Cumaru Decking vs. Other Hardwoods: What Makes It Stand Out?

 

So, you are thinking about adding a new deck to your home, and you are weighing out all of the options before making a decision. That's great! Decking is an essential feature of your home that gives you extra living space and adds value to your property. Almost always, it is the first thing that people see when they come to visit and it gives your family and friends a place to relax and enjoy the great outdoors.

 

When it comes to hardwood decking, there are many types to choose from, each with its own unique features and benefits. One of the most popular choices on the market is cumaru decking.

 

Janka hardness

 

The Janka Wood Hardness Scale measures how hard a specific wood type is, from dense to very dense. This scale helps in figuring out how much the wood can withstand dents, dings, and general wear. The larger the number on the Janka Scale, the more damage-proof the wood will be once installed.

 

Cumaru wood has a Janka hardness of 3,340 lbs. This is much higher than other popular hardwood decking options, such as redwood (420), cedar (900), pine wood (1570), and white oak (1,350) - making it one of the strongest and most durable choices available.

 

Durability

 

Cumaru wood stands out due to its incredible toughness. Its dense structure and natural oils provide a strong defense against rot, decay, and insect attacks. This strength helps it endure tough outdoor conditions, such as heavy use, severe weather, and persistent sunlight. These qualities make cumaru decking a long-lasting choice, ensuring it remains in good shape for many years and offers real value for homeowners.

 

It's also highly resistant to absorbing moisture and growing fungi. The wood's high oil content creates a natural barrier against water seepage. This means cumaru decking is likely to remain intact, avoiding warping, cracking, or splitting even after prolonged exposure to the elements. Furthermore, its resistance to mold and fungi ensures your deck stays attractive and safe for various outdoor uses.

 

Environmental considerations

 

Although cumaru wood provides numerous advantages, weighing its environmental effects is crucial. It's a tropical hardwood, and its rising demand has sparked concerns over deforestation and harmful logging activities in some areas.

 

The good news is that trustworthy suppliers offer cumaru wood certified by groups like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), showing it comes from sustainable and responsible sources. When thinking about cumaru wood for your decking, look for suppliers focused on ethical and eco-friendly methods to lessen environmental harm. This way, you can enjoy your cumaru hardwood deck without worrying about its negative impact.

 

Cost considerations

 

Considering cost is important for any home project. Cumaru wood is priced moderately, sitting between less expensive options like pressure-treated lumber and more costly alternatives like ipe wood. The upfront cost for cumaru decking might be more than other choices, but its strength and long life offer savings over time due to fewer repairs or replacements. When looking at costs, think about the lasting benefits of cumaru wood in relation to your budget limits.

 

Low maintenance

 

Finally, choosing cumaru wood translates to choosing a deck material that requires minimal upkeep. The wood's inherent oils naturally preserve its sturdiness without frequent treatment, unlike other woods that demand regular sealing or staining. Cumaru will gray, however if you want to maintain its color periodic application of a UV finisher is needed. Gentle cleaning with mild soap, water, and a soft brush is usually all it takes to sustain the pristine appearance of your cumaru deck. This low-maintenance feature makes cumaru wood a favorable option for anyone desiring an effortless outdoor area.

 

For genuine, environmentally friendly, and durable hardwood decking solutions, ABS WOOD provides the best collection of hardwood decking materials in the United States. Contact us today at 352-508-4990 or 404-549-4840 to learn more about our premium hardwood options. 

Source: https://abswood.com/blog/cumaru-decking-vs-other-hardwoods-what-makes-it-stand-out/

4 Major Point of Difference Between Cumaru Decking and Garapa Decking

When choosing Brazilian hardwoods, you are likely to encounter garapa and cumaru decking materials. Both are popular in the US as lighter color woods, but there are certain differences in their look and feel that could make you prefer one over the other. Knowing these characteristics will make it easier to decide which material is best for your deck. So, here is an overview of the main differences between cumaru and garapa decking:

1. The name – Garapa is also called, ‘Brazilian oak’ due to its hardness and density that is similar to the regular oak. On the other hand, cumaru is ‘Brazilian teak’, which is one of the densest woods, making it highly durable and suitable for building a long-lasting deck. Cumaru decking may seem like IPE to the untrained eye, making it an excellent alternative to the classic IPE if you are looking for harder, lightly colored alternative.
   
   
2. The colors – Cumaru typically comes in two variants: red and yellow. Both are used for commercial and decking applications. Its pronounced grain can stand out further with a sealant coating or any high-quality stain. If you prefer a medium-brown hue, consider garapa decking. It can be darkened with tinted finishers if you want a more subdued hue. The material’s grain is characterized as irregular, interlocked, and fine, with a medium texture. Reputable suppliers of cumaru decking carry Garapa in varied grain and color that will add more character to your deck.

3. Durability – Garapa’s hardness is at 2280 lbf on the Janka hardness scale, which makes it harder than oak and maple. This feature makes it durable and resistant to termites, scratches, decay, and rot, and it will not require any wood preservatives. Cumaru decking is at 3540 lbf on the Janka scale and it can resist the same things that garapa can.
   
   
4. Versatility – Cumaru is not just used for decks. It can be used as fencing or outdoor seating material, too. Garapa is mostly used for building decks.

Blog Source URL: https://www.abswood.com/blog/4-major-point-difference-cumaru-decking-garapa-decking/

Cedar Timber - Furniture for Style and Durability

Cedar is a type of wood that can be turned into decking, flooring, shingles, beams, boards, and timbers. Cedar timber is popularly used for furniture making, especially for foot lockers and chests. But this type of wood can also be used for the creation of other kinds of furniture, specifically outdoor pieces. The Janka hardness rating of cedar timber is 900. It may not be as hard as other types of wood, but Cedar timber has structural stability and offers good shock resistance. Preservative treatments are not needed by cedar timber as its heartwood has extractives that are toxic to fungi. This means you don’t have to worry about your cedar timber furniture decaying. Here are other advantages to using cedar timber furniture:

• Lightweight – You won’t have any trouble moving cedar timber furniture in and out of your house.

• Thermal co-efficient – Even during hot days, your furniture will stay cool.

• Great color – The natural color of cedar timber is cream or light brown, but if you prefer furniture with a silver-gray color, painting is not required. All you need to do is to let it bathe outdoors.

• Finishing options – Cedar can be finished off with a wide range of exterior grades, from paints and stains to varnishes and oil finishes.

• Durable – Cedar timber furniture can resist cracking and checking, which is apparent in most wood species.

• Natural preservatives – Since cedar timber can resist rotting and decaying, it makes for great furniture by the pool and hot tub areas. It can even be used inside saunas.

Cedar timber is easy to work with so you can create a wide range of furniture. Whether you are making outdoor seating areas or a small table to place by your hot tub or maybe a lounging seat by the pool, cedar timber is the perfect wood.

Source URL: http://www.abswood.com/blog/cedar-timber-furniture-style-durability/

Cumaru Wood Decking: Beautiful, Durable, and Flexible

A cumaru wood decking offers many benefits for you and your home. With the addition of an outdoor decking, you can have additional space to use as a play area for the kids, as extra living space, or to entertain guests. Thanks to the properties of cumaru wood, your children will be comfortable playing on the deck even without blankets on the floor. You can also expect your home to have a higher resale value when you have cumaru wood decking.

What exactly makes cumaru wood one of the best choices for decking? It has three main characteristics:

1.    Beautiful – Made from mature cumaru trees, cumaru wood, has a warm gold and brown hue that complements its straight grains. This is why cumaru wood decking is a very popular choice for design-conscious homeowners. You can even find cumaru wood decking in commercial properties, such as resorts and hotels.

2.    Durable – Longevity is one of the main benefits of using cumaru wood for your decking. Thanks to its durability, it saves you a lot of money on repairs and maintenance. Cumaru wood resists moisture so you won’t find decaying or rotting parts on your decking. Cumaru wood can also resist termites, which can cause unsightly holes to your decking or cause it to go weak.

3.    Flexible – No matter what type of house you have, a cumaru wood decking will look good next to it. A well-made cumaru deck can enhance the beauty of both Victorian and modern homes. Do you want intricate decking? Cumaru wood can be hand carved. This material also looks great with metals, so it’s okay if your home is surrounded by iron.

Improve your home today with the wonderful cumaru wood decking. It’s best to contact a professional installer to put in a deck that will last for years.

Source URL: http://www.abswood.com/blog/cumaru-wood-decking-beautiful-durable-flexible/

Cedar Lumber – Add Beauty to Your Outdoor Decking

JuniperusVirginiana (more widely known as Western Red Cedar or justRed Cedar) is a well-renowned type of wood used for outdoor decking applications. It is distinctive for its color, which appears to be a combination of reddish brown heartwood and light creamy brown sapwood. Not only does cedar look magnificent— but it also comes with a straight fine grain and an even texture that is preferred by a lot of homeowners and designers. It is also suitable for outdoor decorations. Although cedar belongs to the softwoods, it holds many positive characteristics that support its excellent quality. Here are some of them:

·         With regards to being rot-resistant, cedar is considered first-class. It has a tolerance to insect attacks and decaying organisms.

·         With regards to durability, cedar is of no doubt on top of the list. What it lacks in its hardness, it makes up for with its structural and outstanding dimensional stability.

·         Because cedar is lighter in density and given its characteristic of straight and consistent texture, it is easy to work with even with simple and common tools. However, its high composition of silica should be noted as it may cause some cutters to dull.

·         And with regards preservation and maintenance, there is not much of a need to apply any preservatives on this kind of wood. Cedar has a natural extract that eliminates decay-causing organisms.

Cedar can be used in a wide variety of applications. It is mostly used for timber, beams, boards, and decking. Moreover, Cedar is sustainable when harvested from managed forests that implement responsible harvesting techniques.

If you are in need of outdoor decking materials and are looking for a good wood to use, cedar is highly recommended. You can surf online for shops that offer this kind of wood in various cuts and sizes and ataffordable rates.

Source URL: http://www.abswood.com/blog/cedar-lumber-add-beauty-outdoor-decking/

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.