When choosing what timber you want to use for your decks (assuming you want to build with timber), there are a number of things to consider. You have the option of hardwoods like Garapa, Vitex or Kwila, or a local timber like pine.
Pine
Pine is faster growing and therefore normally a little cheaper, and you can generally be sure that it has been sustainably harvested if it comes from New Zealand.
Pros:
- easy to stain
- generally stays cool in our harsh climate
- cheaper
- sustainably harvested if from NZ
Cons:
The drawbacks to pine are based around its aging:
- pine generally doesn’t age as well as hardwoods
- pine tends to shrink, opening up gaps, causing nails to ‘pop’
- it can warp more easily than hardwoods.
- it is also not as dense as a hardwood, meaning that it will dent and mark far more easily.
Hardwood
Hardwood decking, on the other hand, is far more dense meaning it often looks nicer for longer.
Pros:
Hardwoods whilst generally more expensive than pine will:
- last longer
- are more resistant to mould and rot
- less likely to shrink
- the boards come much wider than with pine, which can make a deck look fantastic
Cons:
Drawbacks of Hardwood decks are:
- hardwoods ‘bleed’ a lot before they settle down, meaning that unless you seal it immediately much of the beautiful colour leaches away quite quickly and can stain surrounding areas
- hardwood trees grow much slower than pine trees, so it is arguably less sustainable
- the supply chain has a chance of corruption where unsustainably harvested timber could be present
At the end of the day there are a number of pros and cons to both hardwood and pine decking to consider. Come and have a talk with us to discuss the best option for you.
