A Guide to Choosing Timber for Fencing and Decking

January 9, 2015 sarah Uncategorized

Choosing among different types of wood for a fence or a deck can be hard, simply because of the many different options available. One important thing that will play a huge part in your decision is aesthetics. If you’re looking for a specific colour or textured look, your options are narrowed down a little bit. 

 

But aesthetics is not the only thing you should consider in your decision. There are a number of practical differences among various timber types that can have huge consequences for your decking or fencing project. Keep in mind that particular timber types and qualities are a lot of suitable than others.

 

Here are some important things to keep in mind:

 

Hardwood or Softwood

 

Hardwoods and softwoods both derive their name from whether trees (such as Mahogany, Jarrah, Merbau, and Spotted Gum) cover their seeds, or simply let the seeds fall on the ground and uncovered, (like Cypress and Pine).

 

Balsa, one of the softest types of woods is a hardwood in reality. It’s one of the very few exceptions to the rule. Softwoods, in general come from evergreens, while hardwoods come from deciduous trees.

 

Hardwoods are denser and grow a lot more slowly compared to softwoods. Because of this, they are generally tougher, harder, and more expensive. Also, they are harder to cut and work with, but will wear much longer. They can endure weathering a lot more and they don’t need much maintenance. There are around 100 times more types of hardwoods than there are softwoods. But because softwoods grow faster and a lot easier to work with, they’re used more commonly in construction than hardwoods. 

 

New Timber or Seasoned Timber

 

The age of wood and whether it has been seasoned or not will play a big part in how long it will last. Unseasoned or “green” wood will contain much of the wood’s original moisture content. As this moisture dissipates over time, the wood will twist, shrink, and warp, ruining your deck or fence.

 

This said, it is very important that the timber you’ll go with isn’t only seasoned, but seasoned the right way. Typically, seasoning is done in a kiln with sawn wood. Timber that gets dried rapidly will shrink on the surface and will compress the moisture-rich timber underneath, which can make the wood unreliable once pressure is released. Also, the timber will lose its moisture naturally and become seasoned if it is left out to air dry, making older timber a better option.

 

If you’re looking for quality hardwoods or softwoods for building a fence or deck, simply contact the Team at Serano by checking out the provided link.

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