Wood Decking

Natural wood is considered one of the best deck building materials. It is valued for its natural appearance, hardness, and long service life. Decks Toronto is one of the largest wood decking suppliers in Toronto (Canada). You can buy boards from Brazilian ipe, сlear larch decking, or cumaru from us.

Decking from wood - pros and cons

Below we offer an average assessment of wooden decks. It will help you form an impression of what it is like to live in a house with wood decking.

Pros of wood decking

• Natural color and unique pattern on every board;
• Long service life from 25 to 100 years;
• High strength and hardness of the material.

Cons of wooden decking

• Need to be oiled once a year to maintain color;
• Mandatory sealing of the surface every 2-3 years;
• Surface grinding required;
• Relative high price;
• The complexity of self-installation;
• Some types of wood are prone to rot, fire, or termite damage. So it is really necessary to pick the right wood to build a deck.

The wood allows you to experiment with deck design. Check out free plans for building wooden decks on our website. This will help you get inspired with the idea of what kind of deck you want to build for yourself.

Choosing wood type for decking

Each type of wood has specific properties. If you decide to build a wooden deck at home, then we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of a particular type of wood.

Ipe wood decking

Brazilian Ipe is a rare and durable wood. Its hardness is 3.510-3.680 lbs/sq on the Janka scale. The color of this wood is dark brown. Ipe boards are rot-resistant, naturally termite resistant, and fire-resistant. Their average service life is 75 years.

Cumaru decking

Cumaru is also considered a hardwood. It is nearly as strong as ipe, at 3,200 lbs/sq in on the Janka scale. Cumaru boards are scratch and warp-resistant. Cumaru decking lasts over 50 years.

Clear larch decking

Larch is inferior in density to cumaru or ipe. However, it has breed-specific advantages. So, larch boards are resistant to frost and do not crack at low temperatures. The wood has a rare light brown color, while most other species range in color from dark brown to reddish-brown. Due to its lower strength, larch decks are easier to install. The price of these boards is lower than the more popular redwood or tigerwood.

Our guide on choosing decking materials will help you better understand the advantages and disadvantages of different types of wood.

Wood decking or composite decking - which material to choose?

Composite decking is one of the most popular in Canada. It is chosen for its low price, availability, and ease of care. The quality of composite boards depends on the manufacturer. The most reliable composite board manufacturers are Trex, Fiberon, and Timbertech.

Composite decking is lightweight and easy to install. They are made from 80-95% recycled plastic and 5-20% from sawdust. Due to the wood content in the core, the decking is prone to rotting if installed next to a body of water or in a wet area. Composite decking also cannot withstand heavy loads and can deform under their influence. Over time, scratches appear on the surface of the decking. The average warranty period for composite decking is 25 years.

In turn, wooden decking is more expensive and requires maintenance. However, wood is stronger than plastic, and therefore it is more profitable to install it in places where parties are often held or crowds of people go. Wooden decks are covered by a warranty of 25 years or more - it depends on the type of wood chosen. The decking surface itself is more resistant to scratches. And with proper care, the decking will always have a rich color.

The table below compares composite and wooden decks.

Earlier, we published an article comparing deck materials. Read it to decide what material to choose for building the deck outdoors.

Wood decking installation

Installation of decking requires special accessories for wood. These include a special Fastener System, Colormatch Deck Screws, and Tapered Hardwood Plugs. Among the tools, you may need to purchase a Hardwood Wrench.

When building a deck of wood, keep in mind that the boards are heavy. Durable material makes it difficult to drill the board. You may need multiple drill bits as they wear out quickly.

DIY installation of wooden decking requires not only the right tools and strength but also experience. There is a chance to install the boards crooked or fragile. For this reason, we recommend considering contractors. A professional will install wood decking in approximately 2 to 10 days (it depends on the size of the deck).

Permission from the local authority is required before the installation of decking. Read our article to find out how to get a permit to build a wooden deck in Canada.

Wood decking maintenance

A wooden deck suits those who are willing to take the time to maintain it. Wood requires regular oiling, sealing, and sanding.

Wood boards need to be oiled every year. In this way, the rich color of the decking is maintained. Otherwise, the color will fade in the sun. If you do not oil the wooden boards for several years, they acquire a noble silver color. You can use DeckWise or Cutek products to oil your boards. You can purchase Cutek and DeckWise from our online store.

You need to seal the board every 2-3 years. This ensures the smoothness of the board, strengthens it, and prolongs its life. Boards that are sealed regularly are less likely to warp and are more resistant to scratches. Deckwise End Grain Sealer is available in Decks Toronto online store.

Wood decking cost

Decking from wood is usually more expensive than composite decking. In terms of cost, it can be compared with PVC decking. The high price of a wood is due to its quality and service life. Wood is a very durable material that can withstand heavy loads and lasts 25-100 years.

In the table below, we compared the average cost of a wooden deck with a composite deck and a plastic one.

The price of a deck also depends a lot on the type of wood. The most expensive is ipe decking. This is a very rare wood species. It features a very high density of 3,510-3,680 lbs. A quality and less expensive alternative to ipe decking is redwood, cumaru, clear larch, or tigerwood.

In the table below, we compared the cost of popular types of wood for the deck:

Order wood decking at Decks Toronto online store

You can buy boards from ipe, cumaru, and clear larch wood from us. We carefully check the permissions for the production of wooden boards from our suppliers to make sure that their creation does not harm the environment.

In our store in Toronto, you can also purchase the accessories needed to install the deck. We are also a supplier of wood deck care products. You can buy deck oils and sealers from us.

We deliver throughout Canada. If the goods are in stock in the right quantity - we will deliver them on the day of the order. Otherwise, the delivery time is 2 to 5 business days.

You can independently pick up the goods from our warehouses. We have three warehouses:

• the first warehouse is located at 71 Buttermill Ave Vaughan, ON, L4K 3X2;
• the second warehouse is located at 234 Hood Rd. Markham, ON L3R 3K8;
• the third warehouse is located at 49 Truman Rd, Barrie, ON L4N 8Y7.

If you still have questions about the advantages and disadvantages of different types of wood or you need special delivery conditions, please contact our consultants. You can call us at 416.623.7158 or email info@deckstoronto.com.