In a world full of diversity and advanced technology, it’s not surprising to find that wood decking options have increased rapidly over the recent years. It wasn’t that long ago when wood decking varieties were limited to two-three species. Thanks to the importation of different woods from numerous parts of the words, there’s now a wide array of lumber decking materials. Whether you’re contemplating constructing a new home or executing renovations on your existing property, it helps to know the available options.
Hardwood vs Softwood
The two primary types of wood include hardwood and softwood. The former is derived from a tree species that grows quite slowly and features broad leaves. Some of these trees include teak, Ipe, cherry and oak to name but a few. Softwood, on the other hand, is a product of fast-growing trees including pine, spruce, fir and cedar. When used as decking material, hardwood easily outperforms softwood. This is because the former is relatively weather resistant, tough and durable. Softwood can be treated with preservatives to make them last longer and are much more economical. They, however, require much more maintenance than their more resilient counterparts.
Here are a few types of wood decking materials, their diverse qualities and maintenance requirements.
Pressure Treated Lumber
This is probably the most popular wood decking material. It’s essentially comprised of softwood like pine that has been treated with chemicals to make them hardy and give them superior ability to resist rot and insects. The widespread popularity of pressure treated wood is largely attributable to its affordability, availability and ease of installation. For instance, you can get different types of pressure treated lumber from Theo’s Timber Ltd; professional merchants and wholesalers of wood supplies in Manchester and throughout the North West, UK.
Natural Superior
The most prevalent choice of decking wood for many purists is cedar and redwood. Although they are both softwoods, they’re often preferred for their natural beauty and rich colours. They’re also comprised of oils and tannins that render them naturally unsusceptible to insects and rot, which mean that they don’t require chemical treatment. However, both cedar and redwood require annual cleaning and sealing. They are, however, hard to find but you can almost always find them at professional wood suppliers; Theo’s Timber Ltd.
Tropical Hardwoods
This group comprises different types of wood like red tauari, cumaru, massaranduba, ipe, tigerwood and Philippine mahogany. They are extremely hard, durable and naturally resistant to insects and rot. However, since they are hard and dense, professional wood suppliers often find them quite difficult to drill or drive nails through them. They are, therefore, installed with hidden fasteners that hold them into place. Although their initial buying price is quite high, these woods last longer and require low maintenance. This makes them cheaper in the long run when compared to their softwood counterparts.
If you love the natural look of wood on your deck, you will be happy to know that there are numerous options available. These include pressure treated, exotics and tropical hardwoods and you can easily get them from Theo’s Timber Ltd. You can choose any of the various types discussed above depending on your decking needs.
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