Sengon Wood, the Popular Wood in Indonesia Woodworking Industry

Sengon wood is one type of wood that is widely cultivated in Indonesia. Sengon trees can grow quickly and are relatively cheap and easy to cultivate. It has a fairly profitable economic value and is quite popular in the Indonesian woodworking industry. Sengon wood is classified as softwood with a plain appearance that is not attractive, so it is actually relatively limited in uses. Sengon wood is mostly used to produce simple and cheap products, does not require beauty, and does not require strength.

Types of sengon wood

• Sengon laut (albizia)

It is the most widely available sengon wood in the wood market. Sengon trees can grow quickly with wood in various regions with a short planting age of around 6-7 years. Sengon laut is the most popular type of sengon in the wood industry. This wood is light and soft and is not favored by wood bugs. Mostly used for raw materials for plywood, barecore, blockboard, and furniture interiors.

• Javanese sengon, or sengon tekik or sengon buto (Enterolobium cyclocarpum)

This sengon wood has better strength and structure than sea sengon. This local sengon tree takes longer to grow, around 10 years. This sengon wood is also known as sengon buto or sengon tekik and has a stronger structure. This wood also has grain, although it is not strong, but it is relatively more decorative compared to albizia.

Javanese sengon wood is widely used to make simple furniture, pallets, and building construction with medium strength.

The uses of sengon wood

• Interior furniture components

Sengon wood is widely used as filler or material for interior furniture such as drawer boxes, inner walls, back walls, and other interiors. Sengon wood, which is light and cheap and not liked by wood beetle bugs, is a good choice for use as interior furniture that does not require constructional strength and a beautiful appearance.

• Plywood, blockboard, finger joint laminated board panel

Sengon wood is also widely used as an intermediate material for furniture and wood products such as plywood or blockboard, which is used as a material for forming wood panels as a substitute for expensive and heavy solid wood.

Sengon wood also can be used as a panel board of FGLB (finger joint laminated board), which can be used directly as a panel board with or without being layered with veneer, HPL, decorative paper, or other decorative materials.

• Simple furniture

Sengon wood can also be used to make simple wood products, accessories, or furniture such as shelves, small cabinets, small tables, or accessories that do not require constructional strength and a beautiful appearance.

Advantages of sengon wood

• Cheap and abundantly available

Sengon wood can be harvested at the age of 6 or 7 years so that it can be planted and cultivated quickly and at a low cost. Sengon trees can grow well in almost all areas in Indonesia so that they can be planted on empty land as environmental preservation.

Therefore, sengon wood is abundantly available in the woodworking industry and can be purchased at a relatively cheap price.

• Not liked by wood beetle bug

In general, sengon wood is not liked by wood bugs. Sengon laut wood (albizzia) is free from woodbug attacks, making it a good choice for interior and intermediate wood products. Javanese sengon may not have high resistance to wood beetle bugs, but it is still safer than fruit wood such as durian wood, mango wood, and even mahogany wood.

• Lightweight

Sengon wood is lightweight, making it a good choice as a filler of interior material for thick and large wood panels. FGLB or barecore, is a more attractive choice to be used as a core panel than MDF or particle board since it's lightweight.

• Easy to be processed and machined

Sengon wood has physical properties that make it easy to be kilned and processed in the woodworking industry. The cutting, gluing, and sanding processes can be done easily with no big issues.

Disadvantages of sengon wood

• Soft and weak

Physically, sengon wood is soft and weak. This wood is easily damaged and broken when exposed to pressure or hard physical treatment. Sengon wood cannot be used to make products that require high constructional strength, such as chairs, tables, or cabinets with large sizes or complex shapes. Sengon wood also cannot be carved to produce beautiful art forms.

Sengon wood also does not have the strength needed for outdoor use. The heat of the sun, the cold of the night, and rainwater will quickly damage sengon wood.

• High porosity

Sengon wood is soft and porous wood. This wood has high absorption, so it is easily damaged when exposed to water. Sengon wood will absorb water strongly and be wet and damaged when exposed to water droplets or placed in a humid area.

This high porosity of wood will also complicate the finishing process. In the finishing process, sengon wood tends to absorb finishing materials excessively; the stain application must be done carefully. Stain that is too wet will tend to be absorbed excessively, resulting in a dark color appearance and uneven (blotchy) color look. Porous wood also makes this wood consume more finishing materials (clear coat or colored coat) than other woods.

• Contain sap

Javanese sengon wood also has red sap that potentially interferes with the finishing appearance and color, especially for paint finish colors and white colors. The sapwood or oil blocking is needed to block and kill the wood sap as the first finishing step if you want to make white colors or paint finishes.

• Plain and monotonous look

Sengon wood does not have the beauty of wood grain, which is the main value of wood. This wood has a plain and monotonous look with a light white color base. The finishing choices for this wood are relatively limited to simple colors and appearances such as natural, simple stain colors and solid colors.

• Susceptible to termite attacks

Sengon wood is indeed not liked by wood beetle bugs but still has a risk of being attacked by termites; therefore, sengon wood and its products should always be kept away from the ground, which is a nest for termites and fungi.

Tips for using sengon wood

• Keep the wood dry

Make sure the wood is dry when it is processed; wet sengon wood will cause many problems, such as wood bends, breaks, or rots due to attacks by fungi and bacteria. Wood must also be kept dry and away from water and humid conditions.

• Consider the strength of the wood

Sengon wood is wood with relatively low structural strength, making this wood have relatively limited use. The uses of wood are limited to products that are safe and strong enough in the construction consideration. Sengon wood is not suitable for wood products that require strength and durability, such as chairs, big tables, big cabinets, or components that require constructional strength. Sengon wood is also not suitable for outdoor products that require high durability.

• Coat with the right finishing

The right finishing layer will help increase the durability of sengon wood. The finishing layer will reduce the porosity of the wood and reduce the water absorption from the air. The coating material will also protect the surface from water drop penetration. The finishing layer will also protect the wood surface from insect and wood fungus attacks. The right finishing material will help to increase the performance in look and the age of use of the sengon wood product.