Expert insights on lumber, craft, and building with nature — from America's oldest lumber company since 1798
Over a 25-year period, premium tropical hardwood decking (Ipe or Cumaru) costs less than composite decking when you factor in the composite's 15-20 year replacement cycle.
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Both Ipe and Cumaru rank among the hardest, most durable tropical decking species available. But they differ in cost, color, workability, and long-term performance.
Plantation teak, old-growth Burmese teak, and reclaimed teak each offer different performance characteristics. Understanding FEQ, select, and standard grades helps architects specify with confidence.
Thermal modification heats wood to 400°F+ in oxygen-free kilns, permanently altering its cell structure. The result: Class 1 durability without chemicals.
Sapele offers ribbon-stripe figure and superior hardness at 60% of mahogany cost. But genuine mahogany machines more predictably and holds finer detail.
When the Salk Institute needed to restore its iconic teak window walls after 50+ years of Pacific salt air exposure, they turned to McIlvain for 12,000 board feet of FSC-certified Burmese teak.
FSC Chain of Custody certification traces every board from forest to jobsite. With LEED v5 awarding up to 3 points for FSC-certified wood, heres how to specify correctly.
With a Janka hardness of 3,680 lbf and a Class 1 durability rating, Ipe outlasts every competing decking material. Grading, sourcing, installation, and the 40-year maintenance timeline.