Monthly Archives: June 2018

Most types of wood are naturally brown in color, but if you want a lighter hue, garapa wood is a good choice, as it is a durable building material, too. Garapa is an exotic lumber that is also known as ‘Brazilian oak’, and it can be used alone for your deck or in combination with another Brazilian hardwood of a darker color, like Ipe, in case you want to give a unique look and feel to your structure. It is hard and dense, so it will require some special tools and working methods to build your deck. Take note of these things when working with garapa: Continue reading →

You cannot go wrong with IPE wood if you are looking for a durable, long-lasting decking material. Ipe is known as ‘Ironwood’ and ‘Brazilian walnut’ because of its most distinctive feature: hardness and durability. On the Janka scale, it is 3680lb. That means the wood is three times harder than an oak floor or a maple baseball bat. So, it will typically require carbide-tipped tools and sharp, name brand saws with around 80 teeth for a nice and clean cut, and pre-drilled for installation. Identifying high-quality IPE should not be difficult when you keep the following factors in mind: Continue reading →

One of the most elegant and durable woods you can consider for building is cedar lumber. It is surprisingly versatile, with is used for building furniture (i.e. foot lockers and chests), as well as bigger structures, like homes. You can purchase the material from a reputable supplier that carries the best grades of cedar timber at competitive prices. Five factors make it popular with builders: Continue reading →

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: Continue reading →