Joinery

Specie:   American White Oak
Botanical Name: Quercus Alba

Native to Eastern North America, American White Oak is a magnificent tree.  In the forest it can reach enormous proportions with large wide-angled branches stretching out as long as the tree is high.  Unlike its name, the bark of a White Oak is an ash-grey, with the sapwood light and the heartwood tones ranging from light, through to dark grey-brown.   Trees may live to 200-300 years, with a famous Wye Oak in Maryland estimated to be over 450 years old, but was finally toppled over in a thunderstorm in 2002.

Specie:   Australian Oak
Botanical Names: Eucalyptus Delegatensis, Eucalyptus Regnans, Eucalyptus Obliqua

Australian Oak is the collective marketing name for a group of eucalypts from Australia and includes Tasmanian Oak and Victorian Ash.  The colour of the heartwood ranges from straw through to pale pink and light browns. 

Used extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand for many years, Australian Oak has a robust track record as a hard wearing and stable timber.

Specie: Purpleheart
Botanical Name: Peltogyne spp.

Native to Central and South America, Purpleheart is best known for its beautiful heartwood.  When cut, Purpleheart turns from a pale brown to a vibrant purple - often a surprise to people who first witness this specie.  Exposure to sunlight turns it into a rich brown, eventually settling into a fantastic driftwood silver-grey appearance. 
Purpleheart has much to boast about, it is an incredibly dense, durable and hardwearing timber. It has become one of Herman Pacific’s most versatile timbers, covering a range of internal and external applications.

Specie:   Vitex
Botanical Name: Vitex cofassus

Native to the Solomon Islands, Vitex is a large canopy tree with a grey smooth bark. In the Pacific, it is held in high regard due to its durability, strength, excellent steam bending and working properties.

With an attractive colour of pale yellow to creamy-grey, this wonderful hardwood is fast becoming a household name in New Zealand for a range of external applications.

Specie:   Western Red Cedar
Botanical Name: Thuja Plicata

Native to Western North America, Western Red Cedar is steeped in a rich history - highly valued for its durability, stability and overall beauty. Certainly it has earned the rightful title of Hermpac’s flagship specie.  Since the 1950s, it has also been lauded as one of the most appealing species for adding value and cutting-edge design to prestigious homes throughout New Zealand.

The merit points for Western Red Cedar are extensive, including a natural resistance to decay, light in weight, and its overall ease to work with.  It is little wonder this fantastic specie is the preferred choice for a diverse range of interior and exterior applications. 

Specie:   American White Ash
Botanical Name: Fraxinus Americana

Taking its name from the colour of the underside of its leaves and its sapwood, American White Ash is often coined the ‘poor man’s' American White Oak. The similarities are striking, particularly when stained a dark shade. White Ash could be the ideal specie when price sensitivity is an issue on a project.

Another prominent feature in American White Ash is the resulting ‘heart streak’ across some of its boards, creating attractive colour variations. 

Botanical Name: Tsuga heterophylla