Wood Decks

Western Red Cedar and Redwood
For years Cedar and Redwood have been the standard in better deck building. They are both beautiful woods that will weather to a light grey without staining or sealing. As tight grained woods, Cedar and Redwood finish well and generally do not splinter much. Both can be stained to coordinate with almost any exterior.

While Cedar has historically been very rot resistant, the ‘new growth’ material currently available tends to be less so. The longest lasting part of the tree is the center or ‘heartwood’, which takes years to develop. New growth materials simply do not have time to develop much heartwood.

Our 2x6 knotty Cedar is "architect grade", which is the best knotty cedar available.  It will contain “tight” knots which should not fall out. While clear Cedar is available, it is a special order item and is very expensive in comparison.

Cedar absolutely needs to be sealed on a regular basis to help prevent water damage. Even with good maintenance, the average life of a Cedar deck is approximately 15 years. You should expect less if your deck is low to grade or in shaded conditions.

Redwood decking also needs to be heartwood, either ‘Construction Heart’ or ‘Clear Heart’. Both of these will last 1-1/2 to 2 times as long as Cedar, but may cost 2-5 times as much.

Hardwoods
In recent years, hardwood decking has become very popular. These are decking materials imported from other countries. The most common of these woods is Ipe, from South America.

Hardwoods have a beautiful, dark rich looking appearance, having much the same look as woods typically used for interior work. They are virtually clear of knots, very dense, and extremely resistant to rot and decay, typically lasting 20 - 25 years.

While hardwoods hold up well to the effects of weather, they too require regular maintenance to preserve their appearance prevent checking. While they may have similar appearances to interior wood when new, weather will cause the wood to ‘move’ slightly as it ages. With proper care, hardwood decks give a rich, dark look which it simply not possible with any other material.

Pressure Treated Pine
Treated pine is the most economical material available for deck building. It is extremely strong and will not rot or decay, due to its chemical treatment. After a short time, to allow the moisture content of the wood to lower, pine can be stained to match most exterior finishes.

Treated pine is used to build the structure of all exterior decks because of its strength and life expectancy. As such, it will provide many years of service with virtually no maintenance requirements. We stock #1 grade treated pine, which will have fewer knots and a higher strength rating.

Treated pine holds up well as decking in low to grade and heavily shaded conditions. We would not recommend treated decking to be used in areas of constant afternoon sun. This tends to literally ‘bake’ the life out of the wood, which causes excessive checking and splintering.

We use only non-arsenic treated pine products. Wolmanized® Residential Outdoor® wood is treated with a patented copper-based preservative and an organic fungicide. Proven for more than a decade and across four continents, this wood is ideal for applications including decks, planter boxes, walkways, and structural members. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty for most residential applications.

See more examples of our Wood Decks in our Photo Gallery.