What is the most famous timber from Indonesia? Arguably Merbau, but for us its ULIN.
Domestically its very well known for the strength and durability. So what makes a particular timber species good?
In timber there are several traits, the grain, density, movement tendency, scarcity, and durability.
Ulin doesnt excel in grain, due to its minimalist lines and dark colour doesnt help.
Density is around 900-1100 kg/m3, again not the highest, but deemed just enough for real-life usage especially for surfaces. This factor also makes the timber more termite-proof naturally since its so hard to chew.
Movement tendency is acceptable, usually ulin is never Kiln-dried as the cracking gets severe after so. Instead people will air-dry the timber for a couple of weeks for it to reach the equilibrium moisture. The result is minimal movement, but honestly KD'ed timber usually will do better.
Scarcity of this species is pretty high, depends on a lot of factor. The tree itself are usually found in deep Kalimantan forests and harvested for the local population surrounding. It once was banned from overseas shipping, but around 2019 was revoked and the business for ulin was once again alive. The supply nowadays is challenging but still enough to supply the medium-large projects.
Durability wise ulin has been used for docks, ships, structures, housing for hundreds of years and we can proudly say that this timber has no one doubting its everlasting strenght and durability. Thats why we always recomend this timber to projects with high humidity like seashores etc. Eventhough its not the scientifically most dense timber, ulin has already been proven and for customers this provability is the key factor in trusting ulin.
So yea that was kind of an opinion with a little scientific background from what we studied along the years. Glad to share with you guys and feel free to debate or add anymore information. =)
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