Abaco Decking and Railing

I have been working with several different decking materials for over 25 years. I have always enjoyed working with hardwood compared to traditional cedar or pine. The end result for me has always been very satisfying to look at and I find the crisp appearance and finish of hardwood cannot be matched. If you are familiar with and enjoy Ipe or Kayu decking than you will also appreciate the qualities of Abaco decking. Abaco tropical hardwood is a stunning deck material that can be used to create a furniture quality finish to any outdoor project. Abaco is fairly new to Canada however for myself working with hardwood is nothing new.

What is Abaco?

Abaco is a tropical mahogany hardwood decking material that has a very rich appearance and texture. It has characteristics that are very close to that of Ipe. If you were wondering about the strength of the material....

• Abaco has a density of 60lbs/ft sq Ipe is 59lbs/ft sq

• Abaco has a crush strength of 11619 psi and Ipe is 9920psi

• Abaco shear strength is 2798 psi and Ipe is 2396 psi

• Janka hardness test of Abaco is 3190 lbs and Ipe is 3680 lbs

• Abaco bending strength is 29200 psi and Ipe is 22500 psi



Abaco decking is a very strong and dense material, it also naturally resists rot and has a very good abrasion and dent resistance. As well it has a very smooth feel in a warm reddish brown tone.

Why Choose Abaco?

 Hidden floor clip & Ribbed floor surface

Abaco is available with a traditional smooth surface on one face of the board and the other face has a ribbed texture. This ribbing or milling on the one face is actually a very popular European style of decking finish. It provides additional slip resistance and an interesting texture that is not very common here in Canada. Currently Abaco is only available in a few dimensional sizes for flooring, skirt and stair applications. There is a basic railing kit available as well. For me as a designer and carpenter that is a bit of a drawback. I like to have a selection of dimensional sizes that provide me with more versatility for projects I create. I am sure as the product becomes more popular the availability and selection will increase.