Afrormosia — Density, Movement, Workability & Cost

Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) is sometimes called African teak on the same logic as iroko, but it's a much closer working match to true teak in one specific respect neither of the other "teak substitutes" quite manages: it holds an edge on the tool rather than dulling it, because it lacks teak's abrasive silica content entirely.

Denser and finer than teak, minus the silica

At 45.3 lb/ft³ and 1,570 lbf on the Janka scale, afrormosia is meaningfully denser and harder than teak, with a finer, more even texture. Quartered stock shows a subtle stripe rather than teak's more prominent figure. The one working quirk worth knowing: it reacts with iron in damp conditions, staining the wood black around a steel fastener, so bronze or stainless hardware is the safer specify for anything genuinely exposed to weather.

Movement, and a typical exterior-trim weight

Radial shrinkage of 3% against a tangential figure of 6.4% gives a 2.1 ratio, over this site's movement-prone threshold — worth planning for on a wide panel despite the wood's overall reputation for stability. On an 8"-wide exterior door or window component, a swing from an 11% moisture content down to a dry 6% costs about 0.085" (2.2mm) across the width; a narrower or wider component runs through the wood movement calculator. The same species milled 1" thick and 6" wide for an 8-foot exterior trim board weighs about 15.1 lb — the wood weight calculator covers other trim sizes.

Gluing and finishing without teak's oily resistance

Afrormosia bonds well — it's meaningfully less oily than true teak, so gluing is more straightforward and doesn't demand the same solvent-wipe ritual an old teak surface needs. It darkens from a fresh yellow-brown toward a deep, even brown with age and light exposure, and it takes oil and varnish cleanly without the surface prep teak's natural oils require.

Durability, cost, and a listing that constrains supply

Afrormosia's heartwood is very durable, including genuinely good termite resistance. It's priced at roughly $18 per board foot — this site's premium tier — above iroko and closer to true teak, reflecting both its superior working properties and its regulated supply — the species has carried a CITES Appendix II listing with annotation #17 since 1992, which means permits attach to logs, sawn stock, veneer, plywood, and even machined profiles; only a genuinely finished article sits outside that requirement. It's also rated IUCN Endangered. Exterior joinery, boat trim, furniture, flooring, and decorative veneer round out its markets.

The most teak-like of the teak substitutes, and why

Where iroko offers stability and price but not teak's silica-free working feel, afrormosia genuinely delivers both — the closest match among the common substitutes to actually working like teak at the bench. The tradeoff is price and paperwork: afrormosia's CITES listing means real, unavoidable compliance overhead that neither iroko nor most domestic alternatives carry.

What people actually ask about afrormosia

Is afrormosia legal to buy and import, given its CITES listing? Yes, with proper permits — Appendix II listings regulate trade rather than banning it outright, so legally sourced and documented afrormosia moves through international commerce routinely, but a buyer should confirm a supplier has the correct paperwork rather than assume it.

Why does my afrormosia project show black staining around the screws? That's a reaction between the wood's natural tannins and iron in damp conditions — switch to bronze, brass, or stainless fasteners for anything that will see moisture, and existing staining can sometimes be lightened with an oxalic-acid wood bleach.

Is afrormosia actually as durable as teak for a boat deck? It's very durable and a reasonable choice for boat trim and joinery, though most builders still specify true teak for the most demanding, sustained marine exposure where teak's specific track record carries extra weight.

Table 4-4 of the USDA Forest Products Laboratory's Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-190, 2010) is where afrormosia's shrinkage figures originate, with density and Janka hardness from The Wood Database's 12%-moisture-content testing. CITES status is read from the appendices valid 5 March 2026. The genus Pericopsis groups afrormosia with several less commercially known African relatives, none of which share its specific silica-free, teak-like working character.