About Paulownia Wood

Paulownia wood surfboard. Paulownia is the lightest wood in the world

Lightest wood in the world (after balsa)

Paulownia originates from China and has been widely used in Asia for more than 2500 years. In China and Japan, this lightweight timber is traditionally used for low strength housing components, aircraft fittings, veneers, furniture, musical instruments, gift boxes, coffins and pattern-making.

In New Zealand, the timber is commonly used to make boats, kayaks, surfboards and furniture. It’s also a good choice for interior sarking, snowboards, picture frames and polo mallets.

Characteristics of paulownia wood

Lightness – paulownia is the lightest wood in the world other than balsa and 40% the weight of pine
One of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any wood
Bonds well with glue and epoxy resins
Unlike balsa, paulownia does not hold the added weight from soaking up excessive amounts of epoxy
Provides excellent acoustic and thermal insulation properties – has twice the R factor of pine
Remains stable with changes in humidity
Odourless
Insect resistant
Resistant to fungal rots (but not to surface moulds)

Technical Properties of NZ Paulownia

Basic Density	285-300kg/m3
Air-dry Density (11% moisture content)	335-340 kg/m3
Tangential shrinkage (green to 12% moisture content)	1.8-2.0%
Radial Shrinkage (green to 12% moisture content)	0.8-0.9%
Hardness (dry)	1.3-1.4 kN
Modulus of Rupture (MPa)	40
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)	4.0
Compression Parallel (MPa)	23
Shear Parallel (MPa)	5.3

Uses of Paulownia Wood

Paulownia Surfboards

Beautiful to look at and more environmentally-friendly than traditional fibreglass boards, wooden surfboards are becoming increasingly popular. Paulownia’s lightness, combined with its strength, makes it the ideal timber for surfboards, paddleboards and bodyboards. Paulownia bonds well with glue and epoxy resins and also absorbs less salt water than many other types of wood, meaning paulownia surfboards can be finished with a natural oil, as opposed to fibreglass.

Paulownia Snowboards

A number of snowboard and ski manufacturers (including Völkl) use paulownia (in combination with other woods) in the production of skis and snowboards.

Paulownia Boats and Kayaks

Thanks to its lightness and durability, paulownia is excellent for boatbuilding and kayaks. The timber is straight-grained, warp resistant and easy to plane to a silky finish.

Paulownia Picture Frames

Paulownia makes lightweight, attractive frames that won’t put too much strain on your walls.

Paulownia Sarking

Paulownia is a sustainable, stylish option for interior sarking and panelling. Varying in colour from silver-grey to light brown, it can be planed to a soft, silky finish and takes stain well. One additional advantage of paulownia is its excellent acoustic properties, helping to reduce sound transmission around the home.

Paulownia Polo Mallets

Another specialist application for paulownia wood: lightweight, durable polo mallets.

Paulownia Furniture

In China and Japan, paulownia is often used to make chests and dressers. The wood is straight-grained, easy to work and insect-resistant. Paulownia can also be used as a veneer.