Hardwood Decking Guides

Compare Brazilian hardwood species, understand the differences, and choose the right decking for your project.

This page is your hub for all of our hardwood decking species. From here, you can explore individual species guides, view available product listings, see real-world color change and weathering progression, access maintenance and installation resources, and learn how to choose the right hardwood based on your design goals and installation conditions. You’ll also find pathways to related systems like deck tiles and Tongue & Groove porch decking, making this the ideal starting point for planning your project.

Need help determining what to use if you already know your installation conditions? Start with our Decking Wizard—it generates a comprehensive report and explains which species and fastening methods will best optimize performance for your project.

Standard Decking Species

Ipe Decking (Brazilian Walnut) is olive-brown to dark-brown in color. Ipe is one of the hardest and most durable woods found anywhere in the world. A fantastic choice for residential decking and siding, as well as commercial applications due to its strength and longevity.

Cumaru Decking is a reddish brown to deep, cherry red, with beautiful grain patterns. Strength is nearly comparable to Ipe’s legendary hardness rating.

Tigerwood Decking is orange-brown, but will darken and display deeper, reddish hues over time when used outdoors. That unique orange tint makes Tigerwood hardwood a one-of-a-kind choice for exterior AND interior projects

Garapa Decking is a blonde or wheat-brown which will also darken and become an amber-tinted brown over time. Garapa wood is used for everything from flooring to decking to cabinet work and heavy carpentry applications.

Massaranduba Decking is a beautiful plum red tinted to reddish-brown color. It’s known for a lack of visible knots, and a consistent grain with subtle demarcation partially due to the dark, deep color.

Purpleheart Decking is especially resistant to insect attack and decay. It is one of the densest woods on the planet and is very durable. Purple Heart hardwood grows in many areas of South America and is easily sustainable. The Purple Heart tree is large, attaining heights of 100 to 150 feet, with diameters of 36 – 60 inches.

Brown Balau Decking is native to Southeast Asia. Known for it’s strength, hardness, durability, and resistance to rot Balau’s performance rivals that of Ipe and Cumaru, at a much more accessible price point. Color tones of Brown Balau are similar to Ipe but more consistent in color with less dramatic grain character.

Tongue & Groove

Tongue and Groove has many uses, from Decking for Porches to Cladding for Ceilings and Walls. View the gallery below to inspire ideas for your next project.

Deck Tiles

Deck Tiles are the ideal solution for rooftop, patio and deck top transformation into an enjoyable hardwood deck. They are easy to install, beautiful, durable, cost effective, and easy to maintain. You can transform your garden, patio, roof or balcony, with these easily installed ipe deck tiles.

Hardwood Decking Insights

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