In recent years, exotic hardwood flooring has become quite prosperous, in part due to the prevalent reviews it receives for quality, durability, and beauty. Popular species include Tigerwood, Jatoba, Ipe, and a species that can at times be overlooked – Amendoim. Like many South American hardwoods, Amendoim flooring has a plethora of names, ranging from common tongue names to botanical recognitions – this species is known as Pterogyne Nitens, a name that refers to the “winged ovary” appearance of the seeds – such as viraro, ibiraro, and pau fava. More commonly, Brazilian Oak is used to reference this species, although it can at times be confusing as Tauari is sometimes referred to as Brazilian Oak as well. How or where this connotation comes from is a nuance yet discovered within the flooring industry – although speculations are abound.
The Amendoim tree grows most successfully in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, and can grow to an average height of 25 meters (about 75 – 80 feet), although individual specimen have been recorded in excess of 100 feet tall. The tree itself is usually about 90 centimeters in diameter (about 35 inches) but have been known to grow as wide as 120 CM thick (almost 50 inches).
In addition to uses as a flooring product, Amendoim shows a fine workability feature for cabinetry and furniture as well. The wood itself sands and finishes exceptionally well, making it a good choice for practical uses, as well as for home-finishing products. Because of the receptive quality of Amendoim to common finishes, installers and customers interested in finishing the flooring will find a relative ease compared to more difficult products. Amendoim sands well, making it less problematic to sand and refinish five or ten years into the lifespan of the floor.
The Janka rating system offers a numerical value to the specific hardness of hardwood flooring that can be comparatively used in different species of wood. More often, exotic species boast higher Janka ratings, and Amendoim is no exception. With nearly 50% more rating than Red Oak, Amendoim is a natural choice for a hard floor. Amendoim’s tentative value is 1912, putting it above even hard maple.
The color variation that Amendoim offers ranges from a yellowish brown to a reddish brown depending on the wood used. Heartwood is the darker, bearing an often red streak to it, while the more yellow-tan colorations denote the sapwood. Like most floors, Amendoim will darken with exposure to sunlight and oxygen, however the change in color is often less sharp than some of its other Brazilian cousins.
So you can see that while Amendoim may not get the center spotlight in the Brazilian Exotic flooring category, it is certainly a well-deserved supporting role.
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