Acacia Wood: The Ultimate Guide

What is Acacia Wood?

Acacia wood is a type of wood that’s sourced from trees and shrubs belonging to the genus Acacia. Over 1,300 species of Acacia exist, many of which are native to Africa, but they are also found in parts of Asia, Australia, and the Americas. This wood is known for its durability, density, and strength, making it a popular choice for furniture, flooring, and other woodwork projects.

The properties of Acacia wood vary depending on the species and growing conditions, but in general, it’s a dense, hardwood with a tight grain pattern that gives it a unique look and feel. It’s resistant to rot, moisture, and pests, which makes it an ideal wood for outdoor furniture and decking. This exotic wood is also prized for its rich color, which can range from light brown to dark red. But equally important to note is its impressive ability to take stains and finishes.

This sustainable wood is also an eco-friendly option for woodwork projects. These trees are fast-growing and can be harvested in just a few years, and the wood is naturally resistant to decay, so it doesn’t require any harsh chemicals to maintain. Equally important to note is that Acacia wood is a renewable resource because the trees can regrow from their roots after they’re cut down. Overall, Acacia wood is a versatile and durable wood that is valued for its unique look and sustainability.

More on The Acacia Tree

The Acacia tree has been around for millions of years, even before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. It’s one of the oldest trees in existence and can grow as tall as 100 feet.

The tree has a wide range, growing predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and Australia. The dense hardwood is light brown to dark red-brown in color with a pattern that resembles European White Oak.

Acacia wood is world-renowned for its durability, registering a Janka hardness rating of an impressive 2,300 psi! This beautiful wood is actually 55% percent harder than European White Oak – not to mention 90 percent harder than carbonized bamboo and 23 percent harder than Hickory!

Species of Acacia

The name Acacia has been given to various species – nearly 1,000 species occur in Australia alone! One of the most popular species of Acacia is called Jamjuree. This is the Thai Acacia timber that’s commonly used for solid Acacia wood dining tables, coffee tables, chairs, benches, and other high-quality indoor furniture pieces.

Jamjuree wood is one of the most popular species of Acacia on the planet. The solid Acacia wood that comes from these trees makes it highly desirable because it has the most exotic grain patterns of all of the Acacia species.

Acacia Koa is also quite well-known. While it’s not the same as Jamjuree Acacia, it’s pretty similar. However, it’s denser than Jamjuree, weighing around 25% more.

Hawaiian Koa offers stunning grain patterns, too. The interlocking grain patterns offer a naturally smooth, luxurious aesthetic comparable to Thai Acacia. But Koa is actually one of the most expensive types of wood on the planet at $150+ per board foot.

Where Does Acacia Wood Grow?

Acacia trees often thrive in dry climates, where drought is a big risk. The trees are extremely resistant to extreme weather conditions, and they can withstand long periods of either heavy rain or severe drought.

These trees need an abundance of sunlight to grow large and beautiful. This highly durable tree is quite hardy, and the time it takes to grow to stunning sizes is well worth the wait when considering its natural beauty.

These types of wood are grown all over the world, including in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Hawaii, Australia, Africa, and other regions. Even some countries in Central America have Acacia, among other hardwoods.

What Does Acacia Wood Look Like?

We touched on this earlier, but it’s worth saying again – the grain patterns are what make Acacia so popular! Because each piece is naturally unique, you’re guaranteed to have a conversation-starting focal point in your living room, dining area, or other parts of your home or business.

Acacia is so popular for building furniture because of its stunning aesthetic. It’s available in a range of colors, from dark red to brown. Each piece is extremely hard and durable, but it’s also lightweight enough to work for just about any furniture project you can think of.

Acacia wood offers beautiful textures that make each board unique. This exotic wood grain is featured in all sorts of wood products and furniture, including stair rails, durable floors, and some craftsmen are even making bowls out of it!

The History of Acacia

Throughout history Acacia wood makes appearances. The wood Acacia trees produce is even mentioned in religious scripts!

Acacia woods are common in many regions of Africa, as well as Australia. The Hindu people used to construct idols out of Acacia wood that would be placed in temples for worship. Some still do today!

The word Acacia comes from the Greek word akakia. It was a term used to describe thorn trees because some species grow fat thorns, although those aren’t commonly used for dining room tables and chairs.

Over time, Acacia wood became prized for its beauty and durability. This is why we see Acacia furniture and flooring featured in so many homes with luxurious designs.

Acacia wood products are timeless; no matter how much time goes by, this very hard wood offers countless applications that make it perfect for nearly any woodworking project.

But we’ll get to Acacia wood product options later. For now, let’s discuss Acacia wood furniture, it’s benefits, and how to care for it.

Acacia Wood Furniture

Acacia furniture is perfect for indoor use. While some outdoor furniture is crafted from this wood, the most luxurious is designed for indoor use.

Take a dining room set made from this wood, for example. The deep brown offers a beautiful natural look for years to come when it’s not in direct sunlight.

While you can find outdoor furniture made from Acacia wood, it’s different than the wood used for dining room furniture. Most of the time, we recommend Teak wood for outdoor furniture because it has better water-resistant properties.

But what about the benefits of wood from the Acacia tree?

Benefits of Acacia Wood Furniture

1. Beautiful Natural Exotic Grain

As we talked about before, this wood has a beautiful natural grain that no other wood offers! When you buy furniture made from this wood, you’re guaranteed to have something no one else has with a design that’s unique to the project.

If you want the most unique dining room set around, then Acacia is perfect for your space – and it doesn’t just stop at dining rooms; many people like to use Acacia in their living rooms and bedrooms as well!

2. Sustainably Grown & Harvested Trees

Besides the beautiful grain patterns, this wood is accessible and sustainable. These trees grow quite rapidly, which means cutting them down isn’t going to have a detrimental impact on the environment.

3. Sturdy & Durable

Acacia wood is perfect for indoor furniture because of its durability. It can last for years, even if you have kids and pets that tend to put your furniture through the wringer!

But it’s also light in comparison to some other hardwoods. An Acacia wood dining room table has an outer coating to smooth its rough surface, but they’re also preserved with a clear lacquer to maintain the natural resonance of the wood furniture.

Your dining room set is likely to make it out of college with a few scratches, but that’s not a problem when the wood itself is so strong.

4. Antibacterial

This wood is naturally antibacterial. This is due to the phenolic compounds it contains that are known for their disinfecting properties.

This is why Acacia wood products such as dining room furniture are common in restaurants, business waiting rooms, lounges, and other public spaces! After all, you don’t want your food touching something with harmful bacteria on it!

5. Stain & Water Resistant

This wood is naturally very resistant to water and liquids. Thus, it’s also resistant to stains, which means you don’t have to worry about maintaining your Acacia furniture set as often.

When spills are inevitable, you can usually wipe them clean with a soft cloth without having to use harsh chemicals. Just make sure to keep it out of direct sunlight as exposure can make this wood fade!

How to Care for Acacia Wood Furniture

Building furniture from Acacia wood means understanding that it takes some maintenance. Besides keeping this wood out of direct sunlight, it’s best to keep it indoors, especially if you’re in a region characterized by cold temperatures!

To care for acacia wood, you’ll need minimal maintenance. A simple soap solution is gentle enough to wipe down or clean your wood furniture, and you can also wipe it with some coconut or olive oil.

If you happen to have your Acacia wood furniture outdoors, keep it away from chlorine, too. Chlorine from a pool or jacuzzi can cause this wood to fade. But keep in mind, adding a bit of lemon oil to the wood can offer some defense against pool chemicals.

Ideally, place furniture made from Acacia indoors to keep a long-lasting finish. Since sunlight and other elements can damage the wood, if you keep it outside, you’ll likely need to maintain the furniture daily to keep it looking its best!

Keep in mind, maintenance can sometimes solely involve using Pledge Wipes to wipe down the furniture daily.

Is Acacia Furniture Worth the Price?

For anyone interested in adding a luxurious aesthetic to their home, business, restaurant, hotel, or any other space, Acacia wood is worth the price! It’s a beautiful wood that doesn’t require much maintenance, so you can enjoy its aesthetics for years to come.

This wood is also commonly used in furniture because of how resilient it is. It’s perfect for indoor and outdoor spaces, even if it gets wet or exposed to sunlight on occasion.

And don’t forget about the fact that Acacia is a sustainable resource, too. You can feel good about buying furniture made from Acacia wood because you’re bringing in a natural look while giving back to the environment!

Acacia Wood Flooring

Acacia wood flooring is becoming increasingly popular throughout the U.S. because of the beautiful look it offers. Acacia is a sustainable wood that’s hard to damage, so homeowners love it!

After all, you can put this in any room of your home: bedroom, kitchen, living space…you name it! And you don’t have to worry about blemishes from spills or pets because this wood is resistant to water and moisture.

Acacia wood flooring has many colors as well, so you can easily find something to match the aesthetic of your home or satisfy the needs of your customers at work.

You’ll have plenty of options with Acacia flooring that will fit almost any space aesthetically and functionally! So whether you’re looking for new flooring for your bedroom or a brand-new kitchen floor, Acacia wood is an excellent choice!

Benefits of Acacia Wood Flooring

Acacia wood for flooring is far better than other common flooring hard wood available. For example, it’s more durable than Australian Blackwood, and this wood rivals Teak wood in terms of its look.

This unique hardwood flooring is also quite rare. The rustic appeal and gorgeous color variation have Acacia wood becoming increasingly popular with each passing year.

Some commercial buildings are even beginning to incorporate Acacia as their primary building material for flooring! Here’s what makes Acacia so special for flooring:

1. Acacia Wood is a Durable Floor Material

The impressive Janka hardness rating makes Acacia wood perfect for flooring. It’s harder than Maple and Oak, which are both world-renowned for durable floors.

During processing, we pull moisture from Acacia. This makes it even stronger, allowing it to hold up against typical wear and tear. The wood is also resilient against dents and scratches, making it excellent for families with pets and children.

2. Acacia is Easy to Maintain

Maintaining Acacia wood floors isn’t hard at all! All you really need to do is sweep and mop on a regular basis.

You can also try using a soft cloth to wipe the floors down every once in a while. But most of the time, sweeping and mopping regularly is enough.

3. Acacia is Naturally Resistant to Mold & Mildew

Acacia wood also boasts mold and mildew resistance, which is why it’s commonly used in the creation of cutting boards. However, it’s also handy for interior design projects that might be exposed to moisture.

Because this hardwood is naturally resistant to water, Acacia doesn’t require a lot of work to maintain its look over time. Thus, if you’re looking for hardwood for flooring, Acacia is definitely one of the best!

4. Acacia Wood Will Last for Years

Acacia is one of the most durable hardwoods available on the market today. With this being the case, this flooring material will stay intact for years to come. In fact, some homeowners report that their Acacia wood floors are still as good as new even after decades of regular use!

Don’t worry about investing in flooring that will only last a few months — Acacia wood is one of the strongest natural resources available.

5. Acacia is an Eco-friendly Option

Acacia flooring comes from trees that are sustainably harvested. In fact, most of the Acacia lumber in production today comes from reforested farms! This means you’re investing in eco-friendly hardwood that’s great for the environment.

The environmental aspect of Acacia flooring is extremely important. After all, forests are rapidly becoming depleted in today’s world. We have to do whatever we can to conserve and protect them!

How to Care for Acacia Hardwood Flooring

Caring for this hardwood flooring is fairly easy. You’ll want to dust and mop your flooring on a regular basis.

You can also use the soft cloth to wipe down the floor if you want to give it some extra TLC. This is especially useful if your Acacia wood is being exposed to high amounts of dirt, oil, or other substances that might be difficult for mopping alone to remove.

Acacia Wood vs Other Flooring Materials

Acacia is considered one of the most beautiful floors available today! The rich color variations make it stand out from most hardwood species available on the market. But what are some of its main advantages compared with other interior design materials?

1. Acacia Wood Costs Less than Other Floors

Some manufacturers offer affordable Acacia wood flooring. This is excellent for homeowners who want a floor that’s more budget-friendly than expensive hardwoods like Oak or Maple.

It can cost as little as $4 per square foot — which is cheaper than most other types of natural hardwood floors! Plus, this is only an average price. Some manufacturers even offer their products at much lower prices!

2. Acacia Wood Floors are Easy to Install

It’s no surprise that you’ll get a lot out of your investment if you invest in Acacia wood floors. One reason why this particular type of hardwood is so popular is its ease of installation — compared with other types of floors, it’s extremely easy to put down! This will save you plenty of time and energy.

After all, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on flooring that’ll take months to install! Thanks to Acacia’s simple installation process, you can get right down to the fun part: enjoying your interior design!

3. Acacia Hardwood Flooring is Durable

Acacia wood boasts extremely high durability in comparison to other flooring materials. Because of this, you don’t have to worry about it getting damaged any time soon — which is excellent for homeowners who want a finish that will last them for decades!

While durability isn’t the only factor when it comes to picking out a hardwood species, it’s definitely important. It’s better to overspend on a floor that will last for years than underpay for one that’s cheap in price but poor in quality!

Here’s the Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a natural hardwood species that will add class and style to your home, Acacia is definitely an option worth considering. From furniture to support beams, flooring, and more, this wood is one of the best options for anyone interested in enhancing the aesthetic of their space.

Looking for custom acacia wood furnishings? You’ve come to the right place! Contact us now to receive a free quote for your custom acacia wood furniture!