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De Terra iroko is the African hardwood boat-builders reach for: naturally oily, supremely moisture-tolerant and coloured a deep golden brown that only improves with age. If your worktop plan involves a sink, a draining area or a busy kettle corner, iroko is the specialist.
Iroko earned the nickname 'African teak' in shipyards and laboratory benches: its natural oils repel moisture in a way European timbers cannot match, and its interlocked grain stays stable where humidity swings. At around 1,260 lbf Janka it matches oak country for hardness, and its colour - golden fresh, deepening to rich teak-brown under oil and light - is unique in the De Terra range.
The range runs 40mm thickness at 635mm wide, lengths to 4m, plus 960mm-wide breakfast bars for islands and a matching upstand. Boards arrive sanded and un-oiled. Around sinks and draining grooves, iroko is the range we recommend before any other.
The sink-run specialist
Every timber needs oiling around water - iroko just forgives you more. Oil all faces and edges 2-3 times before fitting, and enjoy the calmest wet-area timber ownership there is.
| Material | Solid iroko (milicia excelsa) - naturally oily African hardwood |
| Construction | Solid staves - 40mm nominal width (38-42mm range) |
| Hardness | Janka approx. 1,260 lbf (5,600 N) - with best-in-range moisture tolerance |
| Thickness | 40mm |
| Edge Profile | Square edge |
| Surface | Sanded to 120 grit - supplied un-oiled |
| Widths | 635mm worktops - 960mm breakfast bars |
| Weight | 3.5 kg to 76.2 kg per board |
| Brand | De Terra |
2-3 coats of food-safe worktop oil on every face and edge before fitting. Iroko's natural oils mean it drinks less than oak - wipe excess thoroughly so coats cure properly.
Its specialist territory - but still wipe standing water and keep the sink surround in the re-oil cycle. Forgiveness is not immunity.
Expect visible deepening over the first year, fastest in daylight. If you want to slow it, use a UV-filter hard-wax oil; most owners let it run - the mature colour is the prize.
Trivets and boards as with every timber. Iroko's interlocked grain can pick up when hand-planed, but sands perfectly - use abrasives not blades for refinishing.
Sands and re-oils like the rest of the family. Refinished patches briefly show paler until light catches them up - a few weeks, not years.
It is the best timber we sell for exactly that: naturally oily, moisture-shrugging and stable in humidity swings - the reason boat-builders and lab-bench makers specify it. Normal oiling discipline still applies, with more forgiveness when life intervenes.
Warm golden-brown when new, maturing under oil and daylight to a deep teak brown over months. The two tones are both genuinely iroko - our photos show the range from fresh to matured.
Iroko is a regulated African hardwood; De Terra boards are responsibly sourced through certified supply chains. It is also extremely long-lived in service - a 30-year iroko top is common - which is its own sustainability.
Very closely in behaviour - similar oils, similar water tolerance, similar maturing colour - at a fraction of teak's price and pressure on wild stocks. 'African teak' is marketing shorthand, but earned.
2-3 thin coats of food-safe oil before fitting, wiping excess well - iroko absorbs less than oak. Re-oil when water stops beading; expect longer intervals than any other timber here.
Around water: iroko, without hesitation. For classic golden looks and the biggest size choice: oak. Hardness is comparable; the decision is wet-area performance versus range depth and price.
