Hardwood or Softwood?

There is considerable misunderstanding about the different types of wood for decking so we devote a page to this subject. By the time you reach the bottom, you will be an expert!

There are two types of wood in the world. Softwood comes from evergreen trees, mainly pine. Hardwood comes from deciduous trees. Some hardwood is soft (eg. balsa) and some softwood is hard (eg. pitch pine). Hardwood is not better than softwood, it is simply different.
Hardwood decks look different to pine (softwood) decks - and they cost different. Hardwoods come in many different colours and they always cost more than pine. Sometimes 50% more. Sometimes 300% more!

This is meant as an illustration that pine decking is in no way inferior to hardwood. Our pine all comes from the best managed forests in Scandinavia and has a minimum lifespan of 40 years. Our hardwood selection includes balau (very hard, heavy and dark), iroko (fine grained and delicate colour) and oak (traditional and rich). New for 2002 is European mahogany, deep and rich. Again, we only buy our hardwood from certified resources to protect the precious species of the world. There's no rainforest timber in our mill.

Maintenance of wood.

Our Scandinavian pine is pressure treated against rot - an industry standard process that is safe and effective and has been proven for over 50 years. Our pine decking is 100% maintenance-free. A major selling point if you want it built to use all the time with no hassle. All you need to do is give the deck a clean after a few years to keep it immaculate.
Hardwoods, as we've mentioned, come in many colours. The colours however, do not last. All hardwood will eventually weather to silver grey over time. Some in months, some in years. The colour can be maintained by regular oiling. We wll tell you all about hardwood maintenance when you come to choose your wood.

OK, so now you know your woods. Check our gallery pages to see more decks...