Shipping information
We can ship everything you see for sale on our website. Each piece is unique, and our slabs are often very large, so shipping logistics will vary depending on the item(s) being shipped.
For local customers, shipping will be easy – We offer complimentary delivery to addresses in the Gainesville area, including all of Alachua County . Customers are also welcome to visit our warehouse to pick up slabs in person. We have a forklift and a variety of other hoisting equipment available to help you load your purchase.
For customers located within our general area, but outside Alachua County, we offer personal delivery for a reasonable fee. The cost will vary depending on your location and the size of the shipment.
For customers located further away (within the USA and internationally), we will work with our freight shipping partners to arrange for transport. We always solicit multiple freight quotes, and will generally do everything we can to help keep shipping costs economical. We earn our money selling wood slabs, not on logistics – we do not pad our shipping costs.
Customers are also welcome to arrange for their own freight shipping. In these cases, we will provide you with the final weight and dimensions of the shipment, along with all the details you will need to book a freight shipment on your own.
If you have any questions regarding shipping, please give us a call at 352-218-2032
Wood Care
Our slabs are naturally durable, and with moderate care, they can be expected to survive a lifetime of use. That being said, there are a few important things to note:
– Both Monkeypod and Guanacaste are durable and rot resistant woods. They can be used in an outdoor setting, but we don’t recommend doing so. An outdoor environment is hard on ANY material, and an outdoor table will require attentive care and regular maintenance, even in the most accommodating outdoor setting. With a proper finish, it is probably possible to use them outside for many years – However, in many, if not most climates, naturally fluctuating outdoor humidity levels will negatively impact the dimensional stability of your wood slab.
– When it comes to cleaning your slab, it is a good idea to use the least aggressive chemicals that can get the job done. Mildly soapy water and wood cleaning products are good place to start. Cleaning procedures will vary according to the wood finish you have applied, so please refer to documentation from the manufacturer of your chosen wood finish for further information.
Wood Characteristics / Technical Data
From USDA Forest Products Laboratory publication ‘Tropical Timbers Of The World’ (by Martin Chudnoff, 1980)
Monkey Pod (Samanea saman)
- Other Common Names: Dormilón (Puerto Rico), Algarrobo (Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala), Cenícero (El Salvador, Costa Rica), Samaguare (Colombia), Lara, Carabalí (Venezuela), Huacamayo-chico (Peru), Monkeypod (Hawaii)
Distribution: Native to Central and South America. It has been introduced to many tropical areas around the world, where it grows well. It is common in Hawaii. Our slabs are all imported directly from our partners in Costa Rica, where it is an abundant native species. - Sustainability: Good. Not CITES listed. IUCN ‘Species of least concern’
- Allergy concerns: None when finished. Sawdust can cause eye irritation.
- Rot resistance: Durable to Very Durable (15 – 25+ years of service life in rigorous outdoor rot testing)
- Shrinkage: Exceptionally low for a wood of this density
⁃ radial 2.0%
⁃ tangential 3.4%
⁃ volumetric 6.0% - Typical weight: 38 lb/ft3 (~3.2 lb/BF)
- Janka hardness: 900 lbf
- Bending strength: 8,860 psi
- Maximum crushing strength: 5,070 psi
- Modulus of Elasticity: 1,100,000 psi
Parota (Enterolobium cyclocarpum)
- Other Common Names: Conocaste, Orejó, Perota (Mexico), Genicero, Jarina, Guanacaste (Costa Rica), Corotú (Panama), Orejero, Caro (Colombia), Carocaro (Venezuela).
- Distribution: Mexico and southward through Central America to Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana, and Brazil; often planted as an ornamental. Our slabs are all imported directly from our partners in Costa Rica, where it is an abundant native species.
- Sustainability: Good. Not CITES listed. IUCN ‘Species of least concern’
- Allergy concerns: None when finished. Dry dust is an irritant.
- Rot resistance: Durable – The heartwood is reported to have good resistance to attack by decay fungi; also resistant to dry-wood termite attack.
- Shrinkage:
⁃ radial 2.2%
⁃ tangential 4.9%
⁃ volumetric 7.1% - Typical weight: 27 lb/ft3 (~2.25 lb/BF)
- Janka hardness: 520 lbf
- Bending strength: 8,500 psi
- Maximum crushing strength: 4,900 psi
- Modulus of Elasticity: 1,050,000 psi
Responsible Forestry & Sustainability
‘Healthy forest industries and healthy forests are interdependent – higher quality lumber comes from healthy forests, and the desire for quality lumber can motivate owners to develop and nurture healthy forests.’
Dr. Bruce Hansen – Forest Service Research Economist 2005
The over-exploitation of forests has been the historical norm around the world, but with the benefit of hindsight, there is no reason to perpetuate this destructive pattern. The responsible sourcing of timber is something we take seriously.
In order to ensure that our products are sustainably harvested, we source our slabs exclusively from Costa Rica, a country well-known for sustainably managing their natural resources. Each tree that is harvested in Costa Rica must be individually permitted by a forestry engineer, acting on behalf of the national conservation authorities (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación). Before issuing a permit, the forestry engineer will consider the impact on the local ecosystem, and the abundance of a given species in the area. If removal of trees is deemed sustainable, the engineer can issue permits for up to ten trees on a given property.
As a general rule, our trees come from agricultural lands and ranches, rarely natural forests. By providing a forestry based income stream to Costa Rican farmers and ranchers, we encourage them to maintain healthy stands of trees on their land. Within the framework of the tightly managed permitting process, the more abundant their forested lands, the more trees they will be able to harvest in the future. This virtuous cycle leaves both the people and the environment of Costa Rica better off.
Furthermore, our suppliers in Costa Rica control the entire supply chain, from applying for permits, to felling trees, milling slabs, kiln drying lumber, and finally, exporting to us. This level of control over the process minimizes opportunities for illegally harvested lumber to enter the supply chain.
Wood Finishing and Epoxy Pours
We highly recommend ‘Blacktail Studio’ as a resource for Epoxy filling, large pours, etc. His content can be found on Youtube.
Slab Storage Guidelines
If you need to store your slab for a period of time before completing your slab project, you will want to take some care to ensure that your slab is stored properly. Improperly stored slabs can absorb moisture through adjacent surfaces, leading to uneven moisture content in the wood. Uneven moisture content in your wood slab leads to increased risk of warping, splitting, etc.
Your slab should be stored flat, elevated on numerous small blocks or strips of wood (stickers). The slab should also be stored indoors, and ideally, at a humidity level similar to the humidity expected in the final installation location.
Do not cover your slab with plastic sheeting, tarps, or any other non-porous material. If your slab was plastic wrapped for transport, unwrap it as soon as possible. If you would like to cover your slab to protect it from dust, scratches, etc., a woven material such as a cotton sheet or moving blanket should be used.
Online Purchases
We do most of our business either in person at our Gainesville showroom, or over the phone. The following guidelines are presented in an effort to avoid potential frustrations or misunderstandings with online buyers with whom we have not otherwise communicated.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us! 352-218-2032 // info@tropicalamericantimber.com
– Online purchases DO NOT include the cost of shipping. We can ship everything we have listed for sale, but the cost of shipping will need to be calculated after the slab has been purchased. In most cases, the shipment will need to be sent via freight carrier or personally delivered by us. See ‘Shipping Information’.
We don’t want the cost of shipping to discourage would-be buyers, and we strive to keep shipping costs as low as possible. If you are unhappy with the price of shipping, you will be entitled to a full refund.
– Online purchases reserve your slab for pick-up at our Gainesville, FL warehouse. By default, we will reserve your slab for 30 days. Please contact us in order to make special arrangements for extended storage / reservation. Reasonable requests can generally be accommodated for no additional charge.
– Returns / refunds of online purchases. If the purchased slab or finished piece is found to be damaged, cracked, or otherwise not as described and pictured in the online listing, a refund or compensatory price adjustment may be made available to the buyer. Barring significant issues with the piece, items purchased online are not eligible for returns or refunds. Small scratches and scuffs are unavoidable on raw slabs, and do not constitute significant damage.
That being said, we want to make sure all of our customers are happy, and we try our best to be fair-minded and reasonable people. If you have any issues, please get in touch with us, and we will do our best to find an agreeable solution.
Deposits
The following policies apply to deposits made on slabs and finished tables.
– By making a deposit on a raw slab or finished piece, you are making a commitment to purchase a specific slab for an agreed upon price. We will reserve the chosen piece for a minimum of 30 days, unless a longer period has been agreed upon. Deposits are non-refundable.
– If the agreed upon reservation period has elapsed without the remainder having been paid, the chosen slab will no longer be reserved for you. So long as the slab is available for purchase, any deposits made will remain applicable toward the purchase of the chosen slab.
– If you make a deposit on a raw slab, and it suffers significant damage while in our possession, you will have the choice of receiving a full refund or applying your deposit toward another slab of your choosing. Small scratches and scuffs are present on all raw slabs, and do not constitute significant damage.