Top 3 Types of Wood Deck Materials
About 80% of single-family American homes have deck structure that makes a wonderful and functional extension of the living space. Majority of these decks are actually made out of wood deck materials such as pressure-treated wood and pine varieties, and based on the statistics many of these residential owners will be forces of spend on replacements after ten years or less. This is mainly because most of the wood deck materials are not particularly suitable for outdoor structure, where it is directly exposed to the changing weather conditions. However, if you are keen on getting real wood deck materials, then you might want to consider investing on high-end woods such as redwood, cedar and mahogany, all of which offers longer lasting performance and striking beauty and elegance.
Experts claim that the success and failure of decks would be greatly be dependent on the grade or quality of the materials used as well as the maintenance care. With the use of high-end wood deck materials, you can be sure of wonderful features such as dimensionally stable, insect repellant and resistance to warping and shrinkage. While these materials may fetch a considerable higher price, you will find out that you will actually be saving a lot in the long run if you take into account the maintenance, repair and replacement costs after a few years or so.
Cedar - a member of the family of cypress, this warmly colored heartwood is expected to provide you durable performance wear ranging from 9-10 years. Among the highly recommended grades for such type of wood deck materials are the Custom Clear and Architect Clear deck grades. Port Oroford cedar is another variety that is available in a lighter shade, with staining options and rated performance of 20 years. Predrilling is not an advised procedure when handling cedar as it can possibly result to splitting. It is also advisable to use stainless steel fasteners rather than the traditional deck fasteners, as the latter may possibly react to the wood's tannic acid. Overall, cedar makes a great choice because of its beauty, durability and insulating capability.
Redwood- this type of wood is available in a deep reddish brown hue that beautifully deepens as it ages. This is a knot-free and tightly grained wood, which is strong and surprisingly lightweight, making it the popular choice when it comes to outdoor structure. Unlike other wood types, redwood is resistant to splintering and can withstand weather conditions with a performance life of 30 years or probably more.
Mahogany - among the best quality mahogany available today is the Meranti, which is Philippine mahogany sub specie that comes in wonderful shades such as the dark red variety that is quite similar to teak. The use of mahogany would require water repellant treatments in order to protect it from moisture as well as keep it dimensionally stable.
