Where does Vitex timber come from

Vitex cofassus is a species of woody plant in the family Lamiaceae. Native to New Guinea and the Southwest Pacific islands, “New Guinea teak” is planted for its hardwood, used in construction, in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Where does Vitex decking come from?

Vitex is sourced from village-based operations in the Solomon Islands and is predominantly used throughout New Zealand as hardwood decking. Vitex has minimal bleeding of tannins, meaning it is less likely to stain concrete and other hard surfaces when compared to other hardwood products like Kwila.

What tree does Vitex timber come from?

Vitex (Vitex cofassus) is a Solomon Islands tropical hardwood used for decking in NZ. Attractive light-coloured timber which will quickly age to a driftwood grey if left to weather. It has been used extensively as exterior decking in New Zealand for about 30 years.

Where is Vitex timber from?

Vitex is a durable hardwood with a pale yellowish to creamy-grey appearance. Texture is fine and slightly lustrous with an even grain. When freshly cut the timber has a leathery odour and the timber is greasy to the touch. Vitex is sourced from low-impact, village-based operations in the Solomon Islands.

Is Vitex timber sustainable?

Vitex is a durable timber from the Solomon Islands. … Grown on the West Coast of Alaska and Canada in responsibly managed forests it is more ecologically friendly than tropical timbers.

Is Vitex decking good?

Vitex Decking It differentiates itself from other hardwoods through its good bending qualities and the ability to cut across the grain. It has a good finish no matter where it’s cut. It’s primarily used for decks as well as boat building, rails, cross-arms, and more.

How do I protect my Vitex decking?

Vitex decking should be kept dry and out of the weather until installation. On site each pack should be kept off the ground by placing it on bearers and covered with a tarp to protect from sun and rain. Ventilation Free air circulation under the decking is very important to help minimise cupping and warping.

Can you stain Vitex decking?

A. Vitex is a timber that is difficult to achieve penetration of stain products. Suggest you use Resene Wood Oil Stain for this application. Our exterior stains are designed to erode upon weathering and the degree of erosion is determined by the weathering intensity.

What is Tonka decking?

Other Common Names: Tonka, Cumaru, Brazilian Teak. Yellow-white sapwood and olive-brown heartwood, with fine texture and medium lustre. Very good dimensional stability and highly resistant to shock. Ideal for structural timber and flooring.

How much does Vitex cost?

List Price:$18.99 DetailsPrice:$17.22 ($0.29 / Count) Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon PrimeYou Save:$1.77 (9%)

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What is Vitex hardwood?

New Guinea Teak, also called Vitex, is a timber that is often used for timber decking and hardwood flooring. … Teak is very popular due to being very easy to work with. It has a durability rating of 2. Its sapwood is usually coloured blonde or pale yellow, while the heartwood can range from golden brown to olive gray.

What is Kwila timber?

Merbau, also known as Kwila, is a common hardwood timber used for decking, screening and external joinery, which is sourced from Northern Queensland and South East Asia. It is reddish brown in colour and offers class 1 durability in above ground applications for outdoor use.

What is Kwila decking?

Kwila (Instsia spp) is a South East Asian tropical hardwood used for extensively for decking in NZ. Attractive gold to reddy-brown coloured timber which will age to driftwood grey if left to weather. Kwila is hard wearing, easy to work with and has good strength, durability and excellent stability.

Where does NZ kwila come from?

Almost all the rainforest kwila (or merbau) that comes to our shores originates in Indonesian ruled West Papua. Kwila used to grow across the Asia Pacific but these days it is close to extinction as a species and is only present in commercial quantities on the island of New Guinea.

Where does Merbau come from?

A beautiful hardwood timber species deriving from a few locations around the world, merbau comes from the Kwila tree. The species is found in tropical climates in locations such as Queensland, Australia and Indo Pacific islands like Fiji, and Samoa, as well as Tanzania, India, and Madagascar.

What is the best decking timber to use?

Treated pine. Nothing beats the look of natural timber. …
Jarrah. Some homeowners won’t settle for anything less than jarrah. …
Blackbutt. Blackbutt is another highly fire resistant timber. …
Spotted Gum. …
Merbau. …
Stringybark. …
Ironbark.

How soon should you oil new decking?

Ideally, newly-laid or newly-treated decking should be left to weather naturally for about six months before you stain or oil it. This ensures that any existing treatment is given sufficient time to naturally weather away, so that your decking oil can achieve maximum penetration into the wood.

What is Purple Heart timber?

Purple Heart (Peltogyne) is a South American hardwood. The timber is extremely dense and water-resistant. Purpleheart has excellent strength and is rated to be very durable. Purpleheart will age from purple to brown to a driftwood grey if left to weather.

What is watershed decking?

Hermpac Watershed Decking, a paradigm shift in timber decking design. Slight curvature on face to help counteract cupping, Helps minimise water pooling on the surface of the decking, … Accessories available include penetrating Deck Oil, Decking Screws, Countersink Drill Bit and Hole Template.

What is the best decking timber to use in NZ?

Solid timber decking Hardwood species tend to be more expensive, but longer lasting – some examples of hardwood decking in NZ include Kwila, Vitex and Garapa. Softwood species tend to be more affordable, but don’t last as long. The most popular softwood decking material used in NZ is Pine.

Is Vitex better than kwila?

Vitex wood With its yellow shade, it looks a lot like pine, but it’s much more durable. In fact, it doesn’t dent like pine and it lasts longer. It doesn’t have knots and vitex’s finish is a fine, even grain. Its natural colour doesn’t bleed out as much as Kwila, but it will fade to a silver/grey shade with age.

What is decking wood made from?

Hardwood timber, which is used for hardwood decking is sourced from slow growing trees, which are often referred to as broadleaved trees. Softwood timber, which is used for softwood decking comes from faster growing, evergreen or coniferous trees. Commonly used hardwoods for decking are: ipe, teak, iroko and cumaru.

Is vitex the same as Chasteberry?

Vitex, which is the name of the largest genus in the Verbenaceae plant family, includes 250 species worldwide (1). Vitex agnus-castus is the most common vitex used medicinally. The Vitex agnus-castus fruit, also known as chasteberry or monk’s pepper, is about the size of a peppercorn.

How fast does a vitex tree grow?

Although typically grown as a 10-15′ shrub, in tree form, it can reach heights of up to 20′. This long-lived specimens rapid growth rate can add up to 24″ per year in height.

What is vitex fruit good for?

Vitex can help raise your progesterone levels and lower your prolactin levels. It can help your premenstrual symptoms and ease breast pain and tenderness. The evidence isn’t clear whether it helps fertility or other period and hormone problems, though.

Is Pacific Teak sustainable?

Pacific Coast Teak has chosen its FSC teak plantation areas carefully. … Our teak plantation grown lumber is managed in a renewable sustainable environment. Teak (Tectona grandis) is one of the most well known timbers of the world.

Is kwila decking treated?

Avoid toxic treated timbers and endangered woods when building your deck at home. Greenpeace estimates that at least $15-20 million of Kwila, in decking and outdoor furniture, is imported here every year. …

Is merbau the same as kwila?

Kwila, also known as Merbau, is a tropical timber which naturally grows in various regions throughout the South East Pacific rim, such as Northern Queensland, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Does Merbau GREY off?

Answer: Merbau decking won’t bleed on its own. … The alternative is to leave the decking for some months so the tannin can wash out naturally, but in the process it will start to lose its colour and turn grey.

Do you have to stain kwila?

About six weeks after we’ve finished building your kwila deck we highly recommend you stain it. Its really easy to do, first off wash your deck, I used a bucket of soapy water and a broom, hose it off and let it dry. …