Sungkai wood, which has the scientific namePeronema Canescens, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand. Sungkai trees grow well at an altitude of 600 - 900 meters above the sea. It grows well on the islands of sumatra, java and kalimantan.
Sungkai wood has an average dried weight of 550 - 650 kg/m3. The janka hardness reaches 250-300, and has a bending strength of 400 - 900 kg/m3 and a pressure strength of 300 - 650 kg/m3. With a strength class level II/III, sungkai wood has less strength to withstand the load, in parallel to the wood grain, or perpendicular to the wood grain compared to other hardwood.
With the level of durability class III / IV, when sungkai 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 lasts a lot longer. Sungkai wood is not resistant to insects and fungi, rather quickly eaten by termites. If it is well treated and preserved, sungkai wood will last much longer for decades.
Sungkai wood is not weather resistant and less bending and pressure strength. It is best used indoor, as a material for making wood interior decorative elements such as wall panel, ceiling panel, decorative moulding, furniture, home decor, etc.
Sungkai wood has a fine and beautiful wood grain as good as teak grain. Its fine grain texture makes sungkai wood an alternative wood material that is more affordable than teak for decorative components. Compared to other hardwoods such as teak, merbau and bangkirai, sungkai wood is less durable, so if you want sungkai wood to be more durable against insects and fungi, you should provide additional preservatives.
Sungkai wood basic color is yellowish white. Sungkai wood is a soft wood with a fairly light weight, but the grain is quite beautiful, resembling the appearance of teak wood grain, making it suitable for finishing with transparent paint that still shows its grain. Because the basic color is so light, sungkai wood can be applied using wood stain ranging from light colors to dark colors. Sungkai wood also suitable with paint finishing system.
Sungkai Wood Grain
Sungkai Wood Finishing Options
Sungkai 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 sungkai wood, we recommend using both transparent wood stain( light or dark color) and solid color. Meanwhile, if you choose not to use any color / type of wood stain , then the final appearance of the sungkai wood color will look like the natural color of the sungkai 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)
Sungkai 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 sungkai wood, either light or dark colors are available. Meanwhile, if you choose not use any wood stain color then the color of the sungkai wood will look like the natural color of the sungkai 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 last 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 sungkai wood visual appearance. Below are some examples of the paint finishing color selection as follows:
3.1. Solid Color Paint (invisible wood grain)
