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| Thread ID: 108232 | 2010-03-20 02:15:00 | Any builders out there ? (thoughts on decking timber) | globe (11482) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 868584 | 2010-03-20 02:15:00 | I am looking at building a new deck. Three timbers I am considering are (in order) 1. Mahogany 2. Jarrah 3. Kwila Can anyone tell me how hard mahogany is compared to say kwila. The sample I have is very light and does not feel that "hard" but I prefer mahogany is it is sustainable comparesd to kwila. I also get the impression that mahogany may move dependent on its moisture content through the seasons in a simialr fashion to pine whuch undermines one of the reasons for chosng a hard timber in the first instance. Any advice / experiences would be most welcome, thanks |
globe (11482) | ||
| 868585 | 2010-03-20 04:30:00 | Gary is probably the best qualified to advise you, but if you're concerned about the sustainability of Kwila, you should consider Balau - it's pretty much the same, but forested in renewable ways. | nofam (9009) | ||
| 868586 | 2010-03-20 05:32:00 | I am looking at building a new deck. Three timbers I am considering are (in order) 1. Mahogany 2. Jarrah 3. Kwila Can anyone tell me how hard mahogany is compared to say kwila. The sample I have is very light and does not feel that "hard" but I prefer mahogany is it is sustainable comparesd to kwila. I also get the impression that mahogany may move dependent on its moisture content through the seasons in a simialr fashion to pine whuch undermines one of the reasons for chosng a hard timber in the first instance. Jarrah. Only the dark red species of mahogany are resistant to decay. Although more durable than cedar and redwood, it is still relatively soft compared to jarrah. |
pctek (84) | ||
| 868587 | 2010-03-20 06:24:00 | How decay resistant do you really need? If redwood is too temporary, concrete probably won't hack the pace. ;) | R2x1 (4628) | ||
| 868588 | 2010-03-20 07:58:00 | One more thing to be aware of with kwila is that it "bleeds" its natural pigment when it rains, which can cause stains on concrete paths, paving etc. surrounding your deck. | somebody (208) | ||
| 868589 | 2010-03-20 08:40:00 | I put balau deck south facing 1992 its still primo, its hard have to drill nail holes. | prefect (6291) | ||
| 868590 | 2010-03-20 20:38:00 | Kwila bleeds only until it has been rained on a couple of times. We built a Kwila deck in January. By last weekend it had been washed sufficiently, so that I was able to oil it. I wish to retain the colour, rather than let it fade to grey. Balau usually has worm holes in it, but is very similar to Kwila otherwise. Most pallets of Balau have some boards in them that will rot quite quickly. Mind you Kwila will also rot eventually if it remains wet. Timber merchants indicate a life span for both timbers of about 20 years, unless preservative, and fungus inhibiting treatments are applied. |
Richard (739) | ||
| 868591 | 2010-03-20 22:17:00 | As long as the wood comes from a sustainable source or it is not causing the devastation of the worlds rainforest and destroying its habitat use what you like. :) |
Trev (427) | ||
| 868592 | 2010-03-21 03:16:00 | Mahogany will look good and be expensive same with Jarrah, Kwila is cheaper but like others have said it can and does bleed it's colour for a while, a lot of it but not all is milled illegally. Then again they are all rainforest timbers and if your into sustainability you should go with Pine | gary67 (56) | ||
| 868593 | 2010-03-21 04:22:00 | Kwila bleeds only until it has been rained on a couple of times. We built a Kwila deck in January. By last weekend it had been washed sufficiently, so that I was able to oil it. I wish to retain the colour, rather than let it fade to grey. Balau usually has worm holes in it, but is very similar to Kwila otherwise. Most pallets of Balau have some boards in them that will rot quite quickly. Mind you Kwila will also rot eventually if it remains wet. Timber merchants indicate a life span for both timbers of about 20 years, unless preservative, and fungus inhibiting treatments are applied. Yeah the balau has some borer holes in when purchased. When I asked the timber merchant about them he told me as soon as the tree is felled in the tropics some worm attacks it straight away. |
prefect (6291) | ||
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