Kayu Karet

Rubberwood is the wood from the Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). It has always been used on a small scale, but has become much more common now, a relative new-comer on the market. There are extensive plantations with these trees in southeastern Asia; the older practice was to just burn the tree when, at the age of about 25 to 30 years, it ceased to produce latex. The wood has become economically significant.

Rubberwood is now advertised as an "environmentally friendly" wood, as it makes use of plantation trees that have already served a useful function. It has a notable tendency to warp, which can be kept under control (mostly) by applying pressure during drying. It is fairly easy to work, and glues well: it is mostly used in the form of engineered lumber (finger-jointed) which eliminates some of its disadvantages. Also, as it is a byproduct and plentiful, it is cheap, which makes it a very popular material in the countries with plantations. Products made of rubberwood are a significant export for these countries; such products include toys, cutting boards, and furniture. Rubberwood is commonly marketed under other, more attractive-sounding names, such as "Malaysian Oak" or "White Mahogany".

Rubberwood is used in the manufacture of indoor furniture and gunstocks.

Rubberwood utilisation was pioneered by Kingsley Tisseverasinghe of Sri Lanka (b.24/01/1927). [citation needed] Before his discovery of a feasible treatment process for the wood of the rubber tree, the tree was only used for tapping/ harvesting of the tree's sap. His technique has led to the widespread usage of rubberwood as a multipurpose lumber product.