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Okoumé (Aucoumea klaineana) is a tree species native to the tropical regions of Central Africa, especially countries like Gabon. This wood is characterized by its light pink color, uniform grain, and smooth texture, qualities that have made it a highly valued raw material in the production of plywood boards and carpentry products.
Due to its lightness, workability, and natural aesthetic, Okoumé has become one of the most widely used tropical woods worldwide, both in the furniture industry and in structural and decorative applications.
The success of Okoumé in the wood industry is no coincidence. Its excellent strength-to-weight ratio makes it ideal for projects requiring lightweight yet durable structures, such as furniture, cladding, decorative panels, or components for caravans and boats. Furthermore, its smooth and even surface facilitates the application of varnishes, paints, and other finishes, making it a highly versatile material for designers and interior decorators.
Another major advantage of Okoumé is its mechanical behavior, which allows for good performance in bending, molding, and assembly processes. This adaptability has established it as a trusted choice in industries where precision and aesthetics are key.
At Picó Plywood, we have been working with this species for years due to its many qualities and benefits. Our range of Okoume Plywood products has been designed to meet the needs of demanding professionals in carpentry, decoration, and light construction projects.
We offer standard Okoumé boards and versions with decorative faces (Okoume Faced Plywood) that adapt to a wide variety of applications, always guaranteeing quality, sustainability, and excellent technical performance.
Okoumé is one of the most valued species in the plywood industry due to its technical and aesthetic qualities. Used worldwide, this wood has gained prominence thanks to its unique combination of lightness, strength, and ease of handling. Below, we analyze its main characteristics to understand why it is so widely used in carpentry, furniture making, and interior design.
Okoumé wood comes from the tree Aucoumea klaineana, an endemic species of the tropical rainforests of Central Africa, especially in countries such as Gabon. These trees can grow up to 60 meters tall, which allows for large sheets ideal for the production of high-quality plywood boards.
Okoumé is grown and harvested under sustainable forestry regulations, making it an increasingly responsible choice from an environmental standpoint.
One of the reasons Okoumé is so highly regarded is its natural aesthetic. Its color ranges from light pink to salmon brown, with a smooth and subtle grain that makes it ideal for decorative projects. The texture is fine and uniform, providing a smooth and easy-to-work surface, perfect for lacquered, varnished, or raw finishes.
In terms of density, it is considered a lightweight wood, with an approximate weight of 430–500 kg/m³, allowing it to be handled without the need for heavy tools or specialized machinery.
The characteristics of Okoumé make it an extremely versatile option. Its main technical properties include:
Thanks to this combination, Okoumé is one of the most widely used woods in both technical and decorative applications.
Okoumé performs acceptably in humid conditions when subjected to proper treatments. While it is not naturally water-resistant, its performance can be improved through phenolic gluing processes or waterproof finishes.
In terms of dimensional stability, it maintains a good response to changes in temperature and humidity, as long as the correct type of board is used depending on the environment (indoor, covered outdoor, or marine use). This quality makes it an ideal material for controlled environments or areas with moderate variations.
Okoume Plywood, or Okoumé plywood, is one of the most valued materials in the wood industry due to its lightness, strength, and excellent performance in multiple applications. This technical board has become a versatile solution for both structural and decorative use, thanks to the properties of Okoumé and its careful manufacturing process.
Okoumé plywood is a board made from several thin layers of Okoumé wood bonded together with strong adhesives. These layers are arranged in alternating directions with the grain perpendicular to each other, significantly improving its mechanical strength and structural stability.
This type of board is widely used in carpentry, light construction, interior design, and specialized sectors such as naval or transportation.
The production of Okoume Plywood begins with obtaining high-quality Okoumé logs. These logs are then peeled or cut into thin sheets, which are selected, dried, and stacked in a cross-grain orientation. The layers are glued together with specific adhesives depending on the final application of the board: urea-formaldehyde for interior use or phenol-formaldehyde for exterior and marine use.
The layers are then pressed at high temperature and pressure to form a homogeneous, lightweight, and durable board. Afterward, the board is sanded, calibrated, and, in some cases, veneered with decorative or specialty faces.
Although both products come from the same tree, their characteristics and applications differ significantly:
Therefore, Okoumé plywood is the most popular choice in technical and decorative contexts that require functionality, strength, and lightness.
Within the Okoume Plywood category, there are various options adapted to specific needs:
Thanks to this variety, Okoumé boards adapt to all types of uses: from furniture and cladding to technical or architectural structures.
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Okoume Plywood stands out for a series of technical qualities that make it particularly attractive in the industrial sector. Its combination of lightness, strength, and ease of work make it a versatile, efficient, and cost-effective material for multiple industries.
One of the main advantages of Okoume Plywood is its excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Thanks to the low density of Okoumé wood, the boards are notably light without sacrificing stability or structural capacity. This is crucial in industries such as automotive, boating, or technical furniture, where reducing weight is important without compromising safety or durability.
The natural flexibility of Okoumé and the quality of its fiber make it ideal for bending, molding, and machining processes.
Professionals particularly value it in projects that require curved shapes, fine details, or precise assemblies. Furthermore, Okoume Plywood allows working with narrow curvature radii without cracking or losing structural integrity, something other boards don’t always permit.
The smooth and homogeneous surface of Okoumé plywood makes it highly compatible with varnishes, lacquers, paints, and decorative veneers. This enables high-quality aesthetic finishes, whether in natural tones or colored versions. It is also an excellent base for applying technical or decorative coatings, such as melamines or HPL laminates, widely used in furniture and cladding.
Another significant advantage of Okoumé plywood is its value for money. Although it is a high-performance tropical wood, its availability and ease of production in plywood format allow it to be offered at a competitive cost compared to other technical options. This makes it an efficient solution for both large-scale industrial production and high-level custom projects.
Okoume Plywood has established itself as a highly versatile material, with applications across various sectors. Its balance between lightness, strength, and aesthetics makes it an ideal choice for multiple types of projects, both in domestic and professional or industrial environments.
Flexible Plywood is a versatile and easy-to-work material, but to maximize its properties without compromising its strength, it is essential to apply the right techniques. In this section, we will explore the best methods for bending, cutting, and finishing it, as well as identifying common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Thanks to its low weight and good stability, Okoumé plywood is widely used in the manufacture of lightweight furniture. Chairs, shelves, side tables, and cabinets can be constructed with this material, making transportation, assembly, and handling easier, without sacrificing a solid structure or attractive finish.
In cabinetmaking and interior carpentry, Okoumé plywood is ideal for precision work, curved details, drawer fronts, doors, and other decorative elements. Its uniform texture allows for fine finishes and provides a stable base for custom varnishing or veneering.
Okoumé Plywood is frequently used in wall, ceiling, and custom furniture cladding. Its warm appearance and ease of veneering or lacquering make it a popular choice in modern interior design, both in residential spaces and commercial areas, hotels, or hospitality venues.
One of the more technical applications of Okoumé is in the nautical sector, especially in its marine version. Thanks to its resistance to moisture, dimensional stability, and lightness, this type of plywood is used in the manufacture of boats, decks, boat interiors, and nautical furniture. Its excellent performance in water and extreme environmental conditions has made it a standard within this industry.
Due to its ease of cutting, assembly, and transport, Okoumé Plywood is ideal for mobile applications such as interior panels for vans, caravans, motorhomes, trains, or modular constructions. It offers an excellent solution for projects that require functional, lightweight, and visually appealing materials, with good levels of thermal and acoustic insulation.
Okoume Faced Plywood represents a premium category within plywood boards, especially valued in sectors where aesthetics and surface quality are essential. This type of plywood combines the technical structure of plywood with the natural beauty of Okoumé on its visible faces.
Okoume Faced Plywood is a plywood board whose outer layers — also known as faces — are covered with thin sheets of Okoumé wood. This technique allows for the combination of a technical base (such as poplar, birch, or other species) with a noble and uniform Okoumé finish, resulting in a material that is both functional and visually appealing.
Thanks to its warm and elegant appearance, this type of plywood is widely used in the manufacture of high-end furniture, custom interior design, and decorative carpentry projects. From wardrobe fronts and headboards to luxury cladding in hotels and offices, Okoume Faced Plywood stands out by adding aesthetic value without compromising functionality.
Some of its main advantages include:
with a fine texture ideal for lacquering, staining, or varnishing.
maintaining the lightness and ease of cutting of the base plywood.
thanks to its multilayer composition.
by using only a thin external layer of noble wood.
Okoume Faced Plywood allows for a wide range of finishes:
This flexibility makes it a key ally for architects, designers, and custom furniture manufacturers.
Commitment to sustainability is an increasingly important priority in the wood industry, and Okoumé is no exception. Choosing products made from certified wood with responsible sourcing not only guarantees a reduced environmental impact but also strengthens the quality and traceability of the material used in every project.
Okoumé mainly comes from tropical forests in Central Africa, especially from countries like Gabon, where its exploitation is regulated to protect natural ecosystems. At Picó Plywood, we ensure that the wood used for our boards comes from a legal and traceable source, complying with international sustainable forest management regulations.
Our Okoumé products may be supported by recognized certifications such as:
Guarantees that the wood comes from forests managed in an environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable manner.
At Picó Plywood, we work with a clear focus on sustainability, committing to efficient production processes, waste minimization, and the selection of certified raw materials. Our commitment includes:
🌱 Choosing our sustainable Okoumé boards is choosing a future where design, quality, and respect for the environment go hand in hand.
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Selecting the right type of Okoume Plywood can make a significant difference in the final outcome of a project, in terms of durability, aesthetics, and functionality. There are several technical factors to consider before choosing the ideal board, and at Picó Plywood, we help you make the best decision based on your needs.
Some of the most important aspects to consider when choosing an Okoumé board are:
From thinner options (3-6 mm) for decorative or curved uses, to thicker options (18-30 mm) for more durable structures.
The higher the number of layers, the greater the stability and strength of the board. This is key for structural or heavy-use applications.
Depending on the intended use, you can choose interior adhesives (UF) or moisture-resistant adhesives (WBP), especially for nautical or outdoor applications.
Choosing the right elements ensures that the material performs properly in each environment.
At Picó Plywood, we not only offer high-quality boards but also specialized technical advice. Our team of experts can help you:
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Every project has its particularities, which is why we offer customized and tailored solutions. Some of our options include:
Thanks to our flexible production capabilities, we can assist you in executing everything from small batches to large industrial projects with precision and efficiency.
🛠️ Choosing the right Okoume Plywood is easier when you have the support of an expert team.
Trust Picó Plywood to ensure optimal results in every project.
Okoume Plywood has established itself as one of the most versatile and valued materials in the wood industry due to its technical properties, ease of handling, and excellent performance in interior, decorative, and even nautical applications. Whether for furniture, cladding, carpentry, or lightweight structures, Okoumé plywood offers an efficient, aesthetic, and durable solution.
Perfect for applications that require ease of handling without compromising stability.
Ideal for varnishing, lacquering, or covering with decorative veneers.
From interior design to technical uses, including the nautical and modular sectors.
Premium option for high-end aesthetic projects.
At Picó Plywood, we have been working with quality woods for decades, transforming them into technical and decorative solutions for demanding professionals. We offer:
Our experience and commitment to quality make us the ideal partner for your wood projects.
Are you looking for a reliable supplier of Okoume Plywood?
Do you need technical advice to choose the most suitable board?
📢 Call us, write to us, or discover our full product range online.
We are here to help you bring your ideas to life with high-performance materials.
👉 Choose Okoume Plywood from Picó.
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