Machiche hardwood decking (pronounced mah-CHEE'-chay) is a gorgeous FSC® Certified tropical hardwood. Machiche works wonderfully for decking, siding and other exterior wood applications. Because of its beauty, Machiche is often compared to mahogany. When used outdoors, however, the similarities stop there. Machiche is the clear-cut winner when it comes to performance and durability.
FSC Certified Machiche hardwood decking on a spacious backyarddeck
Genuine mahogany (Swietenia macrophylia) has long been prized for its beauty. Its rich red colors and lustrous grain are very distinguished. It is a stunning wood species and is often used for furniture and other interior uses. Because of its softness, though, it doesn't hold up very well for outdoor decking projects. And also because it's expensive, there are much better decking options to consider.
Well, what about those other 'mahoganies'? Aha. There are about forty Shorea subspecies that are sometimes (wrongly) referred to as mahogany. You might be familiar with a few of the common ones, like Philippine ‘mahogany’, luan ‘mahogany’, meranti. Sure, they are less expensive than genuine mahogany. Some of them even look like real mahogany. They work great indoors for trim and furniture, especially if there's a tight budget.
Some Shorea species are painted and used for exterior trim. They perform well. For decking, though, their performance is a lot less predictable. Their physical properties, durability, color and performance all vary significantly. If you're concerned about long-term performance, the softness and low durability of most Shorea subspecies make them poor options for decking. Especially when you compare them to Machiche hardwood decking.
Genuine Machiche (Lonchocarpus castilloi) outperforms all these mahoganies in tough exterior environments. Why? Machiche hardwood decking and siding is naturally tough, insect resistant and decay resistant. It is so hard and dense, Machiche is Class A fire rated. When you put all these unique properties together, you get a long lasting and exceptionally durable decking material that can take nature’s toughest punishment.
How tough is Machiche decking? FSC Certified Mataverde Machiche hardwood decking has a 25-year limited warranty against decay and insects. And if you treat your Machiche decking well with an annual cleaning, you're likely going to get a lot longer than 25 years of beauty from your deck. Need more information about Machiche vs. mahogany decking? Check out this comparison chart below.
Machiche vs Mahogany
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