Building Your Timber Deck: Hardwood, Softwood, or a Combination?

Deciding on the perfect variety of wood for your deck can be a difficult choice to make.

While there are a lot of different varieties within either type, the decision boils down to whether you would prefer to have a hardwood or a softwood deck.

There are benefits to both. With the information below, you'll be able to make an educated choice on the type of wood that you want to use in your deck.

Why Use Hardwood Timber for Your Deck?

If you're looking for something durable, then you really can't go wrong with a strong hardwood timber. If you want something that can take a real beating, you'll want one of our class 1 hardwoods.

Hardwoods come in four distinct levels of durability, with 1 being the most durable and 4 the least.

Every hardwood at Narangba Timbers is either class 1 or 2. Some examples of our native Australian class 1 timbers include red Ironbark, blonde Blackbutt, and brown Merbau.

Spotted Gum is another example of a very tough class 1 hardwood, and it comes in mixed colour.

Hardwood is the choice you want to go with if you want something tough and lasting, or if you want your deck to be one of the many eye-catching colours they come in.

Why Use Softwood Timber for Your Deck?

With a lighter colour scheme and a cheaper price, a good softwood can definitely end up being your preferred choice for your decking.

It's not at all a rare choice. With how durable and lightweight softwood is, along with its treated resistance to just about anything that could happen to it, from insect infestation to fungal problems, it's a very typical choice for any of your decking needs.

Eighty percent of all timber in the world is a softwood, including our native Australian celery top pine, white cypress, and hoop pine.

Softwood is the choice you want to go with if you want something easy to work with, lightweight, and less expensive.

Why Not Use a Combination of Hardwood & Softwood Timber?

The third choice is to use a combination of both. If you want a deck that is sturdy where it needs to be, while it's still lightweight and cost effective, then you might want to look into a deck that's primarily softwood with hardwood supports.

The hardwood supports can give your deck the longevity and durability it needs where it really counts, while the softwood exterior can be made affordably and lightweight.

A combination of both is the choice you want to go with if you want something that will last with a minimum of maintenance, while keeping the price down.

If you're interested in a deck made from any of our hardwoods, our softwoods, or a combination of both, please don't hesitate to contact us.