#brazilian decking

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Few Tips on How to Take Care of Your Deck

Read this infographic and learn here few tips on how to take care of your deck. ABS WOOD has a vast collection of environmentally certified Brazilian hardwood decking available in the United States.

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Brazilian Oak - A Great Choice For Decking

Brazilian oak is a good choice for lumber if you want your deck to have a luxurious light color. Also known as 'garapa', Brazilian oak is an exotic lumber that can be supplied as handrails and four-by-four posts to go with your deck. It can be used by itself or paired with another Brazilian hardwood like ipe to create a unique look and feel. Its durability is comparable to that of ipe, but it is more cost effective if you are looking for a decking material that is available at a fraction of the cost of Brazilian walnut. 

Garapa is known for its yellow hue and fine grain. Due to its nature, some boards have aesthetically pleasing streaks of brown that adds to their appeal. If left untreated, Brazilian oak boards gracefully turn the yellow color into a lovely russet golden brown when exposed to sunlight. You may apply a UV inhibitor to finish the deck boards if you want to preserve the honey yellow color. Brazilian oak deck boards have a medium brown hue, which can be darkened using a tinted finisher. Like all hardwoods, the material comes with different grain and color features to add more character and interest to your deck. 

On the Janka hardness scale, Brazilian oak is rated 2280 lbf, making it harder than oak (1360 lbf) and maple (1450 lbf). This hardness is a factor for garapa's durability and natural resistance to fungal growth and termite infestation. As long as you keep water from permeating the wood, the material's integrity can be preserved, and it can continue to repel insects and fungus. The hardness of Brazilian oak makes it naturally scratch resistance, too. 

Garapa comes from the Amazon rainforest, so it naturally resists the factors that can usually damage wood, such as decay, rotting, insects, and water damage. A Brazilian oak deck will last anywhere up to 25 years or more, and it does not need any preservative to ensure its lengthy lifespan. The material is naturally biodegradable, so it will not harm the environment when it decomposes. 

Once you decide that Brazilian oak is for you, be sure to buy it from a supplier that responsibly sources and harvests the material. Choose a supplier that gets its Brazilian oak from sustainably managed forests in South America. Look for a supplier that ships garapa directly to your job site or home to save money. 

About the Author:

This article is written by Bruce Master. He gained an interest in woodworking at an early age. Bruce Master started working with contractors in the 1970s as a salesman at Ace Hardware in Miami. Over the years, he discovered and fell in love with Brazilian woods. He has built decks, docks and specialty items using many of the Brazilian woods. Today, Bruce loves his job as Operations Manager for ABS Wood, a Brazilian wood retailer. 

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Tigerwood Decking - A Wood Suitable For Decking

Tigerwood is among the finest hardwoods that you can consider for your deck. It got its name from its distinctive appearance. It features a light golden brown to reddish brown hue with brown or black streaks, like the stripes you would see on a tiger. Tigerwood is naturally biodegradable and durable like all Brazilian hardwoods, but one of its most important qualities is that it is more cost effective than ipe. Hence, you can achieve an opulent and richer look on your deck with tigerwood without spending too much on it. Alternatively, you can use tigerwood together with ipe railing for an interesting accent. 

The wood is extremely hard and features a tight grain. Tigerwood resists rotting and deters termite infestation. Because it is extremely hard, wood destroying organisms, mold, and insects, are unable to get a proper hold on the wood. Hence, they end up leaving to find a softer material like pine. This hardness helps prolong the quality and integrity of your deck so you can enjoy your outdoor living space for many more years to come, even if it is exposed to water. 

Tigerwood is biodegradable, so once it reaches the end of its service life, you can easily add it to a landfill to decompose. This makes tigerwood environmentally friendly (unlike composite materials with plastic, which do not rot for thousands of years). The material is harvested in compliance with the Lacey Act, so it does not severely impact forests. Be sure to buy tigerwood decking from a supplier that sources it from sustainably managed forests. Reputable suppliers responsibly harvest tigerwood directly from those forests, and they can ship the decking materials directly to your home or job site. 

The Janka rating of tigerwood is at 2016 lbf, which is much harder than oak (1360 lbf) and maple (1450 lbf). Hence, it is harder than maple baseball bats and oak floors. To preserve its beautiful color and look, apply a finisher that can reflect or block the sun's UV rays (which can turn any wood gray). There is no need to use any wood protector, stain, or colorant, so maintenance is easier with tigerwood decking. 

About the Author:

This article is written by Bruce Master. He gained an interest in woodworking at an early age. Bruce Master started working with contractors in the 1970s as a salesman at Ace Hardware in Miami. Over the years, he discovered and fell in love with Brazilian woods. He has built decks, docks and specialty items using many of the Brazilian woods. Today, Bruce loves his job as Operations Manager for ABS Wood, a Brazilian wood retailer.