Santos Mahogany comes from the Cabreuva tree in Central America and Brazil. It is considered an exotic hardwood and is an excellent flooring choice due to its hardness and durability in addition to its beauty. When compared to genuine Honduran Mahogany, Santos Mahogany is the better flooring choice due to its hardness.

Physical Characteristics of Santos Mahogany

Santos Mahogany is generally known for its strength. It is believed that this exotic hardwood has the highest hardness rating in the entire world. Wood is rated on a system called the Janka Hardness system, Red Oak carries a ranking of 1260; Santos Mahogany carries a 2200 – almost twice the hardness.

The texture of Santos Mahogany is fine and very even throughout the wood. The markings on the wood are dark stripes which contrast elegantly with the dark reddish brown of the wood. This contrast is especially elegant when used as flooring. Over time, Santos Mahogany will become slightly darker and slightly purplish-brown.

Santos Mahogany flooring has a natural medium to high luster that is accentuated beautifully depending on the finish applied. This wood sands very well and will reach a beautiful polish.

Santos Mahogany is difficult to work with due to its hardness. Carbide-tipped tools should be used for cutting. This wood does polish to a nice luster and has good holding ability.

Engineered Santos Mahogany

Santos Mahogany flooring is available in engineered wood flooring as well as solid wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring is typically less expensive than solid wood flooring with the same beauty and strength offered by the solid wood version.

Engineered Santos Mahogany can be used in areas where there is slight moisture, such as bathrooms or basements. It is also the preferred flooring for floating installations.

The downside to most engineered hardwood flooring is that it can only be sanded once maybe twice, due to the thinness of the wood layer. However, Santos Mahogany’s strength makes it an ideal candidate for engineered flooring since it will not scratch, dent or mar as easily as other woods and hence will not need repairs.

Care and Maintenance for Santos Mahogany Floors

Santos Mahogany floors will last literally hundreds of years due to the extreme hardness of the wood. Although the wood is very durable and doesn’t scratch or mar easily, there are still preventative steps that should be taken to prevent accidentally scratching or damaging it.

* Apply felt to the bottom of all furniture or objects in the room that have to be moved without carrying them.
* Keep dirt to a minimum. Place rugs in high traffic areas to catch dirt.
* Vacuum often.
* Clean spills immediately. For sticky spills, after absorbing the liquid with paper towels or a mop, spray with Windex and wipe clean with a paper towel or soft cloth.

Regular cleaning with a soft mop or soft cloth pushed with a broom can be done using a commercial cleaning solution recommended for hard wood. An alternative to this is to mix a solution of water and 10% Windex in a dish pan and use to clean the floor. The Windex gives the floor a nice shine while cleaning at the same time.

Never use harsh chemicals, vinegar and water, or cleaners made for other flooring types on the Santos Mahogany.

Following these steps, a Santos Mahogany floor will be the centerpiece of the room through many generations of family. Strong, durable and beautiful, exotic flooring creates rooms of beauty and warmth.

-Sharon V. Chapman