For those who believe that any hardwood from
Indonesia can be imported into Hawaii without special license
......think twice and consider our alternative.
Wood species used for structural
purposes in buildings in Hawaii must meet the provisions stated in the
International Building Code (IBC) and/or other adopted or specific codes
and provisions in-force by the County, or have been approved by the
County having jurisdiction over the project. We contacted all Counties
in Hawaii to verify this statement and this was their unambiguous
answer: "All hardwood species for structural use
(*) from
Indonesia are disallowed by the Counties of Hawaii, except that only Bangkirai
and Merbau is approved by
the City and County of Oahu and Bangkirai has been approved for Maui.
Use of any Indonesian wood species for structural purposes (except
Bangkirai for Oahu) requires obtaining approval for use by the County
having jurisdiction over the project".
(*) This may include flooring if
this is used as decking material and needs to span. It may be
problematic as this may be ruled as a structural application
In the event that an Indonesian hardwood
will be used such approval may involve having an
independent testing lab conduct structural tests and write a report, and
filing the report, forms, and other required documents with the County.
Such a process could require considerable time and money and approval is
not guaranteed. Since each County may have differing requirements, and
since these requirements are subject to change at any time without
notice, those contemplating undertaking such approvals are advised to
check directly with the County for which approval is sought as to
required procedures, and to verify which, if any, Indonesian wood
species are meanwhile approved for structural use.
In conclusion: If
you do not wish to end up with a confiscated shipment or be disallowed
from using particular wood species from Indonesia in a building for Hawaii, do not use
any of these hardwoods, except Bangkirai for Oahu. We know from a reliable source that a
lab report as
referred to above may well cost USD. 50,000.
This was the bad news.
The good news is that we can
offer you an alternative with a wood which is approved by all Counties:
<Dura Pine>, processed in the USA, .....and
100% termite resistant. The price level is similar to that of Bangkirai.