Ipe has been recognized as the best performing hardwood decking material for several decades. Ipe decking is exceptionally hard, ridiculously strong, and is incredibly long-lasting. Ipe wood sets the standard for durable decking materials. With the limited availability and sharp rise in Ipe wood pricing recently, it has caused many people to look at other decking materials. Here are some excellent hardwood decking materials options.
Ipe decking is strong, hard and beautiful, and sometimes hard to find
If you would like to stay with a durable hardwood decking material, but Ipe wood is either not available, or does not meet your decking material budget, you have options. There are several other high- performance hardwood decking materials to choose from. Machiche, Jatoba, Cumaru and Garapa are all high-density hardwood decking materials and well worth a look.
RELATED: Hardwood Decking Material Options
See how these hardwood decking species compare to Ipe wood. To put things in perspective, let’s start with the scientific facts. Ipe wood is very strong, but so are some of the other hardwood decking material options. Ipe is very durable, and so too are Machiche, Jatoba, Cumaru and Garapa. In fact, Mataverde offers a 25-year limited warranty on all five of these hardwood decking species.
Compare Hardwood Decking Materials to Ipe Wood by Performance
The comparison chart below shows the most popular hardwood decking items by their natural characteristics and mechanical properties. All data was compiled from research by the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. You may not be familiar with some of these excellent wood decking species, so we used a common North American hardwood (Red Oak) as a benchmark comparison.
DOWNLOAD HARDWOOD DECKING MATERIAL MECHANICAL PROPERTIES COMPARISON CHART
Hardwood Decking Material Options Hardness Comparison
Compare the hardness of Ipe wood decking to other hardwood decking material options. The Janka hardness was created to measure how many pounds of pressure it would take to insert a .444” steel ball into a piece of wood. It is a measure of how hard it is to dent you flooring or decking.
Many of these high-density hardwood decking options compare favorably to Ipe. And all these wood decking options are harder than Red Oak.
| Hardwood Species | Janka Hardness (lbs) |
| Ipe hardwood | 3,680 |
| Cumaru hardwood | 3,540 |
| Machiche hardwood | 2,700 |
| Jatoba hardwood | 2,350 |
| Garapa hardwood | 1,650 |
| Red Oak (benchmark) | 1,220 |
Hardwood Decking Material Density Comparison
Density is an excellent measure of how moisture resistant a wood decking material is. High density hardwoods including Ipe, Jatoba, Machiche, and Garapa are all significantly more dense than red oak.
| Hardwood Species | Density (g/cm3) |
| Ipe hardwood | 0.97 |
| Cumaru hardwood | 0.91 |
| Jatoba hardwood | 0.82 |
| Garapa hardwood | 0.79 |
| Machiche hardwood | 0.76 |
| Red Oak (benchmark) | 0.7 |
Hardwood Decking Bending Strength Comparison
Fiber bending strength is a scientific measurement of how strong a wood board is. Also known as “modulus of rupture”, bending strength is a test that determines how much weight it takes to break a board. The bending strength of hardwood decking is ‘off the charts’ strong. Here is how each species compares to Ipe decking and red oak.
| Hardwood Species | Bending Strength (psi) |
| Cumaru hardwood | 27,270 |
| Machiche hardwood | 25,400 |
| Ipe hardwood | 25,200 |
| Jatoba hardwood | 25,100 |
| Garapa hardwood | 17,020 |
| Red Oak (benchmark) | 14,380 |
Hardwood Decking Crushing Strength Comparison
Crushing strength is also known as “compression parallel to the grain”. Crushing strength is often used to measure how much weight a column can support. High density hardwoods perform at a very high level.
| Hardwood Species | Crushing Strength (kpsi) |
| Jatoba hardwood | 14,200 |
| Ipe hardwood | 14,000 |
| Cumaru hardwood | 13,720 |
| Machiche hardwood | 12,900 |
| Garapa hardwood | 9,140 |
| Red Oak (benchmark) | 6,780 |
Durability of Hardwood Decking to Termites Comparison
The high density and naturally occurring oils in high density hardwood decking make them very resistant to termites and insect infestation.
| Hardwood Species | Durability to Termites |
| Jatoba hardwood | Very resistant |
| Machiche hardwood | Very resistant |
| Ipe hardwood | Very resistant |
| Cumaru hardwood | Very resistant |
| Garapa hardwood | Very resistant |
| Red Oak (benchmark) | Not resistant |
Durability of Hardwood Decking – Resistance to Rot Comparison
Fungal rot can wreak havoc on an exterior deck board. If you don’t clean the mold off softwood decking, the wood will rot and decay and become unsafe and unusable. High density hardwoods are naturally resistant to fungal decay. It is still a very good idea to clean any exterior wood decking as needed. Specialty cleaners like Penofin Pro-Tech Cleaner are a great way to keep your wood decking looking good and at peak performance.
| Hardwood Species | Durability to Fungal Rot |
| Jatoba hardwood | Very resistant |
| Machiche hardwood | Very resistant |
| Ipe hardwood | Very resistant |
| Cumaru hardwood | Very resistant |
| Garapa hardwood | Resistant |
| Red Oak (benchmark) | Non Durable |
Tangential Shrinkage of Hardwood Decking Comparison
All woods move. Wood expands and contracts based on its moisture content. Lots of moisture will cause wood to expand. Loss of moisture causes woods to shrink. Tangential shrinkage is a measure of how much a flat sawn hardwood decking board will typically expand or contract with moisture changes. In terms of tangential movement, Garapa and Cumaru expand and contract less than Ipe.
| Hardwood Species | Tangential shrinkage (%) |
| Garapa hardwood | 7.5% |
| Cumaru hardwood | 7.6% |
| Ipe hardwood | 8.0% |
| Machiche hardwood | 8.2% |
| Jatoba hardwood | 8.5% |
| Red Oak (benchmark) | 8.6% |
Radial Shrinkage of Hardwood Decking Comparison
Radial shrinkage is a measure of how much a vertical grain piece of wood is expected to expand or contract. Ipe is considered a stable exterior wood. Machiche, Garapa, Jatoba and Cumaru all perform better than Ipe in this measurement.
| Hardwood Species | Radial Shrinkage (%) |
| Machiche hardwood | 3.9% |
| Red Oak (benchmark) | 4.0% |
| Garapa hardwood | 4.2% |
| Jatoba hardwood | 4.5% |
| Cumaru hardwood | 5.0% |
| Ipe hardwood | 6.6% |
When you look at the radial and tangential expansion and contraction, you will have a good idea of how ‘stable’ a wood species is.
Fire Resistance of Hardwood Decking Comparison
Most high-density hardwood decking species have a naturally high flame resistance. Mataverde Ipe, Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry), Machiche, Cumaru, and Garapa have been tested for flame resistance and smoke density. Garapa hardwood decking has a Class B fire resistance. Mataverde Ipe, Jatoba, Machiche and Jatoba are all tested and meet or exceed Class A fire resistance standards.
| Hardwood Species | ASTM E84 Fire Rating |
| Jatoba hardwood | Class A |
| Machiche hardwood | Class A |
| Cumaru hardwood | Class A |
| Ipe hardwood | Class A |
| Garapa hardwood | Class B |
| Red Oak (benchmark) | Not rated |
Compare Ipe to Other Hardwood Decking Species
When you compare alternate hardwood decking to Ipe, there are a few differences. There are lots of similarities, too. Take a closer look at some of the best hardwood decking material species options and how they compare to Ipe decking.
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Compare Machiche Decking to Ipe Decking
FSC® Certified Machiche decking is a beautiful coarser grained chocolatey brown high-density hardwood decking option. Here’s what typical Machiche decking boards look like next to typical Ipe hardwood decking. Machiche is frequently specified when an FSC decking material is needed that performs at a high level. When your decking project budget is important, Machiche decking is less costly than Ipe decking.
Here’s how FSC Machiche decking compares side by side with Ipe decking:
Machiche decking can be used on residential backyard decks and is strong enough to be used on commercial projects.
Machiche is a beautiful and long lasting decking option
Learn more about Machiche decking here:
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Compare Jatoba Decking to Ipe Decking
Jatoba decking is better known as Brazilian Cherry. Jatoba decking is a medium grained light reddish brown high-density hardwood decking option. Here’s how a typical Jatoba decking boards looks next to typical Ipe hardwood decking.
Here’s how Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry) decking compares side by side with Ipe decking
Jatoba decking is beautiful enough to use on a residential backyard deck and strong and durable enough to be used on commercial projects.
Jatoba decking is tough, long lasting and beautiful
Learn more about Jatoba Brazilian Cherry decking here:
DOWNLOAD Jatoba Decking Fact Sheet
Check out Jatoba Decking Picture Gallery
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Compare Garapa Decking to Ipe Decking
Garapa hardwood decking is a blonde to amber colored high density hardwood decking option. Garapa decking is a finer grained wood. Here’s what Garapa decking boards looks next to typical Ipe hardwood decking.
See how Garapa decking compares side by side with Ipe decking:
Garapa decking is an excellent and affordable decking material for backyard decks. Garapa is also strong enough for use on commercial projects.
Garapa hardwood decking is tough enough for a boardwalk in New Jersey
Learn more about Garapa decking here:
DOWNLOAD Garapa Decking Fact Sheet
Check out Garapa Decking Picture Gallery
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Compare Cumaru Decking to Ipe Decking
Cumaru hardwood decking is a paler tan to reddish brown colored high density hardwood decking material. Cumaru decking is a coarse-grained wood with lots of interlocking grains. Here’s what Cumaru decking boards looks next to typical Ipe hardwood decking.
Here’s how Cumaru decking compares side by side with Ipe decking:
Cumaru decking is an excellent decking material option for backyard decks. Cumaru is also strong enough, and durable enough, for use on commercial projects.
Cumaru hardwood decking is a high performance material for residential and commercial projects
Learn more about Cumaru decking here:
DOWNLOAD Cumaru Decking Fact Sheet
Check out Cumaru Decking Picture Gallery
REQUEST Cumaru Decking Samples
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