What is Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ decking? Cumaru is an environmentally responsible decking product that naturally resists rot, decay, insects, and mold without the use of toxic chemicals used in other decking products. Cumaru is naturally fire resistant and has a class A fire rating. In addition to its natural beauty, Cumaru is an incredibly strong, dense wood, harvested using select cut, sustainable forestry practices. It has very high wear durability in daily use, and is a kiln dried clear all heart product. How long will my Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ deck last? Cumaru is rated in the most durable category of wood species worldwide.  It receives the highest durability classification according to the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ is backed by a 25-year warranty against insect damage and rotting. How does Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ weather? Weather has little to no effect upon the structural integrity of Cumaru wood. The sun will eventually transform the wood from its original teak-chestnut color to a beautiful silver patina. Is Cumaru subject to insect invasion and damage? Due to the dense cell structure of Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ (heartwood) it’s not only naturally resistant to insects but also to decay, rot, and molds. Should I seal my Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ deck? You must seal the ends of the boards you cut with Anchorseal or similar product. To maintain the chestnut-teak color: use a transparent penetrating oil-based sealer with UV inhibitors in a trans-oxide pigmented tint and reapply annually or as needed. We suggest Penofin, Superdeck, Messmers UV, Cabot’s Timber Oil, or similar product be used. Do I have to seal my Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ deck? No, it will weather naturally to a beautiful silver patina. What about cutting Bulldog Brand Cumaru™? Cumaru’s high density makes it very durable, but also difficult to cut and drill.  We recommend using carbide tipped saw blades and carbide or cobalt tipped drill bits, when working with Cumaru. Do I need to seal the end of the boards? Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ is always end sealed during manufacture to help prevent splitting and checking at the ends of the boards.  We recommend boards be end sealed as soon as possible after cutting. A clear, water resistant wax should be used.  Use Anchorseal or similar product to seal end cuts. How does Bulldog Brand Cumaru’s™ cost compare to other decking material? Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ is an economical, natural, alternative to other woods when the entire life cycle of the deck or other outdoor project is considered. It is competitively priced with other premium decking products such as Redwood, Western cedar, and composites. However, when the additional benefits of Bulldog Brand Cumaru™  (kiln dried, clear all heart, superior strength, extended lifespan, resistance to checking, splintering, fire, mold, and insect damage, etc.) are weighed, it is by far the superior product. Does buying Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ contribute to destruction of the Amazon? In fact, quite the opposite is true. The two primary threats to the Amazon are conversion to agricultural land and cattle pasture. Purchasing Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ increases economic reliance on wood products, which assigns value to the forest and promotes managed preservation. People do not destroy that which sustains them. Is Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ “green”? Yes. Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ is a natural product. For starters, wood is the only renewable building material. You must consider the life cycle of a product to assess its “green” attributes. Man-made decking materials are derived from finite resources.  Consider the energy input, air/water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion associated with composite decking materials production. Natural wood products are the environmentally responsible choice. What does Life Cycle Analysis mean? Life Cycle Analysis refers to the entire life cycle of the product.  To make environmentally responsible choices we must look at the entire life of a product.  All the Feed stocks, resource extraction, energy input, air/water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, recycling of the entire life of the product. When the life cycle of petroleum derived decking materials is considered, they are far from green even if they include recycled material. Aside from energy consumption and pollution, composite materials typically cannot be recycled at the end of their useful life Is Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ available FSC certified? Yes, FSC certified Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ is available. Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ is a registered trademark of Summit Imex Inc.   Summit Imex Inc is FSC Chain of Custody Certified. Bulldog Brand Cumaru™ is also available Non-certified.