Merbau Black decking boards

 Merbau

Intsia bijuga

Merbau Black decking will make your terrace feel like an exclusive spa. Its deep dark-brown colour pairs beautifully with modern furniture. The magic is in the details—golden ones, in this case. Nature has enriched the wood with a subtle gilded effect: honey-coloured specks that wonderfully catch and reflect sunlight.
Alongside its distinctive look, Merbau offers excellent mechanical and physical properties. Merbau decking is exceptionally stable and hard, meaning it resists wear and denting. Even a heavily used terrace will look good for many years. It also does not require complicated maintenance.

Thermal modification is a wood-treatment process performed by heating the timber in special kilns. The entire process uses natural methods—heat and steam. The wood is exposed to high temperatures (160–230 °C) in steam clouds. The process usually lasts 48–96 hours, but only thermal treatment lasting more than 70 hours guarantees the expected wood quality.

During thermal modification, the wood loses excess moisture. This allows it to maintain dimensional stability, resist decay, and be used in all climate conditions—both outdoors and indoors. Thermally modified wood is 100% resin-free, so sticky stains are gone for good. Moisture content is reduced to a safe 4–6%, and insulating properties increase by up to 25%.

Thermally modified wood also changes colour gracefully, developing a silvery sheen over time. If this completely natural patina suits you, no additional coating is needed. The colour and grain can also be highlighted and enhanced by oiling.

Origin: Southern, Southeastern and Western Asia; Australia
Uses: Windows, parquet flooring, chemical-packaging crates, interior and exterior joinery, stairs, railway carriages, sleepers, components exposed to water, port structures, and boatbuilding.
Colour: Orange-brown / Reddish-brown
Tree height: 40–60 m
Texture: Fine
Workability: Can be challenging due to hardness; specialised tools required
Durability: Highly resistant to rot and insects
Average density at 12% MC: 0.83 g/cm³
Tangential shrinkage (T): 4.4%
Radial shrinkage (R): 2.7%