Yellow Balau Timber Post (PAO) – 70×70 mm – 3000 mm

Yellow Balau Post

If you want a hardwood deck or facade you’ll still be enjoying twenty-five years from now, Yellow Balau is hard to beat. Often sold as Bangkirai, this dense tropical hardwood is the workhorse of premium outdoor timber — a species that genuinely earns its lifespan claims through sheer density and natural oils. Boards arrive with a warm golden yellow-brown colour that matures into a beautifully even silver patina if left untreated, the look you see on the smartest decks and facades across Ireland. Sourced from FSC-certified concessions in Borneo, Indonesia and stocked in our yard for delivery across Ireland.

Why Yellow Balau?

Yellow Balau earns its reputation honestly. It’s one of the densest tropical hardwoods on the market — around 930 kg/m³, more than twice the density of Cedar — and that density is what gives you Durability Class 1, with a service life of 20 to 25 years and natural resistance to rot, insects, and fungal decay. The fine, even grain takes a finish beautifully, and the dense surface naturally sheds water and resists the slipperiness that plagues cheaper hardwood decking after a few wet winters. Yellow Balau has been used in marine applications, heavy-traffic commercial decks, and exposed exterior architecture for decades because it simply doesn’t fail when other timbers do. Specifying it for a residential deck or facade puts that same hardness and longevity to work where it shows.

Installation guidance

Posts are the load-bearing element of any timber structure — set them right and everything else follows. Set posts in concrete or use post anchors above ground level for maximum durability — direct ground contact shortens the life of any softwood significantly. Pre-drill all fixings and use galvanised or stainless-steel hardware rated for the load. Treat any cut ends with preservative for non-Class 1 species — we stock the right products.

Finishing & maintenance

You have two good options with Yellow Balau, and there’s no wrong answer. The natural route — leaving the timber untreated to silver evenly over the first year — is the lowest-effort path forward and is what many of our customers choose. The preserved route — keeping that warm golden tone for years on end — takes a little more attention but rewards you with a finish that holds its character indefinitely. If you choose to oil, use a hardwood oil specifically formulated for dense tropical timbers (we stock the right ones — ask us if you’re unsure which to pair with your boards). Apply within the first few months of installation, then refresh annually for the first couple of years and every two or three years thereafter. Avoid film-forming paint, varnish, or general-purpose stain, which won’t bond properly to the dense surface. Periodic sweeping is usually all the timber needs to stay looking sharp.