Wooden Decks Types

Wood is preferred for building decks. It is not only beautiful but is durable as well. Besides it is easy to work with. Wood however is susceptible to water damage and needs to be maintained properly. Boards that get split or cracked indicate possible problems related to moisture penetration. Since wood is a porous material it can easily become clogged and deteriorate. One way to prevent problems with your wood is to have it sealed and maintained. There are different kinds of wooden decks built from different kinds of wood, like Cedar, Redwood, Pine, Pressure Treated Pine and Composite Wood. Cedar wood is a popular favorite for decks. It not only looks and smells wonderful, it is also extremely durable. The texture of cedar is soft, and the grain of cedar is intricate and beautiful. Redwood is also used frequently in timber construction. It is as the name suggests a reddish wood. Outside of the color, redwood is very similar to cedar. Pine is rather popular in deck construction. Pine varies from very soft wood to very hard wood. It is pressure treated for deck construction. It is a versatile material and cheaper than cedar or redwood and works well with any color sealer. As with cedar, there are natural colors that can enhance the natural grain and color of the wood.

Pressure treatment refers to chemically treated wood to ward off insects and rot. Cedar and redwood are never treated. The drawbacks to using pressure treated wood are rapid discoloration, prone to splitting, and many chemicals are in the wood that can discolor it. As with all woods, it is always best to have your pressure treated wood seasoned, cleaned, and sealed so that these natural drawbacks can be avoided. Wood gets characterized by its density, texture and the extent of extractives including water soluble color, pitch and oil. Generally, higher density woods (hardwoods) are less suitable for exterior use than less dense softwoods such as cedar and redwood.