Australian Eucalyptus

Photographs 1,3,4 and 5 are of Spotted Gum Eucalyptus, the rest are Brush Box Eucalyptus. The last 7 photographs are of a floor that was featured in Architectural Digest. Eucalyptus flooring is proving one of our most popular and we currently have it installed in our showroom. Below is a detailed description of Australian Hardwoods.

3 1/4 with natural stain	This one is Brush box eucalyptus	Example of slate/wood combo
Wooden flush mount heat vent with frame	With domestic cherry cabinets and black granite	In a living room setting
In dim light	Oriental furniture	Avant furniture
Reds galore	Overall view of this room	East meets west

Australian Hardwoods

Definition:"Hardwood" is used here to colloquially describe the very heavy and dense spectrum of the Australian native timber species commonly referred to as the 'Eucalypts' after the most prominent Genus, Eucalyptus. These trees range over a number of genus (not just Eucalyptus spp) and mainly belong to the plant family Myrtaceae. There are estimated to be over 200 commercial 'hardwood' species in this group and approximately 500 species in total.

Confusing names of Australian trees?

Australia's first settlers tended to name native Australian trees after the the trees of their homeland. Many of these original names have become the common name, misleading when there is no botanical or even timber resemblance to the original trees. For instance, the Quercus spp. (the northern hemisphere Oaks) and the Fraxinus spp. (the Ashes) have no indigenous representatives in Australia, although there are many Australian trees which have either Oak or Ash in their common name. Other common names include Cedar, Elm, Box, Teak,Mahogany, Box, Myrtle, Walnut, Beech, Maple, Rosewood, Poplar, Ebony and Apple. The common name does not consistently reflect one aspect of the tree. For example, Blue Gum has a bluish trunk and a red timber, and Red Mahogany has a coarse bark but a deep red timber like true mahogany (the only similarity).

The common name can also vary from region to region and sometimes the different tree species will have the same common name in different regions. The Latin name is specific to a species and should always be referred to when in doubt.

History

From fossil pollen and carbon records it appears that the Eucalypts became dominant in Australia as a response to a geologically sudden increase in fire frequency. This frequency change has been attributed to the burning of the bush by Aborigines to drive game towards waiting hunters, attract game to the tender new growth, and to make walking through the bush easier. The Eucalypts having many adaptions to drought and bushfires survived well.

Botanical features

The majority of the hardwoods are 'sclerophyllus' meaning hard woody leaves. These leaves are a drought resistant feature of the tree making it easy for the tree to conserve water in times of stress. The trees have many mechanisms for coping with fire; from insulating bark, dormant buds under the bark for sprouting after the canopy is significantly damaged, and seeding mechanisms for release of seeds after fires, and ligno tubers (large roots that store nutrients) to allow regrowth in time of excessive damage to the tree. To counter insect, fungal and termite attack the trees produce a wide variety of extractives (exudates, alkaloids, tannins, phenolics and minerals) which give the timbers such varied properties and colours. The generally slow growing nature of the tree gives rise to a high density of the timber although Spotted Gum can be a fast growing species (by Australian standards) and still have one of the highest strength, hardness and modulus of elasticity properties of the hardwoods.

Appearance

The results of fires, insect attack and droughts results in much of the timber containing gum veins, insect holes, twisted growth, knots and discolorations. It is because of these features that the timbers are so radiantly beautiful. It is unquestionably the unpredictability and variation that gives us our true delight in natural timbers.

Mechanical Characteristics

The Australian hardwoods vary considerably in characteristic. However to generalize, particularly in regards to traditional furniture timbers, the timbers are very dense, heavy, hard. They can be abrasive to tools, interlocked in grain (variable grain direction in very small areas), have high levels of expansion and contraction with changes in humidity, and some contain chemical compounds that react with and weaken adhesives.

These characteristics are distinct disadvantages when used in traditional furniture manufacture and design. With modern machines, tools and adhesives and new design approaches many of the disadvantages are now redundant.

Impact value 
(Izod value)

Factors affecting supply

The majority of Australian hardwoods do not grow in monospecific stands of timber unless planted deliberately. Variations in soils, drainage, aspect, bushfire frequency, and insect habitat means that over a small area many different species will grow. In timber harvesting terms this means that the volumes and quality obtained by a sawmill can vary considerably either daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly. This variation is often solved by the wholesale system in Australia where timber can be sourced from many sawmills and other wholesalers to fill orders successfully.

Timber grades

Australia has a predominant natural environment of bushfires, droughts and poor soils. Approximately 80% of sawn Australian native timber carries the features of life in a harsh environment. The gum veins, borer holes, scars from bushfires, growth variations due to drought and variable soils show the natural history of the timber. In Australia we are more and more coming to consider them not as defects but as the words on a page telling the story about our harsh Australian environment and in the telling of this story they impart a natural warmth. It is the perception of the individual that divides these natural features into "defect or beauty"

Currently Australia is narrowing the definition of the grades of timber to take the above into account. Internationally such grades as 'Clear' , 'Select' and 'Utility' are common knowledge however Australia is now in the process of defining levels of features for the appearance timber market for the purposes of providing the right product for the right purpose. An example of this is the different requirements between a contemporary design utilizing natural feature timbers and a rustic bush cottage restaurant design.

Natural Feature Timbers

Australia is facing the obligation to better utilize these timbers. Previously relegated to low value uses due to the evidence of a harsh life these timbers are now showing themselves very capable of being used in contemporary furniture, joinery and interior design applications. Until the new Australian Standards come into force the Natural Feature grading can vary between sawmillers as they grade the timbers to best suit their timber resource and production and hopefully customer requirements.

Design choices

It is possible for timbers of particular grades to be selected, the economics of this depending on the timber resource at the time and volumes required. In August, 1997, ADH, an Australian wood manufacturer, presented Natural Feature options for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Village taking into account:

• conservation groups criteria
• chain of custody development for ecologically sustainable timber harvesting
• presentations to the designers and architects on choices available
• timber colours that suit decided decor,
• colour differences between plantation and natural regrowth timbers (due to general age variations)
• environmental responsibility in choice of grades
• design criteria and the resultant development of grading specifications
• timber industry capabilities
• timber resource capability and suitability (what the forest can be expected to provide)
• the connections between forest and manufacturer
• market acceptance precedents and marketing potentials

The result was the specification of Natural Feature timbers for the flooring for the Village with criteria that was fed back into the National standards process.

Timber colors and textures

General

The hardwoods have a wonderful variation of colours and textures. For design purposes, the timbers can be broadly grouped into Reds, Browns, Whites/Tans/Creams. In reality the timbers contain, Burgundies, khakis, Greys, Browns, Reds, Creams, with a large variety of highlights and depths of grains that give significant variations in the colour groups.

Variation in the species

Colors also vary considerable within the species. This is not so prominent in plantation timbers and in such species such as Tasmanian Oak/Ash ( a variety of species ) and Jarrah (E marginata). For timber floors the variations in color are part of the naturalness and some clients mix the species up to get a very prominent contrasts.

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