Decking
2. Teak Teak may have very well found itself on the top of my list of hardwoods … if it didn’t come with the high price tag. Out of all the hardwoods on this list, teak is the best performing. It’s great to work with, holds nails and screws tight and will last up to 40 years in above-ground applications. Teak also performs great in the Australian climate. A popular choice for furniture, teak has a beautiful pale colour that reacts well to mild staining and oiling. I don’t do many teak decks, simply due to its price tag. While it performs well and literally lasts half a lifetime, it’s often hard to persuade my clients to fork out the cash for such expensive timber.
1. Spotted gum One of the most commonly used Australian hardwoods, spotted gum, is loved by designers and architects the world over for its beautiful grain structure and attractive markings. I love spotted gum and use it for 90 per cent of my projects. It’s tough, performs well in the unpredictable Australian climate and it’s also a minimal staining timber as it’s less prone to bleed tannins than other species. Generally, I’ll just use a natural timber oil without any tint to treat the decking, as the last thing you want to do is take away from that naturally beautiful appearance. If you’re looking to create that wow factor with your new deck, try using wide board (136 x 25mm) spotted gum screwed down using 14 gauge 75mm stainless steel screws – it gives the appearance of a jetty or wharf and looks absolutely stunning.
5. Merbau Although merbau is often a contentious choice, it’s still a very popular hardwood, derived largely from South East Asia, as well as Papua New Guinea. The reason many people opt to use another hardwood over merbau has nothing to do with its performance or durability. Unfortunately, merbau is harvested from tropical forests, and, in some cases, may come from illegally-sourced suppliers. I always recommend checking with your supplier to make sure their merbau is certified and is sourced from a legitimate supplier using ethical practices. Enough about the bad side of merbau, here’s the good stuff. Merbau is an excellent performing hardwood and is perfectly suited to the Australian climate. If you’re after a red-coloured hardwood, merbau is the perfect option. One thing to mention whenever using merbau is to NEVER use it near light-coloured tiles or pavers, as the timber is one of the worst when it comes to leeching tannins. I always recommend pre-oiling merbau twice before installation to reduce leeching.
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