Decks- Decking Options

February 2, 2012

Deck Project in Minnetonka with Tiger Decking

Unlike the decks of years past, there are now a number of decking products to consider when decking your deck. We have used redwood, cedar, pressure treated, ipe’ and tiger decking for our deck projects. We are not going to tell you which one to choose, but do want to help you learn more about the options available.

The most common choices are likely 5/4 x 6 in. radius edge cedar, pressure treated and composite. In addition there are also a exotic hardwoods and even bamboo. There is no perfect choice. What characteristics are the most important for you and your project.

Cedar decking offers a nice a natural wood look for the money. Cedar deck boards tend to be fairly straight and generally sit flat on the joists. You can expect cedar decking to last about 15 years. Cedar is a softer wood that will get some damaged from your deck furniture being moved and other normal wear. It costs a little more than treated decking, but is less than composite and exotic wood decking materials.

Treated lumber is still a good solution if you are working on a small budget, it is also durable and long lasting. Be careful to choose a good quality treated decking option. Cheaper choices often have a lot of moisture in the wood that will cause problems when it dries.

If you are looking for the best low maintenance eco friendly choice, then composite decking is probably right for you. Composite decking materials are often made of recycled plastic and wood chips or saw dust. Composites are also one of the truly low maintenance options, so if you would rather relax on your deck and not work on it then invest in one of the many composite choices.

Ipe’ and Tiger decking are a great wood options that are extremely durable and look great. Tiger decking has beautiful wild grain patterns while ipe’ tends to have a more uniform grain pattern. These wood products cost more and require more work to build with, but are long lasting and low maintenance.

Tiger deck has introduced a new bamboo decking product that also uses their hidden fastener system. It is a durable low maintenance option that is from a sustainable material. We have yet to use this product, but will definitely consider it for future projects.

Posted in Decks, Landscape