Decking Material - Different Wood For Decking

Your editor of Ideas-For-Deck-Designs.com The decking material available today for wood decks is incredible. And you thought all there was for deck material were the usual suspects - like cedar, redwood and pressure treated.

Well think again because I have found a growing number of exotic hard woods, most of which are sustainably harvested, that offer superior advantages over the standard wood decking materials you think of.

I am going to go through each of these woods species and give you the story and where you can find them.

Cumaru Decking
Tamarack
Siberian Larch

I have already written a separate page all about Ipe decking material which you can go to if you would like.

Cumaru

Cumaru exotic hard wood as a decking material Cumaru Brochure

Cumaru is a Peruvian hard wood that is nearly the same as Ipe. It is harvested from managed forest project and is kiln dried. A 3/4" piece can span 16".

Carbide tipped blades and drill bits are essential. It has natural oils in it which insects and bacterial can't stand. So it can be impervious to decay and insects for upwards of 25 years. See the Atlantic City Boardwalk as an example.

Cumaru decking around a hot tub As a wood deck material, cumaru can be used like any other wood, for railings, deck boards or cut around hot tubs. Its totally maintenance free after installation and will weather to a silver-gray patina.

Cumaru railing posts It can be used for railing posts which are very hard and durable. In fact it's so dense (1090 kg/m3) that is has a fire rating of Class A, the same as concrete or steel!

For fastening, you must pre-drill and use high quality screws, preferably stainless steel so they won't snap off from the torque. Visit www.swansecure.com or www.fastapscrews.com for some good ideas. Learn more about this decking material...

Tamarack

Tamarack is a great deck material alternative Tamarack Brochure

Tamarack is a beautiful soft wood deck material and a nice alternative to pressure treated lumber.

It is denser than other conifers making it more rot resistant than fir, spruce or pine. It grows in the north eastern forests of Canada and the US.

Tamarack as a deck railing material The trees grow to about 70'-100' tall with trunk sizes between 14" to 20" so most of the lumber is heartwood where all the natural preservatives are located. Fence posts can last as long as 30-40 years!

Tamarack decking material ages to a silver gray patina It ages to a soft silver gray patina and requires minimal maintenance. A natural stain can be applied if desired. And another nice aspect is that it is harvested from managed forests. Learn more...

Siberian Larch

Siberian Larch Brochure

Siberian larch is unique decking material because although it looks like a typical soft wood it is much denser than almost every other commonly used decking other than cumaru and ipe.

Siberian Larch deck untreated But it has a very tight grain because it grows in a harsh cold climate making it very decay resistant. Its really tough for organisms to penetrate it.

Siberian larch also has a very high heartwood content making it more durable. Its hardness means it stands up well to foot traffic and furniture as well. A 1" thick piece can span 16". Pre-drill all holes and use strong torque resistant screws.

Siberian Larch multi level deck And it is harvested from managed forest projects and kiln dried to prevent shrinkage.

Its high resin and extractive content meaning the naturally occuring chemicals in the wood act like an antiseptic and are very unappealing to insects, decay and rot. Learn more...

More Than Just The Regular Wood Deck Materials

I hope this helps you in your choice of decking material. Yes, cedar, redwood and pressure treated are affordable, proven and easy to work with.

But there is no denying that the exotic wood decking options last even longer with less maintenance. And if you are a lover of natural materials, environmentally friendly forest management practices you ought to look further into these.

You can find all of these materials at www.ottercreekforestproducts.com

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Testimonials - Titan Post Anchor System

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