All-rounder with American roots

Originally from North America, the Douglas fir has also been planted in Europe for more than 100 years. Its good machining characteristics, hard-wearing nature and low warping make the Douglas fir a particularly popular wood for outdoor applications. Its knotted appearance and the decorative alternation of sapwood and heartwood lend wooden decking boards made of Douglas fir a vibrant look.

Wood protection measures such as oiling or glazing are recommended for areas with high exposure to the elements and moisture. Iron nails lead to black-coloured “bleeding” – please make sure you use SPAX stainless-steel board screws to prevent this!

Despite this, Douglas fir is an extremely low-fuss wood. Glazes, stains and paints can be used to spruce it up in no time. Coating the wood not only enhances the durability and lifespan of the decking – it also offers a wide range of options for adding creative touches!

Charming European

The European larch is similarly well-endowed with knots, and is therefore often mistaken for the Douglas fir. Since the European larch generally comes from fast-growing forests, its wood has a coarser grain and is less hard than its Siberian namesake. Larch wood from high in the mountains is of better quality than that from lowland areas.

Colourless glazes are generally the preferred treatment for the protection of larch wood so that its typical colouring can be appreciated in all its glory. However, very resinous areas need to be treated with special resin solvent before glazing. Alternatively, the wood can be left untreated – thus eradicating any worries about the relatively high tannic acid content.

Thanks to its high resin content, larch wood is particularly resistant to acids. Since larch isn’t a heavyweight when it comes to hardness, it should not be exposed to severe weather conditions.

Sturdy and not afraid of the cold

In the north of Russia, icy temperatures predominate for many months. Summers are hot and brief. These climatic conditions explain the tree’s slow, predominantly knot-free growth with incredibly tight annual rings. In contrast to the European larch, its Siberian counterpart therefore offers a hard softwood with good machining properties.

In terms of coatings, the wood’s typical, attractive colouring means that only colourless or slightly pigmented glazes should be used. These highlight the wood’s appearance best. Like with the European larch, the wood should be checked for resin deposits and treated with a special resin solvent before coating.

Those looking for a sturdy wood with an attractive grain and colouring can’t go wrong with Siberian larch!

Timeless and tasteful

Oak is the European classic for construction and also satisfies more sophisticated tastes. A firm favourite in house and furniture construction since time immemorial, the special material properties of oak mean it has never gone out of fashion. It is not only insensitive to moisture and rot, but is also hard and sturdy. Oak has good elasticity and bending strength. What more could you want?

When it comes to aesthetics, oak boasts a charmingly structured, pale light brown heartwood with pores and medullary rays, which also often reveals reddish tones. The wood has a moderate tendency to form a spiral grain, which should be considered during installation.

As a result of the high tannic acid content, only A2 stainless-steel screws can be used – otherwise the wood may be stained by unsightly screw bleeding. Depending on the batch, direct contact with the ground may result in susceptibility to fungus.

If required, oak surfaces can easily be treated with glazes, stains and oils. Pre-drilling is recommended.

A tough cookie

Yellow balau is a fine-grained Asian hardwood. When freshly cut, it has a pale yellowish brown hue that darkens to medium brown over time. Yellow balau has a moderate tendency to form a spiral grain. Typical pinholes made by wood-boring insects are evident from its life as a tree.

Yellow balau has a strong tendency to swell and shrink. Care should therefore be taken to ensure that soaked wood does not dry too quickly. Otherwise, this may lead to cracks. To be on the safe side, use an additional end-grain seal.

Screws should be A2 stainless steel. Yellow balau is also susceptible to unsightly bleeding and discolouration from screws. Pre-drilling is a must to prevent stress cracks around the screw.

If the aforementioned care instructions are followed, yellow balau will prove to be a sturdy hardwood with a high level of durability – an ideal prerequisite for long-lasting wooden decking!

A tough cookie

Only tough cookies can be used in the garden ... or around the pool. Also known as Brazilian teak, Cumaru is enjoying ever-increasing popularity in Germany. The reason? Its high strength and resistance. This makes Cumaru particularly durable, even in outdoor areas that are fully exposed to the elements or around pools.

Cumaru is a fine-grained wood with a low knot count and a sophisticated look. Its colour ranges from pale yellow to light brown. If Cumaru is left untreated, it adopts a greyish hue over time. This can be combated by treating the wood with oil. Cumaru is not prone to bleeding.

Similar to Bangkirai, Cumaru has a strong tendency to swell and shrink. This is why it is always worth considering an end-grain seal for Cumaru. Given its relatively high tendency to form a spiral grain, the resulting shear forces should be counteracted through cross beams on the substructure.

With a little care, Cumaru is also ideal for substructures.

A gem among woods

In hardness tests, Ipe scores top marks. This wood originates from South America, has low flammability and is especially resistant to rot and pest infestation. These properties make Ipe an ideal decking wood that can withstand the toughest conditions. But Ipe also comes top of the class for pond and pool surrounds!

Unlike other hardwoods, Ipe is not prone to swelling and shrinkage. Water has little impact on it. The risk of cracking and splitting that is common in other hardwoods does not apply here. Nevertheless, pre-drilling Ipe is still a wise move.

Its pleasantly homogeneous pale to olive brown appearance gives it a refined look. There is barely any sign of annual growth rings. When a section is cut through the wood, there may be alternating shiny and matt stripes. This is due to the interlocked grain that frequently occurs in tropical tree species. Occasional yellowish speckles have no influence whatsoever on stability and other technical properties.

If you prefer to delay the bleaching of the olive brown hue to silvery grey, pigmented oil is the answer. This blends with the wood’s own oils rather than beading off the surface impregnated with the tree's own substances. Be careful with zinc-containing metals, which may cause undesirable discolouration!

Highly resilient

Garapa comes from the South American tropics. Garapa wood is sturdy, resistant to rot and relatively water-resistant.

The risk of swelling and shrinkage is low to medium. This wood is slow to release water, reducing the risk of cracking and splitting due to fluctuating climate conditions or moisture. Garapa is therefore often the first choice for decking and pool surrounds.

Garapa is virtually knot-free and thus has a very uniform grain. When dry, its colour ranges from gold to almond with numerous warm nuances. The relatively coarse surface of the decking boards is polished to create a smooth shine Garapa’s virtually splinter-free nature is guaranteed to delight those who enjoy walking barefoot.

The interlocked grain of Garapa is not prone to warping and has good machining properties. Nevertheless, it should still be pre-drilled. Although it is claimed in its countries of origin that Garapa can be left lying undamaged for 25 years without losing quality, the wood only belongs to durability class 1-2.

One of a kind

Bongossi is a hardy West African. Not only is Bongossi wood resistant to pests and fungi, it can also defend itself against seawater and submarine microorganisms. Even shipworms, especially the kind found in non-tropical waters, have no chance with Bongossi!

On land, it also proves to be a hard nut to crack for wood pests both familiar and exotic – and even termites. Fire and acids are no match for highly resistant Bongossi either.

Widely used in the construction of port facilities, jetties and other technically demanding applications, it goes without saying that Bongossi is also a first-class choice for balcony decking.

Bongossi wood has a fine grain and an attractive red to medium brown colour with visible pores. Delicate red and pink hues are also common. Over time, the colour darkens towards chocolate brown. Of course, if left untreated, UV rays will cause the wood to fade and turn grey.

As a result of its extreme hardness, however, Bongossi is not the easiest of woods to work with. You won’t get far with worn tools. Pre-drilling is also a must – Bongossi is prone to cracking. With its low tannin content, bleeding is rare on Bongossi wood.

Tropical redhead

Massaranduba is the name for the wood from the topical balatá tree, which is native to a large area of the Caribbean islands, Central and South America. It is one of the heavy ironwoods, which are characterised by their high level of hardness. Thanks to its excellent weather resistance, it is particularly suitable for outdoor use. The fine wood texture with reddish brown to dark red colouring makes it a real eye-catcher – especially when it obtains a silvery patina over time.

The solid wood is very slow in absorbing and releasing water and takes a long time to dry. If it dries too quickly, severe cracks and notches form at the ends of boards. The heads should therefore be treated with front edge wax. The tropical wood is mainly used in areas where no great demands are placed on dimensional stability.

Massaranduba wood is naturally highly resistant to fungi and pests and does not therefore require any additional treatment. In order to allow the silvery patina to shine in all its glory, there is no need to oil the decking.

Exquisite beauty with endurance

The decorative Asian merbau wood can be found from Indochina to New Guinea and is closely related to the African Afzelia trees. It is hard and heavy and has high strength with good durability, which makes it particularly suitable for outdoor use, even in superstructures.

Its yellowish white sapwood visibly stands out from the reddish-brown heartwood, which later darkens to a deep reddish brown with a bronze sheen.

If the wood is exposed to the elements, it should be impregnated with an oil or glaze surface treatment beforehand in order to prevent the colour components from bleeding. Non-visible edges and surfaces should also be treated. Merbau also reacts strongly to ferrous metals. The use of stainless-steel screws and drainers is therefore a good choice for construction.

High-quality and environmentally friendly

Wood finishing processes such as thermal modification improve the natural properties of native wood types so much that they become just as suitable for outdoor use as tropical wood – without having to be imported or chemically treated.

Spruce Thermowood stands out due to its even spacing and is particularly suitable for use in high-quality projects. Special Thermowood oils ensure that the typical colour with its black knot accents is preserved for a long time. Without regular oiling, a beautiful silvery-grey patina forms.

Thermoprocessing hardens the elastic, soft wood and prevents it from cracking, splintering or warping, making it suitable for use in exterior and façade applications. The treatment also makes it much less sensitive to parasites or fungal attack. Splinter-free and barefoot-friendly, spruce Thermowood always makes walking on decking a real pleasure.