Cumaru Decking: The Best Wood for Your Deck

One of the best Brazilian hardwoods for decking, cumaru is an increasingly popular and in demand material for different types of home improvement projects. This natural wood is known for its hardness and durability, offering a lifespan of more than two decades. Naturally biodegradable, cumaru is definitely a better material choice than composites that many modern decking use. 

Cumaru trees are a native of the South American rainforest. Throughout their existence, these hardwoods have naturally developed a strong resistance to rot and decay as well as to insect infestation even well after they have been cut down. The resulting material is an organic hardwood that can be relied on for at least 25 years (free of preservatives). Cumaru is a highly renewable resource, growing at a faster rate than other Brazilian hardwoods, including the popular yet expensive Ipe wood. Because of this, many advocate for its use in construction applications.

Cumaru is an excellent material for decking, fencing, and even for use as seating. Its natural grain is one of the most noticeable and regarded features of this particular hardwood. Itsrings and streaks can be further highlighted with all kinds of stains, giving the wood an even more elegant glow. Cumaru ranges from a medium tan hue to a deep reddish brown shade. These natural color variations serve well to complement the wood's natural charm, making it an even more popular choice for outdoor decking and indoor flooring applications.

Cumaru places high in the Janka hardness scale (3540 lbf)—a significantly higher number than most other hardwoods like oak and hard maple. This hardness also makes the wood highly resistant to scratching. The natural habitat of cumaru trees exposes the wood to all kinds of extreme weather conditions as well as swarms of pests, making the wood naturally resistant to these elements even without much preservation.

Garapa Decking: Perfect Timber for Wooden Decking

Brazilian walnut or Ipe is one of the highly recommended types of wood for decks due to its rich brown color and fine grain, but if you prefer a lighter color, then garapa is a good choice. Garapa is also known as 'Brazilian oak', and it is durable enough to withstand different conditions that it may be exposed to outdoors. It typically features a yellow color with fine grain, but some boards may have sleek streaks of brown to create a more appealing and one of a kind look. Sun exposure can eventually turn the color into a lovely russet-golden brown hue.

High-quality garapa is sustainably harvested from the Amazon rainforest, and you can get it from a reputable supplier of Brazilian hardwoods in the US. It origins make it naturally resistant to water damage, decay, rotting, and insects. Its hardness is rated at 2,280 lbf on the Janka scale, so it is resistant to scratching, and it naturally resists fungal growth and termite infestation, as long as water does not permeate it. Garapa does not require any preservatives, and its lifespan is least 25 years. Unlike composite materials, Brazilian oak is naturally biodegradable. It comes in a range of grain and color, too, so you can create a deck that has a unique character.

Garapa is comparable to the quality of Ipe but you can buy it at a fraction of the alternative's cost. You may use a UV inhibitor finish to retain its rich honey yellow hue, or allow it to age gracefully into a gray color. A tinted finisher can make the wood darker, in case you prefer a more cost-effective alternative to Ipe, but you prefer a richer brown color. Garapa deck boards typically have a medium brown color.

Some suppliers offer Garapa in specified lengths, so you can easily build the deck that you want. Consider buying from a supplier that sells Garapa decking under an innovative program that is designed to help you save money.