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More choices: A rubber-wood surface.

Anil R. Pillai of Rubberwood India, Kottayam (an undertaking of the Rubber Board, Union Ministry of Commerce, branded as Indiawood), says this wood has come into focus only during the past decade and Rubberwood India has been actively promoting doors made of it in India. People took time to accept rubber wood for furniture; it had been accepted that the tree was used for extraction of rubber alone. And tapping the tree for purposes other than resin withdrawal has been an amazing entrepreneurial move.

Educating people on the tree and its value additions will increase respect for the wood, Mr. Pillai says. Now, there is a steady increase in awareness, acceptability and sales of rubber wood. Technological leaps in chemical treatment for keeping termites and borers at bay were the recent steps that helped the tree gain international acceptance for home use.

After the extraction of rubber, the tree is uprooted and is treated for a year before it is given a lifetime guarantee tag at Rubberwood India in Kottayam. The wood is made into boards and machines are used to churn out 8 x 4 ft panels of various thickness suited for doors, modular kitchens or furniture. Rubber wood can be tapped for any kind of furniture, as it has three coats of polyurethane making it scratch-proof.

Rubber tree, a native of Brazil, is now grown on 10 million hectares of land in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa and America. India is the third largest producer of natural rubber with 85 per cent grown in Kerala and the rest in the north-eastern States.

Interior designers affirm that rubber wood is cost-effective and its features are best suited for mass-produced furniture. But the predictable uniform grains may not appeal to high-end connoisseurs who may prefer some exclusivity to their pieces.

So, patterning the logs to look creative is the key in using rubber wood. The irregular course of grains in teak and the sudden appearance of knots in pine make them different from rubber wood.

The limitations in width used to pose restrictions in furniture-making, which has been overcome with state-of-the-art machinery that conceals the joints in a strikingly patterned approach. Rubber wood will be ideal for dismantle-furniture that comes in packed boxes because of its shorts lengths. Perhaps, this is the reason international assemble-furniture giants such as Allen Key Furniture and IKEA use rubber wood in their smaller segments. They are ideal for doors as they are sturdy with no bends and curves.

Rubber wood is 40 per cent cheaper than teak and 20 per cent cheaper than country wood.

It is lighter than teak but its density enables resistance to screw and nail withdrawal, making it suitable for carving.

A rubber tree matures between seven and 16 years, but teak takes 50-70 years to be a seasoned medium.

Rubber wood can be termed eco-friendly as it is a plantation product.

Rubber wood is usually in white, yellow or cream, an ideal base for any kind of outer finish.

Rubber grains are generally symmetrical … just right for people who love uniform spread of grains.

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