Indigbo wood?

[leewilliams]

Dear all.
Has anyone used Indigbo for windows and doors, as my local joiner is recomending that I use Indigbo instead of European Oak, as he says oak is oo unstable? Any comments please.

 

[middi]

that is because probably your chippy has loads of cheap " indigbo" wood.

There is nothing better and sustainable than building windows and doors out of properly seasoned english oak.

The proof is in the pudding, such as our historical buildings. If a chippy knows how to select and cut seasoned oak planks to build the windows they will last for ever. ( well, nearly!! ).

 

[Penners]

Idigbo is a tropical hardwood. Do you really want to use a timber that's travelled halfway round the world, from a source that may or may not be sustainably managed, and which certainly won't be harmonious with a British period property?

Well dried British or European oak should be perfectly stable enough for your windows and doors. I suggest you mention to your joiner that innumerable British craftsman have used it for these purposes for many hundreds of years, and it seems to have been OK for them.

 

[bluezephyr]

I worked for a high end conservatory company, They used idigbo in certain areas where a cheaper wood could be used, Its half the price of anything decent!
Its burns well in the woodburner though!

Its too light in colour or what we used anyway, I dont know if it comes in different colours but its a very pale colour, If you decide to paint it it will bleed through if you dont use a special primer.
All the fitters and bench joiners hated using it, If i had the choice it would be oak, I think he is hesitant at useing oak because if he buys it on the pretense its well seasoned and it isnt , he may think youre going to be on his back if the door is sticking or doesnt shut properly, probably end up costing him money in the longrun.
A friend paid £600 for a nice oak door and frame, It twisted and shrunk because the wood wasnt seasoned.
He has to try and fix the frame back so the door shuts properly, only problem is norfolk reds arent known for their strength.

 

[sarahj]

Friends of the Earth list Idigbo wood as vulnerable to extinction.

 

[biffvernon]

Don't touch it. Idigbo, also sometimes known as Framire or Emeri, is Terminalia ivorensis and comes from the deciduous/rain forest of West Africa. It is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and categorized as 'Vulvernable'. OK, so that's not quite as serious as the 'Extinct' or 'Endangered' categories, but quite serious enough to give your joiner a very stern talking to.

Oh, and oak is more durable, stronger and looks nicer. And British.

 

[Penners]

Lee - did you know that Biff makes English oak windows and doors? I've seen some of his work, and I have a feeling that - if you did - you wouldn't countenance the use of anything else.

I am not an investor in Biff Vernon plc! :wink:

 

[biffvernon]

And in case anyone was wondering about that demented creature, I'm not at all jingoistic. French, Hungarian and Polish oak is just as good, bar the oak-miles.

 

[leewilliams]

Thank you all for your kind reply's. I will stick to European Oak.

 

[essexbearhunter]

Can I just expand the topic slightly?

I am looking to build new sashes for front upstairs window (converted to plain glass+ louvres by a previous owner). I want to use the very thin lambs tongue glazing bars used on the window below.

My initial thought was to try to find a good slow-grown pine but a look at my sorely neglected mahogany bannister/fence top rail made me wonder about that. Despite remaining almost varnish-free for the last 15 years or more,it has come back magnificently with a bit of wire wool and Danish oil.

I know that, with furniture, the use of mahogany allowed finer carving than oak. This strength - plus the obvious durability shown with my rail - suggests this as an obvious candidate for the new sashes.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[biffvernon]

Are you proposing to recycle a redundant ex-banister rail it window parts? If so the mahoghany will prove an excellent material. Or are you proposing to use mahoghany from a freshly felled piece of tropical forest? In which case DON'T.

 

[essexbearhunter]

Thanks Biff,

I have been hoarding wood for more years than I care to remember and I've probably got more than enough to complete both sashes without buying any in.