Tigerwood: Dare To Be Different With This Unique Exotic Hardwood Floor

A hardwood specie hailing from South American countries such as Brazil

, Paraguay, and Uruguay, Tigerwood also called Zebrawood is considered an exquisite natural wonder, but is actually somewhat of a hidden gem in the hardwood flooring community in that not many flooring manufacturers produce it.

With natural markings from the heartwood that mimic the stripes of a tigers coat, Tigerwoods reddish-orange and brown hues all blended together are a site to behold! These colors intensify when the wood is exposed to the sun, creating a realm of dimension unlike any other!

Another Tigerwood can be found in Western Africa, and has a very similar appearance, but there are now strict regulations on logging within the African nations which makes exporting it difficult and expensive. It grows to about 125 feet in height and produces green and yellow flowers. It also produces a nut similar to a walnut during the summer months. The difference between the two Tigerwoods is that the African cousin has a very distinctive bronze color.

Because of such strict regulations in Western Africa, most tigerwood hardwood floors come from Brazil, a mega-giant in the hardwood flooring industry.

Despite the Brazilian woods status as an exotic hardwood, which typically cost more than domestics, there are some very affordable options available. You can find engineered Tigerwood starting at $2.79 for smaller homes up to $6.69 for 5-inch wide, inch thick hand scraped woods. Solids start at $3.39 and go up to $6.26.

BR111 is currently one of the leading manufacturers of tigerwood with more options than any other flooring manufacturer. Most of BR111 Floorings tigerwood comes in a natural state, color-wise, although some floors are a bit more pronounced. Oscuro is a rich clay-color with striping, while Zinfandel looks just like a zebras markings with a very soft gold color.

For traditional tigerwood, a personal favorite is BR111 Engineered Tigerwood 3/8" x 3-1/4" TRENGTW3 and for solids BR111 Solid Tigerwood 3/4" x 3" PFTW3. The way the colors contrast is just remarkable, with no two planks alike.

There is a darker variation with Tigerwood Armagnac but in all honesty, the darker variation defeats the purpose of having this type of floor the unique markings are what truly make this floor the rarity that it is!

Install this floor in your home and there will never be a shortage of guests amazed at its natural beauty. Its just not something you see everyday. Its for folks who want something a little more unique than the traditional oak and maple floors. This is for folks who want something stunning inside their home. And stunning it is!

by: Laine McKenna

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