At Stafford Joinery, we’re proud to offer a range of beautiful, durable and sustainable quality sawn timber for a multitude of projects, and one of our firm favourites is Iroko Wood. Let’s explore more about this popular species and why it’s such a go-to wood for decking, fencing, cladding, furniture making and much more.

What is Iroko Wood?

Iroko wood comes from the Iroko tree, native to West Africa. It can be found in nations like Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and Mali, just to name a few, but it can generally be found anywhere in that geographic region. It’s most common in Nigeria, where it is sometimes referred to as Nigerian Teak. If you’ve heard of this tree, an Iroko tree is the same thing. However, it’s unrelated to the teak family of trees.

Did you know the Iroko tree can live up to 500 years! There are also many tales of the supernatural surrounding the Iroko tree and many people in Africa worship the trees because they believe the spirits of their ancestors live on in them. In fact, you may already be familiar with the Iroko tree without even realising it, as it features in the classic Disney film The Lion King.

Iroko Wood Colour

Iroko wood consists of a golden-yellow colour. But, like any good wine, it gets even better with age. Iroko’s heartwood’s hues will slowly deepen to a medium golden brown and eventually a rich, luxurious copper brown. Variance in colour is to be expected between different boards, as are dark streaked markings.

Although iroko has good outdoor durability, if left exposed to the elements, moisture and the sun’s UV will cause it to very slowly lose this colour and weather to a distinguished silvery-grey. This process can be effectively halted with the use of a quality preservative if required.

Iroko wood has an interlocking grain, whereas many species of oak usually boast a straight grain. Both exhibit attractive textures, with variance making every piece of wood unique – a quality that draws many architects, woodworkers and project specifiers to these stunning species.

What is it used for?

Due to its highly durable nature, this timber is used for a variety of external and internal purposes, including boat-building, domestic flooring, furniture and outdoor gates. Iroko is very durable, and is resistant to both rot and insect attack and it’s sometimes used as a substitute for genuine teak.

Some Advantages of Iroko Wood

• Iroko is considered very durable in terms of resistance to rot. It does not decay easily.
• It is also resistant to insect attack.
• Iroko is a dense wood that is suitable for many projects.
• It’s cheaper than the similar teak timber.
• Iroko is easy to work with. It glues and finishes easily.

For any further details on Iroko Wood, please do not hesitate to contact us here.