Did you ever wonder why boardwalks are made from Brazilian walnut wood? There are very good reasons for it; the wood is dense and hard enough to put up with the thousands of pairs of shoes that go up and down every day and everything else that Mother Nature can throw at it. Ipe, which is also referred to as Brazilian walnut wood is the gold standard, it is remarkably hard; almost four times as hard as teak and the naturally occurring oils makes it virtually rot free and pest resistant. It would be possible to cut a stake from Brazilian walnut, drive it into the ground and walk away fro 30 years, after all that time it will still be intact. When installed above ground such as when used with a deck, it can last far longer than that, it can certainly last longer than it took the tree to grow. This fact makes it one of the most environmentally sensitive choices for wood that can be made.
Great value for money:
There are certainly woods suitable for decking that cost less than Brazilian walnut wood. Pine, redwood, cedar are all suitable but they have drawbacks. Brazilian walnut may be somewhat more expensive to buy in the first place but when you consider how long it will last vs. other less dense material, there is no comparison when you look at value, not price.
When you consider the inherent beauty of Brazilian walnut; it’s rich, warm, easy to maintain luster you know immediately that this is by far the best choice for decking.
The material is “earth friendly”
Because this wood has naturally occurring oils there is no need to impregnate the boards to increase the life or to make the material more resistant to insects. Brazilian walnut wood is one of the most earth friendly building materials available; it is reusable, recyclable and 100 percent biodegradable.
