small jar) near the furniture. If the product has sliding elements (boxes, props, etc.), then they can be periodically lubricated with paraffin for skis.
Owner Reviews
The annual turnover in the woodworking market between Malaysia and Europe and America exceeds 3 billion US dollars and this is the best indicator of the competitiveness of hevea products. In addition, Malaysia is one of the ten largest exporters of furniture in the world. In the domestic markets, rubber wood products appeared relatively recently (about 15-20 years ago). But this time was enough for Russian consumers to appreciate the hevea furniture. Reviews about it are mostly good, buyers note the high quality of its assembly and the current design. Many of them use their purchases for several years and absolutely do not regret their choice.
