There is no denying the beauty of natural wood, but it does require a lot of work. Maintenance Wood’s beauty is also it vulnerability.
It needs to be cleaned and treated and kept maintained. A new deck, whether it’s pressure treated wood or natural cedar, should be cleaned with a deck cleaner. It is best not to use bleach, which breaks down finishes faster. Make sure the wood has a couple of sunny days to dry in before doing any finish- ing. Apply a finishing application before it
becomes too hot or streaking may occur. On an extremely hot day, the finish may even fail so work in the morning or later in the evening. Oil-based finishes, especially those
that contain alkyd resins, will penetrate the wood and create a better barrier. Linseed oils are best. Clear finishes let you see the beauty of the natural wood, but they offer the least protection. Semi-transparent finishes help filter the sun`s ultra-violet rays. A solid stain is more like a coating so will need more preparation to repair or refinish. Water based produces (such as latex)
are better at rejecting mildew and main- taining colour. These products have been much improved over the past few years. It is not recommended that you apply
paint to the floor of your deck. It wears too quickly and is a lot of work to repair.
32 SPRING 2013 You may have to reapply the finish
every year, even more often in some climates and conditions, to keep it in top shape, but it`s worth it. Not only does this keep it looking beautiful but it will preserve the wood for many more years.
What wood to buy There is a lot of hype around cedar,
but beware. Unless you buy high-qual- ity heartwood, you may be better off with pressure-treated products. Most of the cedar sold today is sapwood, which is really not very rot resistance at all. If you aren’t clear on the difference, cedar heartwood is darker in colour. Cedar heartwood has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years. Cedar is also a soft wood so is vulner-
able to nicks and cuts and scratches from moving furniture. You may want to avoid using it as flooring for your deck. With redwood, it’s much the same;
true heartwood is beautiful and long lasting, but it is expensive. Redwood sold under names such as “construction common” is partly sapwood and just as with cedar, the sapwood will break down in a few short years. Pressure treated wood (usually pine)
can be durable and good looking but be careful when you buy. Not all products
are equal in quality. Look for choice, premium or select brands to ensure that your wood won’t warp or twist as it dries. As well, says Patrick De Leeuw of Delcan Products, these products contain chemicals that can be harmful to the environment. For maintenance-free decking, take a
look at composite materials. These are made from recycled plastic and wood chips or sawdust. Believe it or not, these products are more expensive than cedar, but won`t splinter, rot or twist; they repel insects and resist moisture and fading. “All you ever have to do is wash them down with bleach and hot water,” says Patrick. On the downside, composite materi-
als are cold on the feet and not as pretty as natural woods, but they are a lot less work to maintain and will last for a very long time. Tropical hardwoods are now also
available on the market and while expen- sive, they have many positive properties that may make their use worthwhile for a buyer. One of these is a very long life of 45 years and a class one fire rating. Tropical hardwoods are very dense and all but impervious to insects. However, as with the other woods, the product needs a periodic washing and a specific treatment of oil. V
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