Garapa: the complete guide to garapa wood

Garapa is a strong exotic wood with variable durability. Native to South America, it is often used outdoors in the making of façades or fences and indoors for making furniture or decorative items, thanks to its fine pale yellow to golden brown colouring.

Would you like to learn more about garapa? WoodPartners explains everything you need to know about garapa wood:

• What is garapa wood?
• What are the characteristics of garapa?
• Garapa wood: what is it used for?
• How do you maintain exotic garapa wood?
• Other questions about garapa

What is garapa wood?

Garapa wood belongs to the Leguminosae family and its botanical names are Apuleia leiocarpa and Apuleia molaris. Coming from Latin America, it is found mainly in Brazil, in the Amazon rainforest. Garapa grows in flooded areas and colonises cleared land easily.

What is more, thanks to its strength, it can be used in the building of roof structures as well as in boat building. Its appearance is also valued in cabinetmaking for the making of luxury furniture.

Finally, different names are used for it depending on the country:

• Argentina: Ibira pere;
• Bolivia : Almendrillo, Amarillo;
• Brazil : Amarelao, Barajuba, Ferro, Garapa, Grapia, Muirajuba, Muirataua;
• Colombia : Cobre;
• Paraguay : Grapia, Yvira-pere;
• Peru : Ana;
• Venezuela : Gateado, Mapurite.

What are the characteristics of garapa?

Garapa is strong but its natural durability is variable. Rated class 2, it can only be used in class 3 after a suitable treatment such as pressure treatment or in little-exposed applications such as windows.

Description of garapa wood

• Colour : pale yellow to orange brown;
• Sapwood (the soft, light-coloured part of the wood that forms each year under the bark): clearly distinct;
• Grain : medium;
• Grain direction or fibre orientation : straight or interlocked;
• Interlocked grain or direction contrary to the axis : present.

Description of the garapa log

• Diameter : between 60 and 90 cm;
• Thickness of the sapwood : between 5 and 11 cm;
• Preservation in the forest : good.

The physical properties of garapa wood

• Density (at 12% moisture content with 1 MPa = 1 N/mm²): 0.79;
• Hardness (at 12% moisture content with 1 MPa = 1 N/mm²): 6.7;
• Volumetric shrinkage coefficient : 0.52%;
• Total tangential shrinkage (TS): 7.5%;
• Total radial shrinkage (RS): 4.2%;
• Ratio between TS and RS : 1.8;
• Fibre saturation point : 22%;

The natural durability and treatability of garapa

• Resistance to fungi: class 3, moderately durable;
• Resistance to dry wood insects : class D, durable;
• Resistance to termites : class M, moderately durable;
• Treatability : class 3, poorly treatable;
• Use class: wood class 2, for indoor use with no risk of damp. However, the natural durability of garapa is highly variable and, since its silica content is high, it naturally covers class 5, for contact with sea water.

Drying exotic garapa wood

• Drying speed: slow;
• Risk of distortion : low;
• Risk of case-hardening (accidental hardening): no known risk;
• Risk of checks (splits): low;
• Risk of collapse (waviness, separation of the wood): no known risk.

Sawing and machining garapa wood

• Blunting effect: considerable;
• Sawing teeth : stellite-tipped teeth;
• Machining tools : tungsten carbide;
• Suitability for peeling : not recommended, as it serves no purpose;
• Suitability for slicing : difficult because of the high silica content.

Assembling garapa

For the assembly of garapa, two steps are important:

• Nailing and screwing: good holding, with pre-drilling required;
• Gluing : satisfactory.

Garapa wood: what is it used for?

Garapa wood proves useful in many fields, indoors as well as outdoors. Even though the drawback of garapa is its variable durability, it naturally covers class 5 and can therefore be used in direct contact with sea water.

• Roof structures: because of its strength, garapa is used in the building of roof structures.

• Boat building: with its high silica content, it naturally covers class 5 and can therefore be used in boat building.

• Cabinetmaking: the pale yellow to golden brown colouring of exotic garapa wood earns it success in the making of luxury furniture.

• Garapa deck: stable and resistant to sea water, it is ideal for the surrounds of salt water swimming pools, for example.

How do you maintain exotic garapa wood?

To maintain exotic garapa wood used outdoors, as on a garapa wood deck, you simply need to follow these few tips, which also apply to merbau:

• Using a saturator: it will allow you to maintain the natural shade of your wood;

• Cleaning with a pressure washer : remember, once or twice a year, to clean your garapa deck with a low-pressure washer to remove dirt;

• Using a wood brightener : if you have not applied a saturator, your garapa wood will grey over time but, do not panic, you can easily bring it back with a wood brightener.

Other questions about garapa

What is the price per m2 of garapa?

The price per m2 of garapa varies according to its use but, for a garapa wood deck, you should expect to pay around 43 euros per m2.

How does garapa age?

Garapa will naturally grey over time, unless you apply a saturator beforehand to protect it. However, even if it greys, you will be able to bring back its original colour with a wood brightener.

Garapa is a strong wood with variable durability, which can therefore be used in a variety of applications: boat building, roof structures or a garapa deck. WoodPartners has given you all the keys to using this species wisely.