What Is Primavera Wood?

General Description

Primavera, a light or blond wood, typically exhibits a cream-colored or yellow-white look, with the sapwood slightly lighter than the hardwood. The texture ranges from medium to coarse and the grain might vary from straight to wavy. Stripes often run through the wood, sometimes called white mahogany due to its similarity to the wood of mahogany trees. Primavera wood produces no noticeable odor and has a good luster, like most light-colored woods.

Uses

Many manufacturers and product producers use primavera wood in their businesses. The wood has a place in the furniture- and cabinet-making industries, as well as finding acceptance as a material for decks. It makes an excellent wood for interior trim, such as moldings, and decorative veneer. Primavera also receives use in boat building, paneling and joinery. Appliance makers use primavera for products, such as radio and television cabinets, while flooring manufactures use it to create their products as well.

Properties

Primavera wood possesses good workability and accepts finishes well, advises the United States Forest Service. It accepts screws and nails without problems and glues well. The wood has moderate durability with some vulnerability to attack from pinworms, which might appear in felled timber. It also drys well and with only minor warping and no checking, which are cracks that appear in wood when it drys. Primavera typically weathers well and has a moderate decay resistance.

Harvest

A curious feature of primavera wood involves the best time for its harvesting. The phases of the moon dictate the amount of sap the tree produces, with sap falling to low levels during the dark phase of the moon. Insects attack the tree when its sap runs high, so harvesters cut the trees during the moon's dark phase to avoid attracting insects to the felled logs, which might harm the timber's market value.