Red meranti wood, which has the scientific name Shorea , grow well in the tropics area in borneo / kalimantan island, Indonesia. Meranti wood has some variants such as red meranti, yellow meranti and white meranti. Among other meranti family, red meranti wood is the hardest one.
Red meranti wood has an average dried weight of 300 - 600 kg/m3. The janka hardness reaches 400-500, 3.570 N and has a bending strength of 360-725 kg/m3 and a pressure strength of 215 - 425 kg/m3. With a strength class level III / IV, meranti wood has less strength to withstand the load, in both direction, either parallel to the wood grain, or perpendicular to the wood grain.
With the level of durability class III/IV, when meranti wood placed in direct contact with moist soil can last less than 3 years, if the wood is not protected against wind and climate but protected from water, it can last less than 10 years. When the wood placed in a place which is protected from wind, weather and water (for example indoors), endurance is a lot longer. Meranti wood is not resistant to insects and fungi, rather quickly eaten by termites. When it is well treated and preserved, meranti wood will last for decades.
Red meranti wood is not weather resistant. It is best used indoor, as a material for making wood jamb, door, window, wall panel, ceiling panel, stair components, decorative moulding, furniture, home decor, etc.
Compared to other hardwoods such as teak, merbau and bangkirai, meranti wood is less durable, so if you want meranti wood to be more durable against insect and fungus attack, it should be given additional care and preservatives.
Meranti wood colors ranging from yellowish white, yellow, pink to dark red. Wood grain is quite visible, though not as smooth as kamper or mahogany wood grain, so if you want to be finished with transparent paint it still shows original wood grain. Because the basic color is not too dark, meranti wood can apply wood stain color ranging from light colors to dark colors. Meranti wood also suitable with paint finishing system.
Red Meranti Wood Grain
Red Meranti Woo Finishing Options
Red meranti wood can be finished by using a water-based finishing system, or solvent-based finishing system as follows.
1. Acrylic Water-based Finishing (transparent and solid color water-based)
Water-based finishing is an environmentally friendly, odorless, non-toxic paint that is easily applied with a spray or brush evenly, also easy to repaint. Because of its excellent resistance to ultraviolet light, this finishing is suitable for use in interiors and exteriors. Besides being weather resistant, this finishing is also resistant to mold and insects. Acrylic water-based finishing has good adhesion to the surface of the wood, seeps into the wood pores and is quite elastic, so that the wood will not easily peeled off. The last / top coat of finishing can be selected with the choice of doff / matt or gloss appearance.
There are two types of color in this acrylic water-based finishing system: transparent colors and solid colors. In case of meranti wood, we recommend both using transparent wood stain( light or dark color) and solid wood stain. Meanwhile, if you choose not to use any color / type of wood stain , then the final appearance of the meranti wood color will look like the natural color of the meranti wood, just apply the final layer: clear doff / matt or clear gloss only then.
1.1. Transparent Wood Stain (visible wood grain )
1.2. Solid Color Wood Stain (invisible wood grain)
Meranti wood can be applied using solid color wood stain as follows:
2. Melamine Solvent-based Finishing (transparent color solvent-based)
Melamine finishing is a two-component wood finishing system with low formaldehyde content so it is relatively odorless and less poignant in the eyes. This paint has a low level of yellowing tendency, and a good level of scratch resistance, has a matt or glossy look, hard and thick coating, and resistant to water and household chemicals. This finishing system still has good transparency so that it can show the authenticity of the wood grain. The last coat / top of finishing can be selected with the choice of doff / matt or gloss appearance.
Melamine finishing has very high transparency properties. Below is a choice of wood stain that can be applied to meranti wood, either light or dark colors are available. Meanwhile, if you choose not use any wood stain color then the color of the meranti wood will look like the natural color of the mahogany wood, just apply the final layer : clear doff / matt or clear gloss only then.
2.1. Choice of Transparent Color Wood Stain (visible wood grain )
3. Paint Finishing (solid color solvent-based)
Paint is a nitrocellulose-based auto refinish lacquer paint that is dry, fast, has high glossy visual and is available in a variety of durable color choices. This paint finishing system also has excellent adhesion and durability to be applied to wood. Beside applied to wood, this paint is also known as a painting system on vehicles, machinery, iron and steel. The final coat of paint finishing can be applied with a matte / doff or gloss top coat finished.
Paint finishing has no transparency at all, so it will cover all the deficiencies of meranti wood visual appearance. Below are some examples of the paint finishing color selection as follows:
3.1. Solid Color Paint (invisible wood grain)
