Originating in Malaysia and Indonesia, Kempas is an exotic species of hardwood flooring that offers one of the hardest, most dent resistant hardwoods available from anywhere in the world. The sapwood of kempas is yellow to pale white, while the heartwood is orangish-red to reddish-brown in color upon drying. This species has an interlocked, sometimes spiraled grain, is fairly lusterous, and is coarse in texture. All Kempas hues go well together and create exceptional color varieties. The grain is interlocked, sometimes wavy, and the texture is coarse but even.

Kempas has a natural resistance to decay. The wood remains smooth under friction and is reported to have no discernable odor. Glue holds well with kempas flooring. This species sands well and is best polished with some filling.

As a flooring option kempas is a hard and durable wood. It is nearly identical in hardness to African padauk, is roughly eighteen percent harder than hard maple, and about one third harder than red oak.

See additional hardwood flooring types.