Okoume Lumber in Houston – Overview

Okoume Lumber

Specifications

  • Thicknesses (Commonly Stocked at Houston Hardwoods in): 4/4. We also offer custom milling to your exact specifications (e.g., 1×2, 1×4, 1×6, or other custom dimensions), as well as various options including S4S, S2S, S2S1E, and SLR1E.
  • Species: Aucoumea klaineana
  • Hardness (Janka): 380 lbf
  • Color: Heartwood is a pale pinkish-brown to light reddish-brown, sometimes with a faint striped or ribbon figure on quarter-sawn surfaces. Sapwood is yellowish-white and poorly demarcated.
  • Grain: Typically straight to slightly interlocked or wavy. Coarse to medium texture with a good natural luster, particularly on quarter-sawn surfaces.
  • Workability: Very easy to work with hand and machine tools due to its low density. Sands and finishes well, though can sometimes become fuzzy during planing or sanding if tools are dull. Glues easily.
  • Common Uses in Houston: Marine plywood, boat building, light furniture, interior paneling, veneers, and aircraft components where weight is a critical factor.

What Makes Okoume Unique

Okoume is an exceptionally lightweight African hardwood, renowned for its excellent strength-to-weight ratio and its remarkable dimensional stability. Often compared to mahogany due to its attractive pinkish-brown color and ribbon grain, Okoume’s primary distinction lies in its incredibly low density, making it a premier choice where weight is a critical design factor. Its ease of bending and gluing, combined with good moisture resistance (especially when properly finished), has made it a favorite in the marine industry, offering robust performance without the bulk, ideal for specialized projects in and around Houston.

Why Choose Okoume

  • Extremely Lightweight: Its very low density makes it easy to handle and ideal for projects where overall weight needs to be minimized.
  • Excellent Strength-to-Weight Ratio: Despite being lightweight, it offers good structural integrity for its density.
  • Good Dimensional Stability: Exhibits minimal movement once acclimated, making it reliable for wide panels and precision work, especially crucial in Houston’s climate.
  • Easy to Work: Its softness allows for effortless cutting, shaping, and machining with both hand and power tools.
  • Attractive Appearance: Possesses a pleasing pinkish-brown color, often with an attractive ribbon figure, providing a warm and inviting look.
  • Good for Bending: Its open, uniform texture makes it well-suited for steam bending or cold bending, a plus for curved applications.

Why You Might Not Choose Okoume

  • Very Soft: With a Janka hardness of only 380 lbf, it is highly susceptible to dents and scratches, making it unsuitable for high-impact surfaces like tabletops without significant protection.
  • Can be Fuzzy: Its softness and slightly open grain can lead to fuzziness during planing or sanding if tools are not exceptionally sharp, requiring extra effort to achieve a smooth finish.
  • Low Natural Durability: Without proper sealing and maintenance, it has low natural resistance to rot and insects for outdoor exposure, making robust finishes essential for exterior applications in Houston.
  • Not for Heavy Structural Use: While it has a good strength-to-weight ratio, it’s not meant for applications requiring extreme strength or resistance to heavy loads.

Okoume in the Houston Climate

Acclimation for Best Results

Okoume’s inherent stability makes it a good fit for Houston’s humid climate, but proper acclimation is still important, especially for interior projects. Given our city’s high humidity and warm temperatures, allowing the wood to equalize in your workshop or the final environment helps ensure its best performance. This step minimizes any potential for movement, ensuring that your lightweight furniture or custom cabinetry maintains its form and integrity over time in the diverse conditions of a Houston home.

Ideal for Marine & Lightweight Interior Projects

This wood is exceptionally well-suited for marine applications prevalent in our region, from custom boat interiors in Clear Lake to lightweight components for sailing vessels based out of Galveston. Indoors, its light weight and attractive appearance make it perfect for custom aircraft interiors, RV cabinetry for enthusiasts in Conroe, or lightweight paneling for modern homes in Montrose where minimizing structural load is a design consideration. While naturally durable, for outdoor applications in Houston’s intense sun and rain, robust finishes and maintenance are recommended to ensure its longevity.

Color and Grain Stability

The pale pinkish-brown to reddish-brown hues of Okoume are generally stable, though they may subtly deepen with age and exposure to light. The often straight to slightly wavy grain, sometimes exhibiting a pleasing ribbon figure, is quite stable once the wood is properly acclimated. Applying a suitable finish will not only protect its soft surface from wear but also enhance its natural luster, ensuring your Okoume projects maintain their light and airy aesthetic and structural integrity for years to come in any Houston setting, from coastal homes to urban lofts.

Popular Okoume Applications in Houston

Okoume’s exceptional lightness, stability, and workability make it a highly valued material among Houston’s marine craftsmen, custom furniture makers, and designers focusing on lightweight solutions. It is particularly chosen for applications where weight efficiency and a clean aesthetic are paramount.

Popular Applications Include:

  • Boat Building and Marine Plywood Cores: The primary choice for lightweight boat hulls, decks, and interior components for vessels built or restored in the Clear Lake and Galveston areas.
  • Lightweight Furniture: Crafting custom tables, chairs, and shelving units for apartments in Downtown Houston or spaces where furniture needs to be easily movable.
  • Interior Paneling and Wall Cladding: Used for decorative wall panels or ceiling applications in modern residential or commercial spaces where a light-colored, stable material is desired.
  • Custom Aircraft Interiors: Employed in the construction of interior components for experimental aircraft or specialty vehicles where every ounce counts, relevant to aviation enthusiasts around Sugar Land.
  • Cabinetry Components: Ideal for drawer bottoms, cabinet backs, or lightweight cabinet boxes where a softer, easily worked wood is preferred.
  • Model Making and Prototypes: Its ease of shaping and light weight make it excellent for intricate models, architectural prototypes, and displays.

Current Design Trends Featuring Okoume:

  • Minimalist and Scandinavian-Inspired Interiors: Its light color and clean grain fit well with designs emphasizing simplicity, light, and natural materials.
  • Modern Coastal Living: A natural fit for homes along the Texas coast or those aspiring to a marine aesthetic.
  • Portable and Modular Furniture: Used for designs that require ease of assembly, disassembly, or mobility.
  • Specialty Vehicle Outfitting: Popular in custom van builds, RVs, and tiny homes where weight and compact design are critical.

Looking for Okoume for Your Next Project?

We stock this incredibly lightweight and stable wood in 4/4 thickness and can custom mill to your exact needs. Whether you’re building a custom boat, designing lightweight furniture, or creating unique interior paneling, our team is here to help you pick the right material.

Visit Houston Hardwoods or contact us to check availability, request a quote, or discuss your project plans.