A natural wood and very nice looking....

They rarely split and crack, but when they do...whatch out!... it's like lots of tiny razor blades, and they are very difficult to sand out.

Of course we are talking about Natural Hardwoods

Ipe, (pronounced "ee pay") hardwood decking has recently become a top choice for residential decks due to its low maintenance, attractive color, and very smooth surface. Very resistant to rot, insects, UV exposure, ice, salt, abrasion, splintering, and chemicals, Ipe is a heavy timber, approximately 64 lbs. per cubic foot when dry, and has a Class A fire rating that lasts over 25 years. You may have heard it called "Ironwood" because it is the longest lasting natural wood on the market. There are others, like "Tigerwood" however the life span has yet to be determined.

All hardwoods are very beautiful once installed, but, every type of wood has an advantage, or a disadvantage and unfortunately the disadvantages to owning an Ipe deck, is that it will require a little more maintenance such as annual staining to keep it looking beautiful. That means an extra annual cost to homeowners, also the cost of building with hardwoods are on the upper end of deck prices.

I hope this brief explanation on hardwoods was helpful to you in making your decision whether or not to use them when building your deck. Please call me if you would like me to discuss it further with you.

Latest Trend in Woods

Engineered wood, also called composite wood, "man made wood" , "manufactured wood", or “synthetic wood” includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding together the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers of wood, together with adhesives, to form composite materials. These products are engineered to precise design specifications which are tested to meet national or international standards.
Typically, engineered wood products are made from the same hardwoods and softwoods used to manufacture lumber. Sawmill scraps and other wood waste can be used for engineered wood composed of wood particles or fibers, but whole logs are usually used for veneers, such as plywood. Alternatively, it is also possible to manufacture similar engineered cellulosic products from other lignin-containing materials such as rye straw, wheat straw, rice straw, hemp stalks, kenaf stalks, or sugar cane residue, in which case they contain no actual wood but rather vegetable fibers.
Decking built from composite woods have much less maintenance than solid woods.
But like everything else in life, not all composites are equal. I have bee using them at Accent Deck Design for well over 10 years in Austin. I have experienced some problems associated with them from time to time in the past, but I still have faith in composites as they have evolved. Many issues that I had in the past have been corrected by the manufacturers.
If you decide to go with one of the many composite materials out there to construct your deck, I can help you decide which type to use, due to my many years of experience with them, as I do have a list of my favorites, with regard to how they perform.
So please call me if I can assist you.
James McDowell