Discover the decking timber properties for most common hardwood. Colour, strength, durability and main characteristics of ironbark and others. Read more.
The answer to this question is not easy. There are so many excellent options among the Australian decking timber that it is difficult to pick just one. Some hardwood is extremely strong and resilient. Other timber has an amazing range of colours.
There are those that are both flexible and durable. Depending on your project, you may want to consult a decking expert who can help you match the properties of decking hardwood with the specifics of your decking project, as well as give you accurate cost estimates for your project.
Colour: There is red ironbark and grey ironbark, both equally good. Therefore, the hues range from dark grey, which is almost black, to a wide range of red colours.
Durability Class: Class 1
Strength: F22 – F42
Characteristics: This is one of the most durable and the most resilient decking timbers you can find. This is the choice for those who want to make their decking only once. Ironbark got its name because of its strength. Fire, termites and even water don’t hurt it, so this is an excellent choice.
Colour: The natural colour of teak is a golden yellow colour that almost shines. However, if it is used as decking timber, the weathering turns the colour into ash or silvery grey. This can be prevented by treating the timber, but if you don’t mind the colour fading, teak can go untreated easily.
Durability Class: Class 1
Strength: F 11
Characteristics: This is another amazingly sturdy option for your timber decking. It is packed with sap, gum and oils, so it is protected against insects, rotting and weather. Teak is very dense and strong. In most cases, teak timber is imported, so this can render it impractical for Australian decking projects.
Image source: Teak Deck
Colour: Contrary to its name, blackbutt is not black. It comes in ranges from golden yellow that sometimes turns into pale brown. If you use blackbutt from plantations, the colour will be more even, while wild trees offer more variety.
Durability Class: Class 1
Strength: F17 – F34
Characteristics: Blackbutt is strong, durable and resistant to bushfires. It makes it the perfect decking timber for Australian conditions. You can leave it untreated, but sometimes, that leads to the surface damage of your timber. Since it easily receives oils and other treatments, this is not a problem, as they protect it perfectly.
Colour: One of the best things about Jarrah is its amazing colours. They can range from lovely pinkish shades all the way to deep, rich red colours. With interlocking grains, the texture is even and always interesting.
Durability Class: Class 2
Strength: F11 – F22
Characteristics: There are a lot of people who don’t want to consider any other wood other than Jarrah when it comes to timber decking. While it is not the most durable or the strongest timber, it still has a lot to offer, and it is perfect for smaller projects. If you treat it with oil or stain, it will be a perfect choice.
Colour: A great range of brown colours. Some pieces can be entirely dark chocolate brown, while others can be pale brownish colour.
Durability Class: Class 1, sometimes Class 2
Strength: F17 – F34
Characteristics: While it is quite dense and doesn’t shrink much, spotted gum is still not 100% in the class of the most durable wood. However, it can be extremely strong, and that makes it good decking timber. The most distinctive thing about spotted gum timber is its wavy grain which can be very attractive.
Image source: Quality Timber Flooring Melbourne
Colour: The main colour of the tallowwood is brown, which has yellow tones. This colour can range from entirely pale to moderately intensive shade. It has interlocking grain, and the colour is even more interesting due to the oily feel.
Durability Class: Class 1
Strength: F17 – F34
Characteristics: Tallowwood will survive rotting, weather, water and fire, but you need to protect it from the borers because it will succumb to their attacks. Due to its high oil content, it can sometimes “bleed” too much.
Colour: Beautiful and vibrant brown colour that ranges from yellow to orange shades. The sapwood is pale yellow or even white.
Durability Class: Class 1 above, Class 3 in ground.
Strength: F11 – F27
Characteristics: People often wonder if Merbau is softwood or hardwood. This is due to the difference between the in-ground and above-ground durability and relatively low strength. Esthetic appeal, being its strong point, is somewhat diminished by the constant “bleeding” that occurs due to the high oil content.
Colour: Similar to Jarrah, Karri can have beautiful tones of pink all the way to deep reddish brown. However, it has more classic and toned-down shades of these colours. Karri has interlocking grains, which are sometimes even wavy.
Durability Class: Class 2
Strength: F11 – F22
Characteristics: The karri tree can grow up to 70 metres in height, so it is easy to find long planks of this decking timber. It is not extremely durable, and it is susceptible to borers and termites. Therefore, if you opt for this type of Australian decking timber, it is best to treat it.
These are just some of the most commonly used hardwood decking timbers. Besides them, people these days opt for treated pine decking due to the fact that it has the strength and durability of hardwood that comes with a lower price, lighter weight, and more flexibility in construction.
However, if you are not about to reconsider hardwood, you still have a great variety of options with their upsides and downsides. Keep in mind that hardwood decking timber that needs treating usually needs to be maintained regularly to keep the features you hope for.
With that in mind, sometimes, it is best to opt for a naturally more durable decking timber because the possible difference in the pricing irons out with the maintenance expenses.
To your material, you need to add the decking expenses, as well. But, ever since Service Seeking started working, you don’t have to guess how much your decking projects cost.
Get several quotes from experienced decking professionals and be on top of your project budget at all times.