External Wood Flooring Options

If you’re planning an outdoor decking project, you might be tempted to try to save money by using wood that’s intended for indoor use only.  If so, think again because such economies often end up costing more in the long run.  Indoor wood is not treated to enable it to stand up to the stresses and strains of life outdoors, so while it may look like a low cost option to start with, you could end up having to treat it or even replace it more often than you’d imagine.

As you can imagine, wood that is laid outdoors faces extreme weather challenges throughout the four seasons each year.  Dampness, sunshine, cold and heat all take their toll, and any wood that has been produced to spend its life indoors has not been treated to withstand these pressures.  If you put indoor wood outside, it’ll typically warp, crack and split, leaving you with little option than to tear it up and start again.

If you’re planning to create an outdoor space that is ‘floored’ with wood, what you need is decking.  Decking is a hardwood or composite product that has been processed, from beginning to end with the notion of being in the great outdoors.  Decking has been treated so it will withstand, not only the temperature and moisture fluctuations it will suffer outdoors, but also it has been treated to resist insect and fungal infestation.

Wood decking options range from budget pine, up to top quality teak.  No matter which option you choose, if you choose a good quality, decking product and not an indoor wood product, you can be sure that your wood will be suited to being outdoors.  By choosing the right product for your project, you can be sure that you won’t waste money because you’ll have wood that’s been processed to have all the protection it needs to survive outdoors.

An outdoor deck will extend your living area and will transform your garden into a haven where you can relax, eat, drink and socialise.  No matter whether your decking plans are for a large, complex affair or a simple square or rectangle of space where you can place a small table and a sun lounger, you can be sure that buy choosing the right wood, your efforts will pay off over the long term.

When decking was first embraced as a notion in the UK, most people had the attitude that decking simply had to be made of teak, but this has changed now.  Some of the more exotic woods, such as ipe and cumaru have given rise to a lower cost and highly desirable alternative to the more expensive, traditional option of teak.  Even pine, which is a highly affordable option, is an effective and attractive decking solution that’ll stand the test of time, as long as it has been treated to be outdoors.  All of that said, the best option is definitely to choose a hardwood because it has a natural ability to survive outdoors.  However, even softwoods such as pine will work out well if you do your homework to make sure it has been appropriately treated.

So, irrespective of the extent of the decking project you’re planning, don’t try to make false economies by putting indoor wood outside.  It simply won’t pay off in the long run.