Kempas Solid 18 mm

Kempas Solid 18 mm is an imported hardwood, solid all the way through, 18 mm thick with a tongue and groove profile. It comes prefinished from the factory with 12 coats of water-based polyurethane, so the floor is already finished when it arrives. There is no sanding and coating on site after it is laid. Boards are 122 mm wide and a fixed 1820 mm long, in Select grade.

Colour

Kempas is one of the most colourful boards we sell. On our sample the boards range from pale salmon to coppery orange and deep red-brown, and the variation between neighbouring boards is strong. The grain is mostly straight with some figure. It sits in our warm browns. It suits people who want a warm, red-toned floor and are happy for the timber to be noticed.

Board size and grade

Unlike our Australian species, which come in random lengths, every Kempas board is 1820 mm long. That gives a more regular pattern of end joins across the room. Select grade means cleaner boards, with fewer knots and marks than a character grade.

Kempas or Jatoba?

Both are imported, both come 1820 × 122 mm in Select grade. Jatoba is harder at 12 kN against 9 kN for Kempas, and its colour leans more towards salmon and reddish tan with darker streaks. Kempas is more orange and copper. Kempas is close to solid Blackbutt in hardness.

Installing it

Slip resistance is a D1 pass under AS 4586 Appendix B. Solid boards are usually secret-fixed to joists or battens, or laid over a slab on a suitable base. It moves more with humidity than engineered board and is not for bathrooms or laundries. See our full solid timber range, or come and compare the colours at our Camberwell showroom.