Representatives of the genus microberlinia (microberlinia) - a species of exotic zebrano trees, was named due to the original wood with characteristic contrasting stripes resembling the skin of a zebra. These plants are very rare and are on the verge of extinction.
Description
Zebrano, whose other name is Zingana, an African zebra tree, is found in western Africa: Cameroon, Congo, Gabon. It grows more often singly, trunks rise nearly 40 m in length, having a cross-sectional diameter of about 1 m. The tree begins to branch in the upper part, at least 20 meters high, forming a wide, dense, dark green crown. Massive afforestation of the species cannot be found even at home.
The cutting of zebranos is officially prohibited, for this reason there is no free sale of lumber from it. Due to its exotic appearance and high decorative qualities, wood is a rare elite variety.
Wood characteristic
The texture of the material includes the alternation of dark and light stripes. At the same time, the sapwood has a pale color and low technical characteristics, not being popular. Only sound wood is valued, which, depending on the region of growth, has various shades: sand, light yellow, ivory, cream, light brown, golden, caramel, gray, red and almost black. The background can be either dark or light, combined with contrasting lines of various densities and widths running along the fibers. A light brown array with dark stripes is more common. The structure of the material is small-vascular, rather rough, often has a silliness - weave and waviness of the fibers. In addition to lines on the canvas, there are also contrasting spots of various sizes and shapes. The layers of wood are uneven.
Drying of the raw material is carried out in several stages and very slowly, at a temperature not exceeding 48 ° C, and strictly controlled humidity of the surrounding air. Before drying, it is recommended to make a radial cut of logs to prevent deformation. Zebrano is capricious and can crack or warp under the slightest error in the application of the technology. The total shrinkage during the drying process is about 11%.
Dry wood is very heavy and durable, resistant to shock loads, compression and bending. Its density is more than 750 kg / m³, Brinell hardness - 4.1 units. Thanks to these qualities, zebrano is practically not susceptible to damage by pests - fungi and insects - having excellent biostability.
Processing and scope
Like any dense wood, zebrano is difficult to cut and other types of mechanical and manual processing. For this purpose, it is recommended to use tools with alloy steel blades and tungsten elements. Moisture resistance of zebrano is average. In conditions with high humidity, it can be operated without danger of destruction, but with constant contact with water it gradually swells. For this reason, the material needs appropriate treatments to protect it from the effects of the adverse environment. Wood lends itself well to grinding, polishing, waxing, coating with varnish and tinting compounds.
Zebrano is not widely used in construction because of its rarity and high cost. Scopes of its use:
- creation of exclusive interiors: the production of finishing panels for the walls of rooms, interior decoration of expensive cars, furniture, design objects, piece parquet, inlays;
- collectible musical instruments: guitar cases;
- knife handles, door handles, pistol pads, chess pieces;
- sports items: skis, billiard cues.
Zebrano massif is used very rarely, the unique natural pattern of wood is well manifested in the manufacture of veneer and plywood from it. Moreover, taking into account the high density of the material, not a common peeling method is used, but planing. Finishing from this wood allows to refine any interior, making it truly unique. Zebrao is almost never used in exterior types of decoration, its main purpose is the interior: office rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, kitchen sets, bathrooms.
The design even developed several rules for decorating a house using zebrano decoration materials:
- It is recommended to combine this tree in the same interior with materials that are different in background color or texture: dark zebrano, for example, is well suited to light oak or birch panels, bright yellow, red, light green or purple plain surfaces made of plastic, transparent, frosted glass or tile metal;
- Do not overload the space with a “zebra” finish: just a few items of the headset or just one floor covering made of exotic wood are enough. The main requirement when using this tree is the conciseness and simplicity of the surrounding objects, the room completely covered with a striped tree will look ridiculous;
- Zebrano is not friends with variegated materials for crocodile skin, leopard and tiger prints, rosettes, floral wallpaper, stucco moldings, lambrequins, heavy crested curtains, carved panels. The best styles for this material are aesthetic minimalism or hi-tech.
The price of zebrano wood is high and not accessible to everyone: the cost of 1 square. m veneer starts from 6000 rubles., 1 cubic meter. m of massif - 360-500 thousand rubles. At the same time, given the rarity and exoticism of the breed, when buying material it is easy to run into a fake.