Spring is here! Time to Start Thinking about your Deck.

With Spring freshly upon us here in the south, a lot of us are starting our spring projects.  For some this is getting the yard back into to a state of green with hints of bright colors added in for decoration.  Maybe it is dong some spring-cleaning inside and outside the house.  Or it could be you are tired of staring at the old deck in the backyard that has been attached to the house for an eternity.  Your project is to spring new life into your outdoor entertaining area.  You want you and your family to enjoy the wonderful outdoors this year having friends over for backyard bbqs, relaxing enjoying a great glass of wine while the sun sets with your favorite songs playing on the radio., or this is the last part of your list of improvements to your house.  Whatever the scenario is Thomas Lumber wants to be there to help you make the best decision so your new outdoor space is one you will enjoy for a long time.

 

Since we want to help you get the end results you are looking for we feel it is in our best interest to help make you a educated consumer about the many decking products on the market.  One of our big markets is the North Georgia and Atlanta suburbs.  Looking around the internet it is hard to find a place in these areas where a consumer can get all the information they need to build the deck of their dreams..  So here is a list of the available products we have in stock and sell on a regular basis. Listed for each are the general properties for each product along with the pros and cons.

 

Pressure Treated Pine

 

Pressure Treated Pine is one of the most popular decking choices for is durability to the hot, humid southern summers and for its low price.  Most of the pressure treated lumber sold in the southeast is Southern Yellow Pine.   Since Southern Yellow Pine is milled mainly in the southeast, our close proximity to these mills keeps the cost of the raw material low.  Southern Yellow Pine is strong and very durable.  It is the most widely chosen material for the structure and frame of a deck when using another material for the appearance parts.  Adding pressure treating to the pine doesn’t change it strong characteristics and makes it a more durable product.

 

Pros

• Strong and durable
• Pressure Treatment helps it be a long lasting product
• Accepts stains and color easily to blend with other home materials
• Easy to work with
• Cheapest decking option
• Some maintenance required to get the longest life out of deck (10+ years)
• Green, renewable building product

Cons

• Direct sunlight causes product to warp and twist
• Natural color has greenish/gold tint
• Lifespan for the deck is 5-10 years
• To install properly, installer needs to pay special attention to the grain
• Warranty is usually non-transferable and only applies to rot and decay

Cypress

 

Cypress is a great alternative to Pressure Treated Lumber for a deck.  It comes from a slower growing tree found in the wet, swampy areas of the East Coast.  Its tight growth rings help to give it characteristics very similar to Cedar and Redwood which make it more durable and stable.  The knots in Cypress are a small tight, knot.  Small knots on a deck is important for a deck because the knots soak up heat, which can be a pain to bare feet.   Installed Cypress creates a deck that looks as nice as Cedar or Ipe but without the high price of both.  This makes Cypress Decking a great choice for those in Atlanta who are looking for a deck upgrade that will give them a great looking deck for a long time but won’t break their budget.

 

Pros

• Strong and durable
• Tight Grain helps the product be stable and last
• Accepts stains and color easily to blend with other home materials
• Easy to work with
• Price is easy on the checkbook
• Charateristices are similar to cedar and redwood
• Green, renewable building product

Cons

• Direct sunlight can cause product to move without a proper seasonal maintenance on the deck.
• Medium maintenance
• Typical lifespan for the deck is 8-13 years
• To install properly, installer needs to pay special attention to the grain

 

 

 

Western Red Cedar

 

Western Red Cedar is one of the most common species of decking product used in the Atlanta area because of its great natural features.  Cedar comes from slow growth trees that grow tall and straight, giving the finished product a tight grain.  This one feature helps cedar to remain stable (resistant to warp, twist, or cup) once installed on a deck.  The tight grain along with the dark-colored heartwood give cedar a warm, rich look which is accented with the application of a deck stain.  Being a softwood it is easy to work with to yield great custom looks.  Plus we all love the smell of cedar.  A deck with cedar installed and basic maintenance will out last a pressure treated deck.

 

Pros

• Tight Grain helps the product be stable and last during hot Georgia summers
• Natural tanins and heartwood help resist rot and decay
• Accepts stains and deck sealers easily
• Lifespan for the deck is 10-15 years with some lasting 20+ years
• Easy to work with
• Green, renewable building product

Cons

• Price is usually double the price of pressure treated
• Yearly maintenance is recommended to get the maximum life out of the product.
• Recommend using stainless steel hardware to last as long as the deck

 

 

Ipê (Brazillian Walnut)

 

Ipê (prounouced E-pay) is a new product to the Georgia decking market.  This wood from Central and South America is one of the strongest wood products that is widely used for the main deck surface.  It features a rich look very similar to cedar but with more vibrant colors.  It is very strong and dense making it a great product for a commercial or high traffic decks.  It’s natural density makes it resistant to decay, rot, mold, fungus and insects.  Its density helps Ipe to require less maintenance than wood alternatives.  If left untreated its natural hues of red and amber will turn to a silvery grey color.  The one big negative to Ipe decking is its hardness.  It requires some special tools to simplify its install.

 

Pros

• Strong and durable
• Has the same fire rating as concrete
• Tight, dense grain makes the wood strength and resistant to flex
• Low maintenance with a beautiful grey look if left untreated
• Easy to restore to a clean, colorful look with slight cleaning and oil based sealant
• Deck will last a lifetime
• Hidden fastener system designed especially for Ipe Decking to give a cleaner appearance
• Green, renewable building product
• Outlasts composite decking

Cons

• Most expensive wood deck option
• Material is very heavy and deck frame needs additional bracing
• Hard to work with especially when a lot of cuts are needed
• End Wax needs to be installed to all cuts of the material
• Recommend using stainless steel hardware to last as long as the deck

 

At our Cumming, Ga location we have in inventory the largest selection of Cedar, Cypress, Ipe,  and Pressure Treated Pine decking products in Atlanta and North Georgia of any lumber retailer.  In our showroom we have displays setup showcasing the different products we sell so you can see what it will look like installed before you buy it.  We also have the largest selection of LED deck lighting to give any deck upgrade that extra pizazz.  Because of this inventory and our wholesale distribution channels we also sell these same products to South Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.  Give us a call or email when you are ready to upgrade your deck we can help you get the look you are looking for.