Are you considering redwood for your deck? Perhaps you’ve been drawn to redwood by one of its many attractive qualities: color, durability compared to other woods, eco-friendliness compared to synthetics, etc.
Before you pull out your wallet, take a moment to consider an alternative: Massaranduba. Anything that redwood claims as a benefit, Massaranduba does better. Let’s take a closer look…
Color
Perhaps redwood’s most sought after trait. Who wouldn’t want that warm, inviting look for their deck? However, once you’ve seen Massaranduba’s rich coloration, redwood will look plain dull.
Massaranduba on the left, California Redwood on the right.
Durability
There’s no contest here. Massaranduba is almost 3x stronger than California Redwood, and 6.5x harder. That makes for a safer, longer-lasting deck that doesn’t require constant maintenance.
Eco-Friendliness
Massaranduba, just like redwood, is an all-natural product, with no chemical or synthetic additives. During its lifetime, it is perfectly safe for both you and your envirnoment, and should you ever need to replace it (unlikely), it is 100% biodegradable. Additionally, it is harvested using sustainable methods that ensure the forest will remain healthy.
Conclusion
There you have it. In every regard, Massaranduba is superior to redwood. So, going back to our original scenario, do you still want to build your deck using redwood?
Please educate me… what are the primary countries that are the sources for this wood and How do you verify all Massaranduba is sustainably harvested. And what definition of sustainable harvesting are you using?
Massaranduba is primarily sourced from Brazil. There are organizations, such as the FSC, that ensure lumber companies can obtain sustainably harvested wood. For more information on sutainable forestry practices, read this post: http://decking-materials.com/is-sustainable-tropical-decking-a-myth/