Apr 11, 2020

Acacia Wood Furniture in Austin: Before You Buy

Imagine this: you're on the hunt for furniture. Come to find out, there's a massive amount of different types of wood to choose from. It's a little overwhelming!

No worries, though. We've got you covered. This article is part of our series on the woods we use, detailing everything you need to know before you buy. A little education goes a long way when choosing furniture.

ACACIA: A TREE OF A THOUSAND NAMES

The Acacia tree, also known as mimosa, thorntree, and wattle, is a hardwood tree family native to Australia. Over millennia, Acacia spread to now be found throughout the Old World including Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Rim. European settlers brought the tree to the Americas, where a new species began to emerge. There are now 1,350 species of Acacia worldwide!

The species of Acacia we use for our furniture is Babul (Acacia Nilotica). It's native to Africa, India, and the Middle East, and is an invasive species in Australia. We use this species due to its hardness, density, and availability, detailed deeper into this article.

ACACIA ON THE WORLD STAGE

A variety of 18th century writers praised Acacia as a durable and valuable wood, being used for a variety of products such as tree nails, ship posts, beams, cogs, and, of course, furniture! One English writer, Ebeneezer Jessup, enthusiastically proposed the planting of 10,000 acres of the tree in order to provide an enduring source of building materials for Her Majesty's Royal Navy.

The English Royal Navy, in turn, responded. They valued Acacia for its durability and water-resistant properties, using it as the primary building material for their legendary Ships-of-the-Line. With their advanced acacia hulls, these ships began to dominate the seas, allowing England to establish firm control over their colonies which cemented its place as the leading world power of the 18th century.

ACACIA'S USES

The Bruges Dining Table

The London Loft Dining Collection

Acacia timber has been used by different cultures to produce a variety of products.

In Hawaii, it's fashioned into bowls, canoes, and even ukuleles, due to its natural resonance.
In the Philippines, it's used for boat-building, cabinet making, carvings, joinery, railroad ties, and furniture.
Groups in Southeast Asia use various species including flooring, parquet, stair rails, veneers, and wardrobes.
In Central America, some species grow fat thorns, which are fashioned into jewelry, dolls, and other souvenirs.

THE STATS

Note that these characteristics relate specifically to the Babul species of Acacia, the species we use to produce our furniture.

DENSITY & HARDNESS OF ACACIA WOOD

The Janka Hardness rating for Babul Acacia is 2300 pounds of force. It is 55 percent harder than European White Oak, 23 percent harder than hickory, and 90 percent harder than carbonized bamboo. Its density is measured to be 62 pounds per cubic foot. This places Babul between oak (45 lbs/cubic foot) and marble (80lbs/cubic foot).

CHARACTERISTICS OF ACACIA WOOD

Babul, and Acacia as a whole, has a naturally fine texture (also considered a smooth finish). It's highly scratch resistant in comparison to other hardwoods.
The grain can vary between straight and wavy patterns, and the color can range from a light amber to a dark mahogany. No two acacia slabs are alike!

CHARACTERISTICS OF ACACIA WOOD

Why We Choose Babul Acacia for our Furniture

Acacia Wood Furniture - Dresser - London Loft Live Edge Collection

The Aspen dresser 56" walnut

We use the babul species for four main reasons: it's affordable, it's easy to work with, it's durable, and it's sustainable.

AFFORDABILITY

As previously stated, Babul grows plentifully in Asia, India, the Middle East, and is an invasive species in Australia. It is also grown on plantations for its hardened tree sap, known as Gum Arabic. Gum Arabic is used for medicinal purposes, as an additive to soft drinks, and as the outer coating for "hard" candies such as M&Ms. This allows us to harvest the wood and reuse it rather than waste it.

Barnwood Slab Table

The Barnwood Slab Dining Table

USABILITY

Babul Acacia is easy to work with and hardens significantly after we kiln dry it. This allows us to make beautiful acacia wood benches and buffets, dazzling acacia dining tables, and sophisticated side tables, all without sacrificing the high quality of our furniture. Its workability prior to drying allows us to also craft beautiful live edge pieces, like our Barnwood Slab dining table and benches.

In addition, Babul Acacia's height varies from 2.5 meters(8 feet) up to 25m(82 feet). This makes it perfect for long pieces like buffets, tables, and benches.

DURABILITY OF ACACIA WOOD

As the British Royal Navy has shown, Acacia has proven itself to be an extremely durable wood. Its density and hardness makes it the perfect material for heavy-use pieces such as dining tables and dining benches. When properly maintained, these pieces will last decades.

SUSTAINABILITY

Acacia Wood Plantation

First and foremost, Babul trees are widely available (as stated above), however, we take extra steps to ensure that we harvest all wood in a 100 percent eco-friendly fashion.

Remember the Gum Arabic we talked about earlier? We work with local farmers to harvest lumber from these trees after they finish producing the sap used for Gum Arabic. Normally, this wood would either be burned or thrown into a wood chipper for the next planting. By forming working relationships with these farmers, they're provided extra income in exchange for giving us a completely sustainable source of wood.

Tips For Maintaining Your Acacia Wood Furniture

It's important to note that this is a living, breathing piece of furniture. For a longer lasting piece, proper maintenance is vital! For a piece that can truly stand for generations, consider these tips:

Just like you, plants are made of cells that contain water. Too much and cells will swell, too little and they will shrink, causing cracking.
Wipe the furniture daily with a soft cloth (a slightly moistened cloth is advisable to ensure all dust stays on the cloth).
No need to worry about water spillage due to our water-based lacquer finish.
Avoid exposing the wood to alcohol, deodorants, perfumes, nail varnishes and similar liquids. If spillage occurs, wipe immediately with a dry cloth. These liquids will pull moisture from wood when left, causing cracking. Alcohol such as red wine would also stain the wood.
Place your furniture carefully so that it’s not in contact with direct sunlight (this can cause fading and, in extreme cases, cracking).
Do not place furniture next to fireplaces or radiators as this can cause warping.
We recommend using placemats and coasters when resting hot drinks or dishes on the furniture.
We recommend occasionally rotating your acacia wood pieces to expose all angles to an equal amount of air and light to ensure even darkening over time.
Wipe down periodically with a slightly damp or dry dust cloth.
Avoid all cleaning tools with a rough surface. This will wear down the finish and increase the likelihood of scratching.
Avoid polish or cleaning products containing silicone, which can dry out natural wood over time.
Do not use detergents or any cleaning products that contain ammonia. These will take moisture out of the wood and wear down the finish much faster.
Due to Acacia's natural scratch resistance, you don't need to worry too much about scratching. If a scratch does appear, however, use touch-up marker to conceal the scratch. Be sure to test the marker on an unseen part of the table, such as the underside, to ensure that the marker matches the finish.