Home / Wood Compare / Garapa vs Sal
Professional Comparison · Verified Engineering Data · Updated 19 July 2026
Garapa VS Sal
Which wood is better for your project? Scores are computed from the verified figures on each species page — how we score.
🥇
Garapa
79/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood🌧Outdoor💧Moisture Stable
- Harder wear surface (Janka 1650 vs 1340 lbf)
- Stronger in bending (MOR 127.8 vs 112.0 MPa)
🥈
Sal
71/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood🌧Outdoor💧Moisture Stable
- Close second across most categories
- Solid choice where its profile fits the project
Visual comparison
GarapaSal
Winner by category
There isn't one universally best wood — there's a best wood for each purpose.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Durability | Tie |
| Stability | Tie |
| Hardness | Garapa |
| Strength (MOR) | Garapa |
| Stiffness (MOE) | Garapa |
| Flame spread | Tie |
| Machining ease | Sal |
| Lightness | Tie |
Engineering data
| Property | Garapa | Sal |
|---|---|---|
| Janka Hardness | 1650WD lbf | 1340 lbf |
| Density | 0.72WD g/cm³ | 0.74 g/cm³ |
| MOE | 15.57WD GPa | 14.2 GPa |
| MOR | 127.8WD MPa | 112.0 MPa |
| Durability | Class 2 Durable | Class 2 Durable |
| Stability | Good | Good |
| Fire (E84) | Class B indicative | Class B indicative |
| Radial Shrink | 4.2WD % | 4 % |
| Tangential Shrink | 7.5WD % | 7.5 % |
| T/R Ratio | 1.79 | 1.88 |
Figures carry the same source status as the species pages they come from — verified where cited, indicative where marked.
Best for
| Application | Recommended | Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor decking / pergola | 🥇 Garapa | ★★★★☆ |
| Exterior cladding | 🥇 Garapa | ★★★☆☆ |
| Flooring / wear surfaces | 🥇 Garapa | ★★★★☆ |
| Furniture / interior joinery | 🥇 Sal | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Structural / load-bearing | 🥇 Garapa | ★★★★☆ |
Advantages & limitations
Garapa
Advantages
- Rated for exterior exposure (EN 350 Class 2)
Limitations
- Hard on tooling; pre-drilling recommended
- Heavy — consider structure and handling
Sal
Advantages
- Rated for exterior exposure (EN 350 Class 2)
Limitations
- Hard on tooling; pre-drilling recommended
- Heavy — consider structure and handling
Recommendation
Choose Garapa if…
- The surface takes traffic or impact
Choose Sal if…
- Its profile matches the application better than a single overall score
Frequently asked questions
Which is more durable, Garapa or Sal?
Neither — both carry the same EN 350 rating (Class 2, Durable). For outdoor decisions between them, weigh dimensional stability and hardness instead.
Which wood is better for outdoor use?
They are closely matched outdoors — durability and stability come out almost level. Let the application decide: harder surface for decking traffic, lighter weight for cladding.
Is Garapa harder than Sal?
Yes — Janka 1650 lbf vs 1340 lbf.
How we score. Each wood gets a weighted composite of the verified figures shown above: durability 22%, stability 18%, hardness 12%, bending strength 12%, machining ease 12%, stiffness 8%, flame spread 8%, lightness 8%. The Library Score is that composite's percentile rank within our 60-species library — 50 means the library median, 90 means it outperforms nine of every ten species we cover. No price data is scored — cost guidance is qualitative. The score summarises the data; it does not replace judgement about your specific application.