There are many reasons to want to buy mahogany furniture and doors. Though there are many beautiful varieties, Honduran mahogany, also known as Brazilian mahogany or “genuine” mahogany, is the species most people are familiar with. Mahogany is renowned for its exceptional quality and beauty. It is stable (resists swelling and shrinkage), durable, and resists fading with age; in fact, mahogany tends to darken slightly over time. Mahogany exterior doors are solid and trustworthy, even when cut as slim as is needed for average interior doors.
Special Features
Not only that, Mahogany takes stains and treatments very well, resulting in a wide variety of potential applications and personal projects. Mahogany has a natural luster that makes it very attractive for cabinets and other secondary doors. In addition, mahogany is one of only a few kinds of wood which exhibits a feature known as “chatoyancy”. Chatoyancy refers to the way that mahogany can appear to shimmer or change color as it is turned or looked at from different angles. This brings an iridescent quality that makes mahogany furniture truly pop; in fact, chatoyancy is sometimes referred to as “pop-the-grain”.
Vulnerable Populations
However, unfortunately many kinds of mahogany are endangered, at risk, or threatened due to overharvesting and deforestation. Cuban mahogany is an endangered species, Honduran and Mexican mahogany are considered at-risk, and African mahogany is classified as vulnerable. Luckily, there are still ways to purchase and experience the many benefits of mahogany furniture and wooden doors ethically without contributing to deforestation and other environmental concerns.
Where Mahogany Comes From
In today’s world, material shortages and commodities are on many people’s minds. Consumers often choose ethically responsible manufacturers who use sustainable materials when they make purchases, if they can afford to do so. The good news is that ethically obtaining woods like mahogany doesn’t have the significant effect on cost one might first think of.
Honduran mahogany is of particular interest to North Americans because it is one of the only forms of mahogany that is able to be imported easily and ethically. Though it is listed as “at risk”, Honduran mahogany is a major export of many South American countries. To mitigate negative impacts on the economy, mahogany is now grown on plantations rather than relying on old-growth forests which are heavily protected and preserved. Thanks to this policy, Honduran mahogany can be sold as long as the wood comes from a sustainable source. To ensure your planned purchase uses ethically-obtained mahogany, look for a certification from the Forest Stewardship Council indicating responsible manufacturing practices.
Bio: ETO Doors adds thousands of high quality wood doors to its website, expanding the already substantial catalogue of doors available online to be shipped to the consumer.
