Cumaru, also known as Brazilian Teak or Almendro, is a durable and dense wood from Northern South America, ideal for outdoor and construction applications. With its medium to dark brown heartwood, often featuring reddish or purplish hues and occasional yellowish or greenish streaks, Cumaru offers both beauty and resilience. Its grain is interlocked, contributing to a medium texture and waxy feel, while its high density and natural oils challenge workability, requiring pre-drilling for fastening and potentially complicating gluing processes.
Boasting impressive strength, Cumaru has a Janka hardness of 3,330 lbf, making it exceptionally resistant to wear and damage. It's also highly durable against decay, termites, and other borers, thanks to its excellent durability and weathering properties. Although Cumaru's high silica content can blunt tools, it can be smoothly finished if the grain is not overly interlocked.
Cumaru is noted for a faint vanilla or cinnamon-like odor when worked, adding a sensory delight to its practical advantages. It is a cost-effective choice for those seeking a hard, strong lumber for flooring, cabinetry, heavy construction, and more, without the high price tag of more scarce materials.
