There are many choices for decking today. One of the choices that is growing in popularity, even though it is the most expensive, is the tropical hardwoods. These wood decks are long lasting and durable. They are easy to clean. They are also more resistant to scratches and more beautiful than the composite decks.
The following are but two of the tropical hardwoods that are being used today.
One of the woods that is growing in popularity is Ipe. Ipe is also known as ironwood. It is really tough decking and is also very beautiful. Ipe will resist insects, decay and wet weather. It is dark brown and is very heavy or dense. Ipe caries a guarantee of up to twenty five years against decay or rot.
A second type of decking is tiger deck. Tiger deck offers resistance to termites as well as other insects. Tiger deck is even resistant to fungus. It does not have to be treated with chemicals, but should be treated with an oil sealant to perserve the colors. Fresh tiger deck is orange with almost black stripes. It will become more red in the sun. Without protection, it will turn gray.
Just because tropical hardwoods may look like furniture at first, remember they will change over time. The original colors may turn gray and the wood is not perfectly stable. It will change according to weather conditions. It can have checking, split and may have to be replaced after a few years.
Annual pressure washing or sanding of the deck and then treating it with the oil preservative will keep it looking good for many years. Any time the gray begins to show it is time to pressure wash and treat the deck to prevent it from going to a total gray color.
Without air circulation around the deck you may have trouble with cupping or warping of the boards. Air circulation is necessary to keep the deck dry on all sides, so make sure that you have ample room for the air to circulate.
The oil protection is a necessary part of all of the tropical hardwoods.
Give the deck boards room to expand when they become wet. You will need to provide at least one quarter inch between all boards of the deck will buckle every time it gets wet.
These hardwoods are much longer lasting the either redwood or cedar. While the softwoods resist insects and rot, they are not as durable as the hardwoods. Traffic will scratch the surface of the softwoods and traffic patterns will begin to wear into the decks. However the softwoods are much less expensive to purchase and easier to install than the hardwoods are.
Some of the tropical hardwoods have twenty five year or longer lifespans. This is as long or longer than the composites. While the hardwoods are more expensive and require more work to maintain, the have the beauty of real wood.
What are you going to choose for a long lasting deck? Weigh your budget and the look that you want to decide for yourself.
Author Resource:
Annie is an expert furniture and interior design writer. Her current area of specialism is http://mydeco.com/c/home-office/106/ home office, http://mydeco.com/c/special-offers/dining-room/2380/ dining furniture sale and http://mydeco.com/c/special-offers/furniture/chairs/258/2413/ chair sale
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