High-quality exterior decking is an excellent way to enhance the character and value of your home. Choose wisely and you can transform your yard or rooftop into an elegant, easy to maintain leisure space. With a variety of decking materials and styles available, how do you choose the right decking for your home? Whether you’re installing decking for the first time or replacing a worn-out deck, it’s not a decision to take lightly and it’s important to get things right.
Well, we’re here to help. Here’s our guide to the best types of decking materials and how to decide which is right for your home.
Machiche decking
An FSC® certified high-density hardwood decking material that is sustainably harvested and affordably priced, Machiche Decking (pronounced Mah-CHEE'-chay) is one of the most popular and visually stunning decking styles available. It is highly durable, extremely strong (twice as strong as oak) and very resilient to extreme weathering.
As it is a kiln-dried decking material, Machiche decking has a low shrinkage and minimal checking, which provides a deck surface that will retain its natural beauty for many years to come, aging gracefully to a mellow silvery patina if left to weather naturally.
FSC Machiche decking is a warm, chocolaty brown decking option
Ipe decking
Often referred to as Brazilian Walnut, Ipe (pronounced E' - pay) is a high-density hardwood species native to South and Central America. Ipe wood is renowned for its exceptional strength and durability, while its resistance to fungal decay and termites means Ipe decking sets the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to exterior hardwoods. If you’re looking for a long-lasting, low maintenance material with a natural beauty, look no further than Ipe decking.
Ipe decking is strong and durable. Maintain the brown color or allow to weather naturally
Cumaru decking
For those on a budget, when it comes to a high-quality, durable, resistant material for external decking, they don’t come any better than Cumaru (pronounced Koo'-mah-Roo). An ethically harvested high-density hardwood that grows best in the northern part of South America, Cumaru decking is very resistant to decay and insects, which makes it perfect for outdoor projects.
Cumaru deck creating a cozy nook by the water
Garapa decking
Garapa is a golden toned medium-high density hardwood that makes a great decking material option. A stable, consistent, and durable medium-high density material, with the rich, lustrous appearance of ash, Garapa decking is perfect for those seeking an affordable, low maintenance decking material. Its ribbon-like patterns of interlocking grains create a smooth elegance, while Garapa's golden amber tones will age to a light silvery gray patina when left to weather naturally.
Garapa decking looks great, affordably
Thermally Modified Wood decking
A unique, high performing, durable exterior decking material, thermally modified wood comes with a seal of approval from leading architects. Beginning in Scandinavia decades ago, and tested ever since, thermally modified woods have gained a big following. Why? The Thermowood® process heats the sugars of the wood, making them far less vulnerable to mold, rot and decay.
Mataverde NovaThermowood decking
The thermal modification process also makes the wood far more stable, with less expansion and contraction outdoors. The patented process enhances the properties of sustainable hardwoods and softwoods at the cellular level. The result is a beautiful, rich dark brown material with a rich tropical wood appearance. Thermowood will naturally weather to a silvery appearance, making it a great, low maintenance decking option that stands out from the crowd.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For lots more information about selecting the right decking, please download, "The Ultimate Guide to Selecting the Right Decking for 2020". This guidebook answers lots of questions about the pro's and con's of many decking material options.
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