SELECTION OF WOOD FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

what are the woods commonly available in timber mart for construction works?

* TEAK WOOD(burma teak ,african teak ,ghana teak,colombian teak etc)

* PADAUKWOOD

* KINO WOOD/MERBAU IN HINDI(Vengai In tamil,)

* SALWOOD (called as kongu in tamil)

all the above woods are imported from other countries and sold in india for construction works

what are the woods available for construction which is grown in India?

#country teak

#Neem wood 

#Indian tulip tree/portia tree ( poovarsu maram in tamil ,bhendi in marathi also called as pacific rosewood)

etc

which is easily available imported or local timber?

Imported timbers are easily available,local timbers not easily available in market . if u want to buy local timbers you have to approach in villages .Timber farmers grow local timbers 

what wood to select and which one is good for doors and door shutters ?

Teak wood (burma teak) ; teak wood has natural oils, which protects the wood in hot summer to cold weather ,Teak is close grained wood. Teak can be cut very accurately and carving work can be done very easily .It is one of the durable wood .density of burma teak 700-800 kg/cum

Disadvantage of burma teak:
very costly 

burma teak

African teak ;grains is very good and attracting in nature  . grains gives rich look if varnished or PU coated ,but weight /density is less than burma teak .price is less than burma teak 

Disadvantage of african teak :

less density/weight

Ghana teak;
durable wood ,wood frames and shutters can be made,cheap in price

colombian teak;
shutters and frames can be made using colombian teak, It is white in colour and durable wood 

african,ghana colombian teaks are alternate teak for burma teak, burma teak is very costly and these teaks rate are lesser than burma teak rate.

PADAUK WOOD

It is reddish in colour,carpentors like this wood for its look and ease in workability  .Padauk is No grain pattern wood,In north tamilnadu it is widely used in construction for making doors,shutters and furnitures too due to its colour .carpentor too favours padauk for its nature to work easily.After sun exposure the colour  of wood changes to further dark .It is resistant to insects and termites 
It is durable wood .density of padauk 750 to 850 kg/cum

padauk wood

MERBAU(VENGAI WOOD)

It is very strong and heavy wood .density is around1000 to 1100kg/cum. It is tough for carpentors to work because of its hardness .It is widely used in south tamilnadu. priming needed it can not left as un coated 

vengai wood

SALWOOD (KONGU IN TAMIL)
strong durable wood ,density is 1100 to 1200 kg/cum.wooden frames will be done using salwood, shutters can not be done with salwood. The wood should be avoided in exteriors,as it tends to develop minor cracks(the cracks will not affect the durability of wood)
It is heavier and durable than teak wood, it is very durable against water, so bathroom frames can be done using salwood,carpentors feel difficult to work with salwood as it is heavier wood.The wood is cheaper than teak,padauk and vengai.ship builduing done using sal wood as it is warer resistant

country woods

Tamilnadu country  teak wood

country teak ; heavier and durable wood, light in colour density is more than burma teak 

poovarasu wood

called as poor mans teak ,durable wood , it is available in south tamilnadu,suitable for shutters and frames ,cheaper in price

NEEMWOOD

Termite proof and durable wood ,usage in exterior portion should be avoided as it tends to crack, frames can be built, shutters should be avoided 

I am in tight in budget which would be selected from imported woods?

for main door ; use colombian/ghana/african wood for door frames and shutters 
for bedroom doors ; use kongu frames for bedroom and use ready made flush doors
for windows ; use vengai/padauk for  frame and shutters 

I am in tight in budget which would be selected from country  woods?

Use tamilnadu country teak wood for doors and windows 

if poovarasu wood available it can be used for doors and windows 

What is seasoning and why it is very important?

Trees contain water (moisture) ,when it is made into log it starts emitting water .A seasoned wood is good and stronger than unseasoned wood .A unseasoned wood will bend and loose its stability,so for construction well seasoned timber should be used .

while Iam buying wood log from timber mart ,how can i know moisture is there in wood?

your engineer/ wood carpenter will tell you and will make a seasoning in site itself before starting the wood work

•  V.SUDHAKAR BE,MBA,LLB,AMIE,FIV
• CHARTERED AND PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER
• QVR INFRA CONSTRUCTION (OPC) PVT LTD 
• 9444991031