Ipe Decking - Is it As Expensive As Hardwoods?
Wood decking can be a beautiful addition to your home and yard. There is no limit to the types of decks you can build, from simple arbor style walkway to full extravagant designs. Many people prefer wood decking because it is very customizable and durable. In fact, many wood decks have seen decades of continuous use and are virtually maintenance free. Read this article to know what is ipe wood.
Today, wood decking is often used on roofs, decks, porches, patios, walkways, bridges and eaves. Most decks installed today use wood decking tongue and groove method, which is basically butt jointed planks. The basic idea behind this type of decking, is to have small "dots" or joints between the individual wood planks. Smaller more detailed plans will also show you how to do this in detail. Butt jointed wood planks are the strongest type of decking around, but they require frequent nailing and staining if you want to keep your deck looking great for years to come. You can view here for details concerning the ipe decking.
If you choose to go with traditional lumber, decking plans will show you the proper procedure to prepare your wood deck. You can prepare your wood deck by using weather resistant wood decking material. This weather-resistant board comes pre-primed and ready to use, however, you will still need to apply a stain to protect it. To get a really nice dark finish, you can opt to stain your wood decking right on site. Once your wood decking has been stained, apply a penetrating wood stain to the entire surface. This will help protect your wood deck from becoming weathered quickly due to the sun, rain, or other natural elements.
There are several different types of wood decking materials, but hardwood decking has the largest following and is usually the most economical. When you use softwood decking, the boards tend to be more expensive, but the durability makes up for the extra expense. The good news about using softwood deck boards is that they do not have the tendency to splinter when you use them in areas with high foot traffic.
If you do not want to spend as much money on purchasing new hardwood decking materials, then an alternative to hardwood would be to purchase an engineered ipe decking. This is a more expensive option than standard hardwoods, but it is also the most durable. Although it is more costly, it can be made to match many different styles of wood decking and can be made with a variety of different wood species including maple, cedar, and oak. It is not uncommon to find an exotic woods like teak or aniline in exotic woods that are used to create the boards. The more popular hardwoods that are used to make the decking materials are pressure treated white oak, red oak, birch, maple, beech, and the knotty oak.
Although it may seem like an expense that you cannot afford, using pressure treated lumber, especially if it is a pressure treated white oak, can actually help to prevent the decay from wood rot. Pressure treated lumber does not lose its color as fast as some of the other decking woods, which helps to prolong their appearance. Another plus with using a pressure treated wood decking product is that it is less expensive than some of the other products on the market. If you spend some time shopping around for pressure treated lumber, you will be able to find a better deal than if you were to go out and purchase it from a lumber yard. Even though you will pay more money upfront for a pressure-treated product, it will last much longer and provide you with the additional benefits of longer lasting decking materials, which can save you money in the long run. You can read this post to get more information on the topic: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-to-know-about-adding_b_7766468.
