Color of Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba)

[calberto22]

Hi, I just purchased a 10 year old house with beautiful dark brown/reddish Brazilian cherry floors. Unfortunately part of the floors were damaged by a leak and I have to replace them. I have looked EVERYWHERE for Brazilian Cherry of the same color but they are all a much much lighter shade. Everyone has assured me that they will darken in about 4-6 months. However, I just can't believe a wood can possibly change so much in color. The new Brazilian cherry I am finding is a light brown color, my house Brazilian Cherry is a Dark Red/Brown color. It would have to change dramatically. Everyone I speak to at every reseller I go to tells me the same thing, IT WILL CHANGE to a dark red/brown color and blend with the rest of the house.

Has anyone had experience with this?

Thanks,

Carlos

[Charlie Self]

The Brazilian cherry will darken considerably, as does American black cherry. Whether or not it will blend with the rest of your house's flooring is less of a certainty. It should come much closer in a year or so--I seriously doubt 6 months. Much depends on the amount of sunlight hitting the wood. If it's in a closet, or protected from light otherwise, the changes will take longer.

A lot of woods change color dramatically over their lifetimes if left unstained. Black cherry is one of the most remarkable; walnut lightens (cherry and walnut tend to pass each other during the changes).

And, of course, to the unthinkable: wood can also be stained to match existing wood.

[Gary A in KC]

I made a coffee table from Brazilian cherry a year ago. I'm very pleasantly surprised with the color it has turned in that year. I also have a good comparison because of a chess board that sits on its lower shelf (which has prevented that portion of the shelf from changing in color). Table has gone form a nice nutty brown to a deeper reddish brown that blends in nicely with all the cherry built in cabinets in the living room. If you want to accelerate the color change, get your boards ready for installation, then leave them outside in the sun for a few afternoons. The oxidation process that changes the wood color will start quickly and you'll be that much closer to the final color tone you're seeking.

Gary in KC

[bkr]

Carlos, my experience is somewhat limited, but I used to work for a furniture store and Cherry always gets darker. In fact most of the red woods (Cherry, Mahogany, Padauk, etc) all get darker over time. Most also get darker more quickly in areas of high exposure to sunlight as well.

bkr

[Dan Oelke]

I have never tried this personally - but you might want to Google putting your cherry in an tanning booth. I know that has come up before and from what I remember the UV does enhance the aging process some but there is some oxidation going on as well which just takes time. Thinking out loud - maybe ozone would quicken the oxidation process - but you have to be careful when dealing with that stuff.

In any case buy some stock and let it age for 6 months. If the color is close enough for you at that point then install it. You have to put up with the leak stain for 6 months, but it should be less ugly than the dramatically different colored wood, and if it doesn't age to a close enough color then you don't have to do the repair twice.

Good luck! Dan

[patrick conroy]

Yeah - the jatoba stuff I've done has darkened nicely. Maybe not 4-6 months, maybe closer to 12.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

They are all a bunch of liars that just want to take your money. Fact is, the wood will lighten as the sunlight bleaches it and in six months is will look about the same as a pine board.

What gets me is that everyone in the wood business gave you the same sad tale. they probably belong to a trade association that comes up with stories to tell customers. What a farce that they would try to come off as experts and tell you fantasy stories. Sorry to be the only honest person here and tell you that, but one of us must show they have upstanding character and truthful. That would be me.

[rmc]

Well I'll be damned!!! The sun does the same thing to wood as it does to women. The older they get the lighter their hair gets. Until it finally turns blue.

[Tom Watson]

The problem with what is called, "Brazilian Cherry", is that it is a trade name, rather than the fruits of Linnaeus Naema.

As a trade name, it can include many different, some would say - far too many different - subspecies in its grouping.

I built a set of stairs out of what was called, "Brazilian Cherry", and it looked like this:

pictures were taken after a wash coat had been applied.

Brazilian Cherry is closer to being a Mahogany than it is to being a Cherry.

It certainly is not related to the American hardwood that we call Cherry.

I did not find it to be particularly responsive to the darkening effects of light, in an immediate sense, as American Cherry is. When the boards are brought out of the stack, they darken without exposure to UV, leading one to believe that the oxidation process is air driven, rather than UV driven.

It is very tough and fibrous, and, in my experience, has many inclusions of minerals that defeat tools that are not sufficiently hardened.

I did not particularly enjoy working with this wood. I found it to take a poor finish, in terms of reflectivity, and as opposed to American cherry.

Thomas J. Watson - WoodDorker

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

(webpage)

[Rick Cook]

Believe it. I have some Brazilian Cherry pieces, including handles of woodcarving knives, that have darkened considerable in the course of a few months to a couple of years.

Still gorgeous stuff.

--RC

[max]

Carlos Where you in Woodcraft in San Carlos this afternoon? max

[Mark]

It will. Jatoba is a favorite of mine...made many pieces using it. I prefer it over American cherry... more consistent straighter grain, more consistent cheaper prices, etc. Matter of fact, I have a stash of the flooring. Not enough to do a whole room. Mark