This replacing the entire deck or even the constant replacing of individual boards gets tiresome and somewhat expensive after awhile especially if you aren't very handy and have to hire a professional to do the work for you.
Cottagers are usually leary about installing composite decking because its not a natural product and can look fake, it also comes with it's own problems that natural products do not suffer from.
There is a product that has arisen in Canada that is perfect for our ever changing climate. It is called thermally modified wood.
What is thermally modified wood, it is wood that has been heat treated and compressed in a kiln until it collapses at a cellular level. The result is a piece of wood that is completely water impermeable. Because of the heating process the sugars are burn't out of the wood creating a brown colouring to the wood, if the decking is left untreated then it will simply fade to silver overtime like cedar does.
Since there is no way for water to penetrate the wood and there is no sugars left in the wood there is no way for the wood to rot and no food value for bugs to eat.
Thermally modified wood usually comes in Maple, Ash or Southern Yellow Pine.
Most thermally modified wood comes with a clip system that allows the decking to be installed without using face nails, leaving the decking free of nails or screws.
Thermally modified wood is becoming widely available in specialty decking stores and certain specialty contractors that work with the product.
If your looking for a deck that you will only have to install once then look at a thermally modified deck and spend your weekends at the cottage relaxing instead of working.
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes
Cottagers are usually leary about installing composite decking because its not a natural product and can look fake, it also comes with it's own problems that natural products do not suffer from.
There is a product that has arisen in Canada that is perfect for our ever changing climate. It is called thermally modified wood.
What is thermally modified wood, it is wood that has been heat treated and compressed in a kiln until it collapses at a cellular level. The result is a piece of wood that is completely water impermeable. Because of the heating process the sugars are burn't out of the wood creating a brown colouring to the wood, if the decking is left untreated then it will simply fade to silver overtime like cedar does.
Since there is no way for water to penetrate the wood and there is no sugars left in the wood there is no way for the wood to rot and no food value for bugs to eat.
Thermally modified wood usually comes in Maple, Ash or Southern Yellow Pine.
Most thermally modified wood comes with a clip system that allows the decking to be installed without using face nails, leaving the decking free of nails or screws.
Thermally modified wood is becoming widely available in specialty decking stores and certain specialty contractors that work with the product.
If your looking for a deck that you will only have to install once then look at a thermally modified deck and spend your weekends at the cottage relaxing instead of working.
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes
