Eco Palmwood

The exotic hardwood alternative

Description
♦ Eco palmwood is a more sustainable alternative to exotic and hardwood timber.
♦ Timber is harvested from coconut palm tree plantations once the trees stop producing nuts, around 70 to 80 years.
♦ The colour varies from honey to dark mahogany.
♦ Timber density can differ from tree to plantation.
♦ Honey coloured palmwood has low density, medium coloured is medium density and dark coloured is high density.

Uses
♦ Suitable for interior and exterior applications.
♦ Low density is suitable for panelling and decorative elements.
♦ Medium density is suitable for stud walls and ceiling joists.
♦ The higher density timber is suitable for architectural elements; door frames, window frames, furniture, flooring (planks, parquet tiles), structural floor joists and pillars.

Advantages
♦ Knot free as the tree naturally doesn’t grow branches or growth rings.
♦ Manufactured product has good insect resistance properties.
♦ Good resistance to rot and mould.
♦ Good moisture resistant properties.

Disadvantages
♦ See embodied energy

Embodied Energy
♦ Transportation and distribution from overseas increase the level of embodied energy.

Source/Origin
♦ Mainly Southeast Asia and South America, along coastal regions.

Renewable
♦ Coconut palm trees are in abundance from mass planting that occurred about 100 years ago, when they were planted for commercial farming.
♦ However the commercial use of coconuts is not in high demand nowadays with less plantations being sustained.

Recycled content
♦ n/a

Environmental & Health
♦ Formaldehyde free adhesives and resins are available for flooring, furniture and panelling, reducing VOC emissions into your home.
♦ Non toxic finishes are available for flooring, furniture and panelling.
♦ Coconut palms that are no longer producing nuts are harvested, otherwise these would be felled and replaced without use – this makes efficient use of material that would either be incinerated or thrown in landfill sites.
♦ The higher the demand for this timber substitute, the lower the demand for exotic hardwood timber from natural rainforests that are being depleted and ultimately destroyed.

Performance
♦ Very durable

Recyclable
♦ Yes

Disposal / Biodegradable
♦ 100% biodegradable

Ethics
♦ Using this material helps sustain local trade by turning a waste by product into a profitable timber substitute.

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