Gunns Timber Products

Technical

Kiln Dried / Seasoned Sawn / Skip Dressed

Kiln Dried / Seasoned Dressed

Mouldings & Profiled Products

Flooring & Decking

Structural Timber / Lumber

Marri

Gunns Timber Products is the largest hardwood sawmilling operation in Western Australia. Marketing Australian Jarrah and Marri hardwoods domestically and internationally. Gunns Timber Products in Western Australia operates a processing centre, distribution centre and sawmill.

In our quest to add value to our State's unique hardwood resources and remain at the forefront of innovation, Gunns has invested millions of dollars in state-of-the-art seasoning technology, including predriers and final drying kilns. The in-house development of this technology has substantially reduced drying times of our unique hardwoods, allowing for more flexibility in the marketing of these products within Australia and around the world. This unique seasoning system combines with world class processing procedures to create a superior finished product. Gunns' experience, technology investment, and dependability of supply ensures that the company will continue to maintain its market leadership in the industry.

Technical Information
Gunns Jarrah is kiln-dried to a moisture content of 10-15% which is the level specific to market and/or product requirements.

Species: Eucalyptus marginata

Common Name:               Jarrah

Type of Forest:                 Found only on lateritic soils in the south-west of Western
                                             Australia.

Wood Description:           Primarily dark to reddish brown in colour, with some natural
                                             variations.
                                             Open grain, slightly interlocked at times displaying figure.

Wood Density:                  Green Density: About 1200 kg/m3

Dry Density:                      About 820 kg/m3

Drying and Shrinkage:    Tangential Shrinkage - 7%  Radial Shrinkage - 5%

Workability:                       Relatively easy to work with common woodworking tools.

Durability Class:               3/2 Decay: 3/2 Decay + termites (CSIRO revised ratings
                                             1996)

                                             Generally known as durable and termite resistant.

Growing Jarrah
The circumstances needed to grow Jarrah are unique to the south-west of WA and Jarrah is not grown anywhere else in the world as a commercial timber. It does not germinate from a seed, it grows from a lignatuber, a large underground swelling which stores carbohydrates and allows young trees to regenerate after a fire.

A relatively dense timber which can dull woodworking tools quickly. Very durable and is termite resistant. The sapwood can be susceptible to lyctid borer.

The maginata comes from the light coloured vein on the border around the leaf.

Growing from the ranges east of Perth down to Albany in the very south-west of WA it is unique to this part of Australia.

Laterite (from the Latin word "later" meaning brick or tile) is a surface formation in hot and wet tropical areas which is enriched in iron and aluminium and develops by intensive and long lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock. The percolating rain water causes dissolution of primary rock minerals and decrease of easily soluble elements as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and silicon. This gives rise to a residual concentration of more insoluble elements predominantly iron and aluminium. Laterites consist mainly of the minerals kaolinite, goethite, hematite and gibbsite which form in the course of weathering. The iron oxides goethite and hematite cause the red-brown colour of laterites.

Care and Maintenance
As Gunns Jarrah is a natural product, it needs to be acclimatised to suit the environments in which it is housed. Acclimatisation can only occur if the hardwood is placed in its intended environment prior to using.

Care should be taken when handling and working with hardwood and safety gear should be worn if appropriate.

Click to download PDF files:
Product catalogue including care and maintenance and information sheets

Jarrah Sawmilling
Jarrah is generally back sawn, this allows the gum veins and other natural characteristics in the timber to remain on the horizontal plane of the board rather than through the thickness.

This provides greater stability during the seasoning and processing stages.

Jarrah Grading
Prime
Standard
Classique (Flooring and Decking)
Seconds
Utility (Green timber only)

Click on this email link to ask for further information about our Jarrah Products offer