The lowdown on hardwood decking

ll.-THANCES ARE the decking you \-zstock is redwood, cedar or another pressure treated softwood. But in times of dwindling softwood supplies, some hardwoods are coming on the scene to provide a unique look and extra strength.

Due to price, properties and availability, domestic hardwoods are generally best utilized in interior applications. But overseas exterior hardwood products including decking have been around for years. The Caribbean and Australia have long used hardwood for decking, while Malaysia, with suitable hardwoods in abundance, always has.

But hardwood decking's presence domestically is becoming more noticeable, especially in largescale marine-related projects: decking at the New Jersey State Marina, the boardwalks at New Jersey's Ocean Park and New York's Coney Island, the promenade at Long Island's Northport Marina, the nature walk at Florida' s Everslade National Park.

In such applications, the choice is often ip€ from Central and South America, known for its incredible strength, beautiful olive-brown color with light and dark streaks, and for making exceptional decking.

Alyce Robinson, West Coast representative for Pau Lope brand ip6 from Brazll, says when the decking is first applied it looks like a "gorgeous brown cherry hardwood floor. It can be finished to maintain that appearance or left unfinished to weather to a nice gray."

The wood's high strength allows decking to be produced 1x4 or, more common for the West Coast, 5/4x6. "You can use less wood because it can be milled thinner. 1x4 spans 16" on center, and it's solid as a rock," she says. "It's so dense, it has a natural fire rating. It doesn't cup or warp, there are no sap pockets or knots, and it's clear on three sides."

Like other hardwoods sold domestically as decking, it is about double the price of standard pressure treated wood and comparable if not less in price than top grades of softwoods.

Merbau from Madagascar, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia also makes good decking, with its interlocking, sometimes wavy grain and yellowish-brown color which darkens to dark red-brown.

Contact International. Portland. Or., offers radius edge decking made of Philippine mahogany. Like other decking hardwoods, it lacks the defect

Story at a Glance

The advantages and shortcomings of hardwood decking ... willwe see more?

structure of softwoods. "You get a clear product, without a lot of knots, no raised grain, no splinters," says hardwood specialist Don White, White Bros., Oakland. Ca. "It's beautifu1."

Similarly, the species is naturally durable, holds paint and stain well, and resists rot, decay, insect attack and splitting. In application, the key is to remember you're working with a hardwood. "If you don't treat it like a hardwood, you're in trouble," White says. "You have to seal it all the way around previous to installation, to protect it from moisture."

In some areas with extreme temperatures, screws are required as opposed to nails. "In California, it gets too darn hot out here and it starts moving around," he explains.

White forecasts a bright future for Philippine mahogany and other hardwoods in decking: "Redwood is a wood of the past. It'll be hard to get in 10 years. Cedar is limited cut and it's soft. Philippine mahogany performs better, and it's on sustained yield so there's a lot more of it growing. I foresee nothing but growth."

rl'tHE lumber industry isn't the only I business with its own sawmills, wood technicians and craftsmen. Consider the automobile industry.

Fine wood has always been a basic business for Jaguar, which typically retails its cars between $55,000 and $71,000. "With all the pieces laid out, there's about a yard and a half of wood on an XJ6 and almost two square yards on a Vanden Plas," noted Terry Williams, superintendent of Jaguar's sawmill at Coventry, England. "We measure it in meters. of course, and we use from 8,000 to 10,000 square meters every month, depending on production."

Nowadays. Jaguar's mainstay is walnut, all imported from the Sacramento. Ca.. area. The auto maker also uses bird's-eye maple in its sport vehicles like the XJR, shipped in from forests on the U.S.Canadian border.

"We are one of only a few companies in the world that still does boxwood inlay," said Williams, who buys the veneer and helps develop parts while managing the mill at Brown's Lane. "On the Vanden Plas, the wood is inlaid with a gold line in it, and that is the natural color of boxwood. All of the inlays are done by hand, which is the only way this task can be accomplished."

Of particular interest to the 300 visitors who tour the mill each week is the veneering process performed by 190 full-time craftsmen. Williams said, "We have everything from cabinetmakers to polishers, and most of them would be just as much at home with fine furniture as working on high quality car interiors."

The cabinetmakers cut. inspect, prepare and mount the veneer, laboriously matching grain to ensure each side of the dash mirrors the other. They use three distinctive grades of walnut, depending on the model, with a unique matched set for each vehicle. "What we've got here," he said, "is traditional woodworking skills married to the best available technology."

The latest technology is integral in the substrate that underlies the glossy trim. Williams said Jaguar searched the globe for the optimal way to produce the wood portion of the interior and decided on a system that builds up layers so light, yet stable, parts can provide a suitable surface for applying the finishing lacquer. The sophisticated, German-produced lacquer is sprayed on in three coats to build up