Purpleheart Hardwood Lumber

 

 

Wood Appearance - Dull brown when freshly cut and rapidly oxidizes to violet-purple on exposure to light, gradually weathering to dark purplish-brown. The sapwood is whitish or cream colored and grain is generally straight, sometimes wavy or interlocked. The texture is moderate to fine.

 

Physical Properties - Purpleheart is very durable, strong, and resilient. Shock resistance is medium.

 

Natural Durability - Highly resistant to decay, termites and fire. The heartwood is very durable and extremely resistant to preservatives.

 

Timber Processing - Purpleheart dries well and fairly rapidly with little degrade. Kiln schedule E.

 

Working/Machining - The wood is not difficult to work. Straight-grained material saws and planes well when sharp tools are used. The wood turns smoothly and requires but little sanding to bring out a good finish.

 

Preservation - The heartwood is extremely resistant to impregnation with creosote. Even under high pressure, penetration occurs only along a few isolated vessels. The sapwood is permeable.

 

Assembly - The wood is easily fastened by gluing. Preboring is required for a good nail and screw holding. Also, it can be veneered with a hot glue.

 

Finishing - Purpleheart takes stain and either wax or French polish well, but its purple color is dissipated by spirit polishes. A lacquer finish is reported to hold its purple coloring.

 

Uses - Purpleheart possesses high strength and excellent durability qualities. It is a superior structural timber suitable for heavy outdoor construction work, docks work and other outdoor projects, such as park benches. For interior usage, such as flooring, it has high wearing qualities and is perfect for high traffic areas. It is a valuable hardwood for its attractive purple appearance.

 

Availability - Common in Guyana forest. Regular supplies are available.

 

Warehouse Contacts:

 

Guyana - 011-592-661-3019

Barbados - seignet@golden.net

Duncan, South Carolina, USA - seignet@golden.net

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada - 1-519-574-0038