Origin
The cumaru wood is a tropical wood also known in the lumber market as choiba wood or shihuahuaco. Its tree receives the scientific name of Dipteryx odorata and it belongs to the Fabaceae family. It is a species native from Central America and northern Amazonia, which cultivation spreads from Nicaragua and Costa Rica to Panama, highlighting its plantations in Colombia.
Colour
The cumaru wood has a yellowish-white colour in the sapwood and a reddish brown tone in the heartwood, with a visible contrast between both of them. When the wood is dry, the surface layers turn into a whitish-pink tone with a reddish brown flush in the interior.
Texture
The cumaru wood is a very hard and heavy material. It has a grain of an average size and an interlaced but definite vein with bows and visible bands on the surface.
Durability
The cumaru wood has the highest quality and durability as to decking outside is concerned, thanks to its resistance against any weather, excessive moisture and insect or pest attack.
Features
The maintaining of the cumaru wood when used on surfaces is one of the simplest in the timber market because with just a coating of oil will be enough to remain perfect for many years. The drying will be slow, and it has a greater difficulty when working it because of its hardness, its interlocked grain and its high content of silicon. That is why it is recommended to use appropriate tools for its handling craft.
Applications
The most common applications of the cumaru wood usually goes to outside pallets, exterior and interior carpentry, doors, stairs, paneling, molding, baseboards, friezes and especially parquet, interior and exterior joinery arm, decorative plates, cooperage and even building of structures for bridges, railways, roof trusses, columns and sports or mining structures.