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By Deepak Kumar · Founder, Vriksai

India and South Asia

Rubber Wood

Hevea brasiliensis

Also known as rubberwood, parawood, hevea, plantation hardwood · Botanical Hevea brasiliensis

Last updated: 15 July 2026Reviewed by: Vriksai editorial team — timber trade professionalsEditorial policy

Revision history

17 July 2026 — Data re-verified in site-wide audit (formulas, sources, durability classes)
15 July 2026 — Working properties and comparable-species data cross-checked against listed sources

🪵Hardwood🌿Sustainable

Janka Hardness

960WD

lbf

Janka (metric)

4270calc

Hardness Class

Mediumcalc

Density

0.55wd

g/cm³

MOE

9.1wd

GPa

MOR

71.9WD

MPa

Durability

Class 5

Not Durable

Fire (E84)

Class C

indicative

Thermal k

0.152

W/m·K

Green MC

70—

Fiber Saturation

28—

Radial Shrink

2.3WD

Tangential Shrink

5.1WD

T/R Ratio

2.22derived

Stability

Moderatecalc

About the fire rating. Indicative only, derived from density and published data — not a certified rating. Real performance depends on product, thickness, coating and installation. What our ratings do and do not certify.

Compare this wood:⚖ vs Hard Maple ⚖ vs Mango Wood All comparisons →

About Rubber Wood

Rubber Wood (Hevea brasiliensis) is a mid-range timber, hard enough for everyday wear and still easy to work, with a Janka hardness of 960 lbf (4,270 N) and a density of about 0.55 g/cm³. It grows in India and South Asia.

Tangential movement of 5.1% against 2.3% radial puts the T/R ratio at 2.22. That is the ratio to watch: it predicts cupping in wide flatsawn boards better than either figure alone. Its fibre saturation point is near 28%. Below it movement is modest at 5.1% tangential, but the 2.22 T/R ratio means one-sided sealing will still pull a panel out of flat.

At 550 kg/m³ a cubic metre of Rubber Wood weighs about 550 kg air-dry — that figure, the 5.1% tangential and 2.3% radial movement and the 960 lbf hardness are the three inputs the calculators below actually consume. Select Rubber Wood in any of them to get species-specific results for weight, moisture, shrinkage and hardness.

Working properties

How Rubber Wood behaves at the bench and on the machine, drawn from international wood-technology databases and South-East Asian plantation-timber references.

MachiningEasy and forgiving with hand and machine tools — it saws, bores and turns to a reasonably smooth surface with few defects, which is exactly why it carries so much mass-produced furniture. Mineral and latex deposits can dull edges somewhat, and irregular grain will tear.

FasteningHolds nails and screws securely; pre-drill for nails as with any medium-density hardwood.

GluingExcellent — among its best qualities, and the reason rubberwood furniture is so often built from laminated and finger-jointed stock. PVA and standard adhesives bond reliably.

FinishingArguably its strongest suit: the pale, straight, even grain takes stain, paint, lacquer and oil unusually evenly, so it can be finished to imitate far pricier timbers. Test on an offcut, as batches absorb at slightly different rates.

Steam bendingNot a recognised bending timber.

DryingThe critical stage. Freshly sawn rubberwood is high in moisture and starch and will warp and twist if dried carelessly — prompt kiln-drying is essential, and stock should reach below 12% for interior use. Once seasoned it is fairly stable, with shrinkage roughly half that of hard maple.

Durability & use classification

Rubberwood is rated non-durable to perishable (EN 350 Class 5) with very little natural resistance to decay, and it is highly attractive to blue-stain fungi and borers — its high starch content means staining can begin within hours of felling. Commercial stock is therefore pressure-treated with a boron preservative and kiln-dried immediately. Even treated, it is an interior timber: rain leaches the protective chemicals out.

Typical applications & suitability

Indoor — Indoor use only. Its appeal is economic and environmental — it is a by-product of latex plantations, felled at 25–30 years when tapping ends, so timber comes from trees that have already done a job rather than from land cleared for wood.

Documented end-uses: interior furniture (its dominant use — tables, chairs, bed frames, cabinets), kitchenware and cutting boards, toys, interior millwork and panelling, parquet flooring, plywood and panel cores, blockboard, and pallets and crates.

Comparable species

Species closest to Rubber Wood by density, hardness, stiffness and bending strength, computed directly from the Vriksai species dataset rather than hand-picked.

Mango Wood510 kg/m³ · 1070 lbf African Mahogany520 kg/m³ · 1070 lbf Hinoki Cypress420 kg/m³ · 1010 lbf ThermoWood Radiata Pine Thermo-D500 kg/m³ · 710 lbf

Trade alternatives. It is easily confused with Mango Wood on finished furniture — both are plantation by-products with similar open pores. Note it is often marketed under ambiguous names such as “parawood”, “plantation hardwood” or even “Malaysian oak”, though it has no relation to true oak.

Alternatives to Rubber Wood

Rubber Wood measures 960 lbf Janka at 0.55 g/cm³, EN 350 durability Class 5, movement rated Moderate. Rubber Wood sits mid-range, which gives the widest choice of substitutes — and the widest scope to pick the wrong one on appearance alone. Read the numbers against the Janka scale and EN 350 durability classes.

Step up — harder than Rubber Wood

For domestic flooring, worktops and furniture edges taking regular contact. Harder timber dents less and machines slower — both matter on a quotation.

Teak1,070 lbf · 0.55 g/cm³ · Class 1+11% Janka · exterior-rated African Mahogany1,070 lbf · 0.52 g/cm³ · Class 3+11% Janka · more stable (Excellent)Mango Wood1,070 lbf · 0.51 g/cm³ · Class 5+11% Janka · more stable (Excellent)

Step down — softer than Rubber Wood

Lighter and faster to work. Pricing is not shown here: timber cost varies with region, grade, origin, certification and availability, and we hold no verified price data to publish.

Southern Yellow Pine870 lbf · 0.51 g/cm³ · Class 4-9% Janka · more stable (Excellent)Meranti Red Lauan800 lbf · 0.52 g/cm³ · Class 3-17% Janka European Larch740 lbf · 0.55 g/cm³ · Class 3-23% Janka · more stable (Good)

Similar, but more dimensionally stable

The axis that decides whether a wide panel or a door stays flat through a Panipat monsoon and then a 45 °C May. Size the gaps with the shrinkage predictor and EMC calculator.

Accoya Acetylated Radiata Pine710 lbf · 0.51 g/cm³ · Class 1stability gained by modification, not by species · rated Exceptional vs Moderate · 1.5% tangential movement vs 5.1%Iroko1,260 lbf · 0.55 g/cm³ · Class 1rated Excellent vs Moderate · T/R ratio 1.36 vs 2.22 — less cupping tendency · 3.8% tangential movement vs 5.1%African Mahogany1,070 lbf · 0.52 g/cm³ · Class 3rated Excellent vs Moderate · T/R ratio 1.67 vs 2.22 — less cupping tendency · 5.0% tangential movement vs 5.1%

Closest overall match

If Rubber Wood is unavailable and the specification cannot change, these are the nearest substitutes across hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and durability class together — not on any single property. Lower distance means a closer match.

Kail Blue Pinematch 1.86460 lbf · 0.45 g/cm³ · Class 4460 lbf vs 960 · 0.45 vs 0.55 g/cm³ · more durable (Class 4)Mango Woodmatch 2.101,070 lbf · 0.51 g/cm³ · Class 51,070 lbf vs 960 · 0.51 vs 0.55 g/cm³ · more stable (Excellent)Bamboo Structural Engineeredmatch 2.501,380 lbf · 0.60 g/cm³ · Class 41,380 lbf vs 960 · 0.60 vs 0.55 g/cm³ · more durable (Class 4)

More durable for exterior use

Rubber Wood is EN 350 Class 5, so untreated exterior service is not advisable. These reach Class 1–2 at comparable hardness.

Burma Teak Premium Grade1,070 lbf · 0.66 g/cm³ · Class 1EN 350 Class 1 vs Class 5 Teak1,070 lbf · 0.55 g/cm³ · Class 1EN 350 Class 1 vs Class 5 Thermally Modified Oak1,120 lbf · 0.68 g/cm³ · Class 1EN 350 Class 1 vs Class 5 · modified timber

Computed from measured properties only — hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and EN 350 class. Price, availability and appearance are never inputs. Figures are representative values, not consignment absolutes: two species within a few percent are equivalent until verified on the material. Full method and the rules the engine cannot break.

Substitution is a match on durability class, movement and strength — not on colour or grain. Where two candidates are close, compare them directly before specifying.

Compare Rubber Wood side by side

The head-to-heads specifiers most often weigh against it for furniture and interior joinery. Every pairing shows the measured figures side by side; full matrix in the comparison index.

Rubber Wood vs Mango WoodSide-by-side data · 1,070 lbf Rubber Wood vs Hard MapleSide-by-side data · 1,450 lbf

Calculators relevant to Rubber Wood

Chosen for how Rubber Wood is actually specified — its density, movement and durability class feed straight in. Full set in the tool index.

Wood Acclimation Time CalculatorWood Science Wood Moisture Content TrackerWood Science Box Joint CalculatorJoinery Cabinet Hardware Placement CalculatorManufacturing Wood Bending Radius CalculatorManufacturing Cut List OptimizerManufacturing Kiln Drying Schedule Finder for LumberWood Science Container Loading CalculatorCommercial

Understand the figures

Durability & fire — EN 350 classes and E84 ratings · Thermal conductivity — k-value and insulation behaviour · ThermoWood species guide — Thermo-D/Thermo-S treatment classes · Janka hardness scale — how the lbf figure is measured.

Further reading. What is ThermoWood? · Wood moisture content explained · How to calculate board feet.

Common questions about Rubber Wood

Is Rubber Wood strong enough for furniture or flooring?

It's a softer timber at 960 lbf (4,270 N), so it dents more easily than oak or teak and isn't the first choice for high-traffic flooring. Where it shines is lighter work — panels, mouldings, interior joinery and anywhere low weight and easy machining matter more than bruise resistance. Match it to the job and it performs nicely.

Will Rubber Wood hold up outdoors?

Honestly, not on its own — it's rated Not Durable (Class 5, EN 350), so untreated it won't last long once it's exposed to weather or damp. If you want to use it outside, it needs proper preservative treatment and a maintained finish. For interior work, though, durability isn't a concern at all and you can use it freely.

How much does Rubber Wood move with humidity?

It has moderate movement — radial shrinkage near 2.3%, tangential near 5.1% (T/R ratio about 2.22). That's typical territory: nothing alarming, but worth planning for. Dry it to the moisture content that suits your service environment, leave expansion room on wide panels, and let it settle in the space for a few days before final fixing and it behaves well.

unverified no published source for this figure · WD The Wood Database (Eric Meier) · calc derived from the figures above · — no published source found

Tools that use this species

Janka Database ToolHardness for 60 species Green Weight CalculatorWeight of green timber Shrinkage PredictorDimensional movement EMC CalculatorEquilibrium moisture content Fiber Saturation CalculatorFSP by species Volume Converterm3, CFT, board feet

Sources & references

The Wood Database (Eric Meier) — compiled species data, one of the references behind the panel above. Which figure comes from which reference is not recorded field by field. Spot checks show the numbers do trace to published sources, but not all to the same one: strength values for US species follow the USDA FPL Wood Handbook exactly, while European species draw on European references instead. So a figure that disagrees with any single reference here is not necessarily wrong — different bodies measure specific gravity and shrinkage on different bases. If a number matters to your work, check it against the reference you intend to rely on.
International wood-technology databases — Hevea brasiliensis species records · durability, workability, drying
South-East Asian plantation-timber references — rubberwood boron treatment and kiln-drying practice · preservation, processing, uses
EN 350 — European standard for natural durability of wood · durability class

Updated 15 Jul 2026 Values are representative; wood varies with provenance, age and grade. Confirm critical structural or fire figures against a test report for your actual product.