Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What type of finishes are required for Mataverde®?
A: Mataverde® provides a virtually maintenance-free option when allowed to weather to a silvery gray patina. For this option, apply a single coat of NEW WOOD DEFENDER® or a similar stabilizing and conditioning product as soon as possible, no additional application is needed. If the natural wood tone is desired, use a penetrating oil with a UV inhibitor. There are many products to choose from. Please refer to the manufacturers' guidelines before application.

Q: What about cutting the trees... isn't that harmful and destructive to the rain forest?
A: Mataverde® is harvested according to all the guidelines of sustained yield forestry. Assigning economic value to the forest helps ensure that it will be protected. Using lumber products to provide income to the local people to eliminate the need to cut and burn for subsistence crops and cattle ranching. Mataverde ® is harvested from approved projects that insure that only two to three trees per hectare are removed every 20 years. Opening the canopy in the rainforest in this small way has proven to provide more sunlight and rain to smaller trees, thereby yielding a 15% increase in growth. This "sustained-yield forestry" system will ensure there will be as many mature trees in the rainforest in 20 years as there are today.

Q: Is Mataverde® priced competitively with other outdoor woods?
A: Mataverde® is not only competitively priced with wood and composite decking materials it is actually a superior economic and environmentally responsible alternative to other products when the entire life-cycle cost is considered. Pressure treated decks split, crack, twist and splinter requiring costly maintenance programs and finally replacement several times during the lifetime of a home or commercial installation. These materials and their bothersome maintenance often reflect negatively on the installer or designer. Redwood, Cypress, and Cedar are rarely available in the clear heartwood necessary to eliminate long-term concerns regarding rot and weathering or at a price competitive with Mataverde®. Contact us for a specific quote for your needs.

Q: Does Mataverde® come with a warranty?
A: Mataverde® has a full 25-year, limited warranty against decay and insect damage; there are numerous 50-year-old installations throughout the world that have yet to require replacement!

Q: How is Mataverde® any different than other Ipe, Cumaru or Garapa products on the market?
A: There are a multitude of different species and subspecies of trees that can be called Ipe, Cumaru and Garapa. Mataverde® Ipe, Mataverde® Cumaru and Mataverde® Garapa are selected from the only best of these species and logs available. Once the logs are cut into boards, they are graded to meet the strict specifications of Mataverde® Premium Export Grade. Why accept anything less?