Garapa, or Brazilian Oak, is for people who want a lighter color wood deck. This timber is a fine grained yellow with streaks of brown. Just like other Brazilian hardwoods, it is naturally resistant to rot, decay, and insect infestations. It does not require any sealants or protectants, unless you want to preserve the original color. Without any sealants, over time from exposure to the UV rays of the sun, the wood does change to a russet golden brown color. There will be variations in color and grain that add to the individual character and are common when using wood decking boards. You can also darken the wood with an approved tinted finisher prior to installation.
When obtaining your Garapa wood decking, you need to source it from responsible suppliers, like us here at Advanced Building Supplies. All of our Brazilian woods are harvested from managed forests. What this means is that the forests are planted with the sole purpose of being harvested and are renewed to keep the supply of wood readily available without cutting down other forests needed to help maintain our environment. Further, using Brazilian hardwoods is better than composites, because they will naturally biodegrade and do not clog landfills.
Garapa can be used by itself or integrated with other woods for creating a truly unique deck design using complementary colors. In addition, Brazilian Oak is comparable to Ipe, but is available at a fraction of the cost. It has a Janka hardness of 2,280 pounds and is harder than maple and regular oak decking.