# Forum Home Renovation Decking  Best decking boards / timber to use

## ryantdoyle

Hey Guys, 
I had my initial meeting with my builder yesterday to have a 6 x 7m deck built off the rear of my house. 
What I didnt know was that he said he'll be able to have it done by Christmas - so now i'm feeling like a LOT of things are going to happen at once and i'm going to need to make some quick decisions. 
My main concern is to get the timber right the first time. For some reason i've had in my head that Merbau is the best option price wise / looks and things, but now i'm reading that it stains & leaks Tanin? 
My builder has recommended using 140mm wide boards (he didnt say what timber yet but I should hear back later today) as opposed to the standard 90mm wide boards. 
I'm sure this has probably been discussed before, but does anyone have any suggestions for what materials they'd suggest to use? 
Attached is a concept pic of my deck: 
Thanks for your help  :Smilie:

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## zbooynick

I have a sneaky suspicion that the builder wants to use 140mm because its less work and you end up paying for the higher price for the board. I also umm'd and arrrh'd about Merbau but in the end I was told by a colleague "why are you doubting about a product that is the most used timber by deck builders in Australia!". Yes it does "bleed" tanin but a couple of rain/showers and some napisan will fix that. You won't have staining issues because by the looks of your artist impression, you don't have white sandstone so you don't have much to worry about. I reckon the biggest minus regarding Aus hardwood is the "features" that cause splinters!

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## ryantdoyle

The builder is actually a family friend, who's doing the work for us for next to nothing with my father in law.  
He also suggested my partner and I stain all the timber twice prior to laying it, then do a final coat when its all down....

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## zbooynick

Well in that case your on a winner if your "builder" is doing it next for nothing. Then your next question for 140mm's is cupping and using appropriate fastners i.e. nothing less than 10G stainless steel screws. 
As for the staining... read around issues regarding not letting the wood "bleed" enough before applying oil etc. 
I would suggest that if someone was offering to do the job for next to nothing, spotted gun is your next best option.

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## r3nov8or

Not a wealth of experience on decks, but I do know that Feast Watson recommends allowing your deck to weather for 6 weeks prior to oiling.

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## gulubean

I posted a question about how merbau looks as the years go by and haven't received any responses.  Do you have any input on that?   And what's up with the "splinters" that you mention?

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## zbooynick

*gulubean* – All timber decks will turn grey due to Ultraviolet light and precipitation (moisture, water) if not protected with either an oil or stain. The greater the expose to UV or moisture the more frequent you are required to recoat/ reapply. If you leave it too long between reapplying then you end up spending more time (even sanding) and effort to bring it back to its former glory. So to answer your question, any timber used has the ability to look as good as new, depending on the protection from the elements and how much effort maintaining you put in. Little to non = grey, cracking, nail popping, rot and cupping. A lot = like you put it down yesterday. Specifically for Merbau, you will get a shock when the first colour you see when it rains is orange! Rest assure, it will turn to a reddish brown with age.  As for splintering, (if anyone has a different opinion I am open for correction) Australian Hardwoods have a generally higher character e.g knots, marks and gum veins than Merbau. Generally speaking, the Merbau's grain provides a high resistance to splintering. My out-laws laid a Spotted Gum (Select Grade) deck and there was splinters galore. I laid a Merbau deck and I am yet to get one (fingers crossed). But for everyone its different and can be prevented by oiling, staining and sanding as per required (sanding is usually not required straight up).  *ryantdoyle* – Most timbers used for decking to some degree bleed tannin. Yes, Merbau bleeds like there is no tomorrow but some basic measures will reduce the effects. Most importantly, looking at your concept picture, you will have very little protection from the elements (UV and rain) due to the height of your roof. This will be more prevalent if the deck faces the west (westerly rain and afternoon sun).   Regarding the option of a 140mm board, I stand by my previous post, make sure the boards are nicely secured to prevent warping and cupping.

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## Never Enough

> *gulubean*  All timber decks will turn grey due to Ultraviolet light and precipitation (moisture, water) if not protected with either an oil or stain. The greater the expose to UV or moisture the more frequent you are required to recoat/ reapply. If you leave it too long between reapplying then you end up spending more time (even sanding) and effort to bring it back to its former glory. So to answer your question, any timber used has the ability to look as good as new, depending on the protection from the elements and how much effort maintaining you put in. Little to non = grey, cracking, nail popping, rot and cupping. A lot = like you put it down yesterday. Specifically for Merbau, you will get a shock when the first colour you see when it rains is orange! Rest assure, it will turn to a reddish brown with age.  As for splintering, (if anyone has a different opinion I am open for correction) Australian Hardwoods have a generally higher character e.g knots, marks and gum veins than Merbau. Generally speaking, the Merbau's grain provides a high resistance to splintering. My out-laws laid a Spotted Gum (Select Grade) deck and there was splinters galore. I laid a Merbau deck and I am yet to get one (fingers crossed). But for everyone its different and can be prevented by oiling, staining and sanding as per required (sanding is usually not required straight up).  *ryantdoyle*  Most timbers used for decking to some degree bleed tannin. Yes, Merbau bleeds like there is no tomorrow but some basic measures will reduce the effects. Most importantly, looking at your concept picture, you will have very little protection from the elements (UV and rain) due to the height of your roof. This will be more prevalent if the deck faces the west (westerly rain and afternoon sun).   Regarding the option of a 140mm board, I stand by my previous post, make sure the boards are nicely secured to prevent warping and cupping.

  Great post

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