Sapele

SAPELE WOOD FEATURES

Sapele wood is a high-quality African wood species widely appreciated for its durability, strength and refined appearance. Classified as a tropical hardwood, Sapele timber is commonly used for doors and windows, furniture manufacturing, interior joinery, veneer production and decorative woodworking applications thanks to its balanced technical properties and distinctive grain.

Characterized by a reddish brown color and a medium to fine texture, Sapele wood offers excellent machining and finishing performance for industrial processing. Its natural appearance and dimensional stability make it suitable for both structural and decorative applications requiring consistency, resistance and aesthetic value.

Sapele tropical hardwood is frequently selected for the production of window and door frames, mouldings and interior architectural projects. Its interlocked grain can create attractive ribbon patterns, making Sapele wood particularly appreciated in premium woodworking and design-oriented applications.

Thanks to its versatility and reliable mechanical properties, Sapele timber is used by woodworking industries worldwide for projects requiring durable African hardwood solutions with good processing performance and elegant visual characteristics.

Vasto Legno supplies selected Sapele wood for international markets, combining industrial know-how, material selection and production expertise to support furniture manufacturers, veneer producers and woodworking industries.

Explore our full range of tropical hardwood species available for industrial processing, veneer production and woodworking applications.

END USES

Flooring / Furniture, components / Veneer for plywood / Interior joinery / Cabinetwork / Ship building / Interior panelling / Sliced veneer / Light carpentry / Stairs (inside)

WOOD DESCRIPTION

Color: Red brown
Sapwood: Clearly demarcated
Texture: Fine
Grain: Straight or interlocked

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

	Mean	Std dev
Specific gravity	0,69	0,04
Coeff. of volumetric shrinkage	0,47%	0,06%
Total tangential shrinkage (TS)	7,2%	0,9%
(normal moisture, at 12%)

NATURAL DURABILITY

Fungi: Moderately durable
Dry wood borers: Durable
Termites: Moderately durable
Use class: Class 2-3 – Inside or outside

DRYING

Drying rate: Normal
Risk of distortion: High risk
Risk of casehardening: No
Risk of cracking: Slight risk
Risk of collapse: No

SAWING AND MACHINING

Sawing: Easy
Peeling: Good
Slicing: Good

ASSEMBLING

Nailing/Screwing: Good
Gluing: Correct