Incorporating Timber Decking in Your Landscaping Design: Things You Need to Consider

March 26, 2020

Nothing fits the Australian culture more than enjoying a meal at the comfort of your own backyard deck. The things you can do with such outdoor features ranges from enjoying a meal with friends to lounging alone under the sun. Due to its variety of uses, it is very popular in the landscaping industry. And a more popular material to make such is timber. Using timber for decking is undoubtedly one of its most popular uses. Not only do decks look great and perform well, but decks are a cost-effective alternative for creating a level terrace on a steep site. However, there are things you need to consider in incorporating timber in your landscaping design. Below are some of them.

Types of Timber

Spotted Gum

One of the most popular premium Australian hardwoods, Spotted Gum is striking in appearance and with a high degree of natural durability, making it an ideal choice for exterior applications. Spotted Gum is typically light brown in appearance with beautiful tonal movement within each piece.

Merbau

Known as one of the softer hardwoods, Merbau is a great timber for decking as it’s less prone to cupping and movement. People either love or hate the deep red tones of Merbau, and watch out as it leeches tannins more than just about any other timber. 

Blackbutt

A premium Australian hardwood with light tones that even give off a light pinkish appearance. It is also one of only several timbers that are often suitable for bush fire prone areas.

Rosewood

A common timber used in furniture making, Rosewood is also a great option for timber decks and screens.  While Rosewood does initially look quite yellow, it does fade overtime to a beautiful silvery grey colour if left untreated. Rosewood is a premium hardwood and you can expect to pay a premium price for it too.

Benefits of Timber

Timber Deck is Versatile

No other building material is as versatile as timber.  It can be cut, bent and shaped to suit any application.  It’s been great to see a resurgence in the popularity of full timber-built houses around Australia.  There’s always at least one (normally more) timber feature within our landscape designs.

Timber Deck Brings Warmth

One of the many reasons that timber is popular within landscape designs is the warmth it brings to any space. Often the landscapes around pools are naturally hard, cold and structural which makes timber an effective solution to bring warmth and soften the space. 

Timber is Environmentally-Friendly

Timber is by far one of the most environmentally friendly building materials as many other materials require larger energy inputs during manufacturing.  These same materials also require far more energy to dispose of, if they can be at all.

If you are opting to install timber decking in your backyard, consult Tuckerman Landscaping & Design. We are known to provide outstanding quality work and excellent communication with our customers.

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