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DECKING Does anyone know where I can find center cut cedar for decking? It's also called vertical grain, or ... there's a third name that I can't remember now. I'm looking for 1"x foo, 1"x4" or 1"x6" would be ideal. They don't even need to be long, 6" is enough. I'm hoping for a better vendor than Home Despot. Thanks, -Will Quartersawn? Sounds like you're asking for heartwood, cut so the board width is radial. This reduces wood movement due to moisture, and (depending on the wood) looks prettier. It's also a less efficient cut of the tree and more desirable, therefore more expensive. If you want quartersawn for the reduced movement and not the aesthetics, you might want to reconsider whether it's worth the extra $. Decks are subject to huge moisture swings, so they're going to move regardless. It'd probably be better to design in allowances for movement, and spend a little more on water-seal. If it IS for the aesthetics, the scrooge in me wants to put in a nice border and leave the field plain. But your wallet will guide you. Check New England Hardwoods in Littleton: 978-486-8683 They're just off 495 and 2. I saw a truckload of gorgeous mahogany pulling up the last time I was out there. For that matter, any lumberyard worth its salt should special-order it if you're getting enough for a real deck and can wait. --dca I was only worried about petty and that it doesn't get sharp and start to peel over time. It also feels good under bare feet. Hrm... thanks for the info. --Will Or just go with Trex, which is a plastic/sawdust mixture. Works with standard woodcutting tools. Or one of the other plastic decking materials. Wood and water just don't mix. --russ nelson is it convincing as wood like thing? How does it compare to pressure treated lumber in cost? --Will On casual inspection it looks like wood, only there's no grain, and no splinters. It also lies flat, so the surface of the deck is smoother. Dunno about cost. --russ nelson Try New England Wholesale Hardwoods, at www.floorings.com. (we're redoing their website.) They have a lot of sources of good variety woods, and decking, dimensional lumber (1x foos), and mouldings. Nice guys. --Liz I sent this out a while ago in regards to raised beds. It is from Kitchen
Gardener magazine (http://www.taunton.com/kg/features/techniques/wood/3.htm) I called several Connecticut lumberyards to see what was available and how much it would cost to buy 24 board feet, enough to build an 8 ft. by 4 ft. raised bed. I've listed the lowest price I could find for each material. Stock is 2x10 unless otherwise noted. Local availability may differ. The years of expected service are ballpark figures, and could be lengthened or shortened by climate. 1. CCA pressure-treated wood-- $33. More than 40 years. 2. ACQ pressure-treated wood-- $38. Longevity similar to CCA. Look for the new ACQ Type D with built-in water repellent, and buy only wood with a retention rate of 0.40 for ground contact. As of this writing, there are only about 170 dealers in 21 states, with good distribution in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. If you're interested in ACQ but can't find a source, ask your local lumberyard to start stocking it. For dealer information call 704/522-0825. 3. Redwood-- $62 for construction heartwood grade. 15 to 25 years. Heartwood is where the rot-resistant compounds are concentrated. Avoid construction common grade, which contains sapwood, and like any non-durable wood, would last only a few years with ground contact. Construction heartwood is primarily a product of young-growth timber, not old-growth "guilt wood." 4. Western red cedar-- $76 for knotty cedar. 15 to 25 years. Only one place I called had knotty cedar; most carry only high-quality clear grade, which is too costly for garden use. 5. Cypress-- $36 for a 12-in.-high bed made from 1- 1/2 x 6 decking stock. Longevity of first-growth cypress is comparable to CCA; second-growth cypress is moderately decay resistant. Cypress grows in the southeastern U.S., particularly along the coast, in wet, swampy conditions. A compound called cypressene gives the wood its admirable rot resistance. As with other durable species, look for heartwood. Not widely available outside its range, but at least one source, The Wood Cellar, Ltd., of Savannah, Georgia, will ship anywhere (800/795-9114, www.woodcellar.com). Call the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association at 412/ 829-0770 for more dealer information. 6. Trex-- $88. Trex is a manufactured lumber product made from waste hardwood fiber and reclaimed plastic grocery bags. It carries a reclaimed plastic grocery bags. It carries a 10-year warranty against decay, splintering, or cracking due to weather. Trex has been on the market only nine years, but in accelerated-age tests it racked up an expected life of at least 28 years. It has a dense, even texture and is heavier than wood. Hot weather may compromise rigidity, due to a plastic content of about 50% and a lack of continuous wood fibers running the length of the boards. A company engineer recommends reinforcing the long sides of a raised bed by placing stakes every 2 ft. or 3 ft. to prevent bowing. Call 800/289-8739 or go to to www.trex.com to find a dealer near you. --scott Trex doesn't have a particularly nice wood-like feel; you can check it out at Gread Meadows Nat'l Wildlife Reserve in Concord. They use it for some walkway construction. Also along the Minuteman walking/riding trail across the bogs, but there they use real wood for the treads for some reason. Peeling (cracking) would be more a result of the type and quality of lumber you use, and how religious you are about treating it. Just make sure you secure it down with freedom to move, and it shouldn't split. Trex would make more sense where it comes in contact with soil, since it's very resistant to pests and rot. But I presume you will be building the deck on concrete footings, so that shouldn't be an issue. Redwood is wonderful stuff, but you'd have to put up with snide comments from passive-aggressive environmentalists. And any misgivings you might have yourself. (Most redwood forests are pretty carefully managed nowadays.) Very rot-resistant, and doesn't give splinters. THE traditional deck material. From Stuart's prices and my expectations, cedar would be the most expensive alternative. And that's before you get to the quartersawn part. --dca Jackson Lumber in Lawrence is a good source for lumber. In Wellsley is Deal's. ---Ben So, I called New England Hardwoods and they recomended using Combara, something like mahogany. The cool thing is that it's only $.80 /lf, as oppsed to $1.46 for redwood. We'll see what it looks like next wednesday. -Will |
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