Mahogany, Santos

Botanical Name: Myroxylon, Balsamum

Fast Facts

Color: dark reddish brown.

Grain: The grain of this lumber is even and close together or, if quarter sawn, may have a striped appearance.

Variations within Species and Grades: moderate variation of color within boards.

Hardness/Janka: The rating for this timber is 2200.

Dimensional Stability: Santos mahogany has an above average dimensional stability.

Sawing/Machining: Difficult to machine because the hardness of the wood it is moderately.

Sanding: Santos mahogany sands well.

Nailing: no known problems.

Finishing: An oily residue can cause some difficulties in applying finish.

Availability: Asian mahogany is readily available.

Credit: NWFA

Santos mahogany is one of the smaller hardwood trees.

At maturity, the height of one of these trees rarely exceeds 100 feet. Santos mahogany can be found from Argentina north to Central America and southern Mexico.

History

It is a famous component used in the manufacture of perfumes and also balsams. Furthermore, this flooring type has also been typically used in interior trim and furniture.

Durability

Determine the durability of a hardwood is by looking at its ranking on the Janka scale. The closer the score is to zero the less suitable it is as a hardwood flooring candidate because, at zero, a wood is much too soft.

A score of 4,000 would mean that the wood is much too hard to be machined in quantities large enough to be useful.

Santos mahogany has a Janka scale rating of 2,200. While this is extremely high for hardwood flooring, it is still low enough to be machined effectively and provides decent durability.

Workability

It is very difficult to mill by hand, but using carbide tooling makes machining manageable. No known problems are associated with nailing this flooring. The wood produces an oily residue which can make it difficult to apply a finish. If a pure solvent is applied, the residue can be removed. Santos mahogany can cause allergic reactions or respiratory problems in some individuals, so be careful when working with this lumber.

Where to use

Santos mahogany is a perfect selection for those that want the richness of the mahogany color but with more durability. Furthermore, this type of flooring is excellent for areas that do receive a large amount of foot traffic. Unlike some hardwood flooring options, this flooring can be confidently used in commercial setting as well as residential. Keep in mind to limit the exposure of the wood to excessive moisture or standing water.

Care and Maintenance

This type of flooring is more resistant to damage than many others.

Preventative maintenance should not be ignored. Properly caring for a hardwood floor will ensure that the beauty and investment are not diminished. The first step in this process is preventative maintenance.

We recommend you using runners or rugs for areas of extremely high foot traffic. Heavy furniture need pads placed beneath the feet to prevent indents from occurring over time.

Routine care also plays a key role in keeping the floors looking beautiful. The floors should be regularly swept or vacuumed.

Environmental Issues

Big leaf mahogany was becoming endangered and has since been placed on a protected list in order to prevent over cutting.