Wooden terrace: which species to choose?

Today I will tell you about wooden terraces and above all I will help you choose the type of wood that you need.

Wooden terraces are popular for natural side that they lead into the garden and the fact that it is pleasant to walk on them barefoot.
But be careful, you must not make a mistake in choosing the species you want, both from an aesthetic point of view because not all woods have the same appearance, but also from the point of view of solidity and durability over time. However, it would be a shame to invest in a terrace with poor quality wood and have to redo it in 10 years!

I will introduce you to the different types of wood on the market, the different options such as fixings and some tips for correct construction and maintenance. Here we are!

The different types of wood

European wood

Treated European wood

THE pin it is the most used wood in the garden because of its low cost : for concealment panels, containers and planters, shelters and obviously for terraces. It is autoclavedit is a process during which a treatment product is injected under high pressure into the wood. This allows the wood to resist bad weather and therefore be able to be used outdoors.

It must be said that it is not very environmentally friendly although some manufacturers have made great efforts to use a chromium-free treatment product.

Aesthetically speaking we will have a light wood (sometimes a little green due to the autoclave treatment, but this fades over time).

Durability-wise, that’s where it hangs. Pine is not a very dense wood (it is not very hard), so it will have a shorter lifespan compared to more compact species. Its longevity will also depend on its installation, the quality of the wood and the treatment.
Furthermore, it is a wood that poses some problems with splinters, especially in the case of entry-level blades.

THE fir it is also used for terraces and has properties similar to pine.

Untreated European wood

With the opening of awareness on ecological aspects and the desire to use wood from our regions or from countries close to ours, we have seen other European woods come onto the market which are naturally rot-proof (therefore they do not require chemical treatments).

This is the case of larch which is a fairly light wood, with colors ranging from yellow to red.

THE black locust (false acacia) is receiving more and more popularity. Present to much higher hardness than other woods mentioned previously, it therefore has significantly better resistance over time. However, victim of its success, it is not always easy to achieve. Also in this case a fairly light color in shades of yellow is obtained.

Exotic wood

Exotic woods appeared a few years ago. At that time, hard, untreated European woods, such as black locust, were rarely used, so exotic woods were an alternative to pine, because they were without treatment and with good resistance over time. However, the long transportation to import them into France and the deforestation problems that occurred before the industry was better managed (it still depends on the species and country of origin) have meant that some consumers have avoided them.

One of the exotic woods that has been on the market for a long time and therefore has proven itself isipe. It’s a very hard woodwith almost no knots for a beautiful aesthetic and brown colour Heat. Since its commercialization, legal channels have been activated to certify the origin of this wood and the way in which the forests are managed.

There are other exotic species: bangkirai, jatoba… But I advise you to use tested woods, on which you have several years of experience, to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Composite wood

The wood is composite is a mixture of wood and resin. This material, not exactly natural, was created to meet consumer expectations: to have a hard wood, which is difficult to move and which does not fade (see the interviews section for more information).

Since it is a manufactured product, it is found in many many colors : different shades of brown obviously to make it look like natural wood, but also grays and other more original (or more unlikely!) colors. We also have the possibility to choose the appearance of the blades: almost smooth, grooved or with grain reminiscent of wood.

Several manufacturers share the market and we find some of them at all prices and all qualities. For a terrace, I advise you to take solid blades and not alveolar which would tend to deform more easily over time. Also check the warranties offered by the supplier, this will give you an idea of ​​the durability.

You see, precisely because of the type of wood, you have the choice: treated European wood such as pine at low prices, untreated European wood with different qualities depending on the species but not always easy to find in DIY stores (find a sawmill directly or a retailer specializing in the wood you are interested in), very resistant exotic wood but coming from very far away, or even composite wood, not really wood but with very limited maintenance.

Now that you have selected the type of wood you are interested in, all you have to do is choose the type of fastening and the finish of the blades. Follow the leader!

The finishes

Fixing

There are two solutions available for fixing the terrace slats: visible or invisible fixing.

THE visible fixings I’m the vis very simply. If they are positioned correctly, the top of the head is level with the wood, so there is no risk of tripping over them. Also note that visible fixation does not mean ugly. A beautiful alignment of vines on your terrace can have the most beautiful effect!

If you prefer a invisible fixationThere are two possibilities available to you.

Ces clip in which wooden strips specially designed for insertion are fitted: they are grooved laterally for inserting the clip. My advice: prefer metal clips which are much more resistant than wooden or plastic ones. Another thing, low quality wooden slats (I’m not talking about composite) that are grooved laterally tend to deform more easily, pay attention to this when choosing.

The alternative to clips for invisible fastening is cal metallic which is screwed under the slats and then onto the joists. You don’t see anything but it takes longer to set up.

Smooth or ribbed top

We are used to seeing ribbed blades, but there are also smooth ones with a completely different look.

Only aesthetics should guide the choice because, contrary to popular belief, these streaks do not make the wood less slippery (see maintenance section), on the contrary, on the contrary, dust tends to accumulate inside it.

The interview

Is the wood slippery? Impostor!

We often think that a wooden terrace is slippery. This can happen but it’s not the wood’s fault! I also recommend you try it on a new terrace, even if wet it is not very slippery.

What can make wood slippery are dust and dirt that are deposited on it (as on any material). Furthermore, if you clean it regularly with a jet of water and a brush, you will keep your terrace usable in all weather conditions.

Discoloration

In addition to composite wood, all species, both European and exotic, turn gray over time under the effect of UV rays. This has no impact on the durability of the terrace, it is purely aesthetic. Therefore, if you want to maintain the original color, you will need to use a suitable treatment product regularly (in most cases, every year).

The implementation Å“Work

I will not talk to you in detail about the creation and structure of a wooden terrace, firstly because it is not the subject of this article and secondly because the scenarios are very numerous depending on whether you have an existing concrete slab, whether you intend to place the terrace on pedestals, whether it is an above ground terrace, depending on the type of wood…

What I can advise you is to always do it follow the supplier’s recommendationsespecially if it is composite wood. This allows you to take advantage of all the possibilities for a structure that holds up, but above all, in the event of a problem, it is the only way to make the after-sales service work. If you did not follow the instructions, you will be told that you are solely responsible for the poor performance of the entire operation.

One more thing, the deck boards are attached to the joists (joists), I advise you to do thisuse the same type of wood for the slats and joists. Wood, in fact, is a living material that moves slightly under the effect of changes in temperature and humidity. A rather soft European wood and a hard exotic wood do not move in the same way. However, if you install exotic wood slats on pine joists, deformations do not occur evenly and there is a risk of the fixings coming loose!
Furthermore, it allows you to do so uniform aging decking and structure. It would be a shame to install composite wood guaranteed for 25 years on pine guaranteed for 10 years and have to redo the entire structure with the boards still in good condition.

Wood, a living material

Finally, I remind you that wood is a living material (except composite). Him gray with time (and even new, not all blades have the same color), it move slightly with the seasons, it may also FendillerEuropean woods have knots… This is all normal and you need to know this if you want a natural wooden terrace. Otherwise, look at composite wood.

And you, do you have a wooden terrace?