Mahogany Decking: How does it compare?

While you’re researching hardwood decking and porches, you may hear people talk about “Mahogany” decking. On a older homes it may actually be genuine mahogany, but these days that is very hard to come by in the quantity needed for home decking. In most cases, they are talking about Cambara (Erisma uncinatum) or Meranti (Philippine Mahogany). Let’s compare the specs of these woods to Ipe and Garapa just to see how they match up. Then, we will go through the positives and negatives of each.
Wood Garapa Ipe Cambara Meranti
Janka hardness 1,631 3,680 860 800
Average weight 54 lbs/ft3 69 lbs/ft3 40 lbs/ft3 42 lbs/ft3
Bending strength 12,900 lbf/in2 25,660 lbf/in2 12,687 lbf/in2 12,710 lbf/in2
stiffness 2,257,000 lbf/in2 3,200,000 lbf/in2 1,640,000 lbf/in2 1,743,000 lbf/in2
Crushing Strength 9,030 lbf/in2 13,600 lbf/in2 7,211 lbf/in2 7,070 lbf/in2
Cost $-$$$$$ $$ $$$$ $ $
Both the Meranti and Cambara are fairly soft woods when compared with the Garapa and Ipe which means they are not going to hold up as well. The soft woods are also not as stiff or heavy as both Garapa and Ipe. Since hardness and crush resistance are a great predictor of how long a deck will last under the stresses of high traffic and usage, you can see how Garapa and Ipe are both better options.

We like to recommend that if you are looking for a Mahogany color, you should look at staining Garapa or Massaranduba as a better option. We only offer decking options that will last you 25+ years on your home, and we don’t think think that these “Mahogany” options will do nearly that.

If you have any questions about types of Mahogany decking or porches, feel free to ask below in the comments or contact us.