4 Things To Look At With Deck Lumber

[Posted on May 12th, 2014 by Aaron Presley]

Once you have decided that you are going to build a deck in your backyard, you have to explore the various materials. Deck lumber needs to be strong enough to withstand all of the conditions that it is going to be up against. As such, there are several things that you need to look at before you purchase just any lumber.

One of the first things to do is look at where your deck is located. If you are on the water, it may be subjected to salt water, even if it is indirectly. This is because you are going to have the wind blowing the water at your deck. You will want to take this into consideration so that you can buy treated wood.

If you are planning on doing a lot of building, including a retaining wall, you may want to buy treated wood in bulk. This will allow you to build the wall and the deck with the same material. You can also purchase bulkhead material at the same time to ensure you have all of the necessary materials to build on your property.

Another thing to look at is what color you want the wood of your deck to be. This is going to have an impact on the deck lumber that you choose. If you plan on doing a clear coat, you want to be sure you buy the right wood to get the color that coordinates best with your home. For example, oak is going to give you something much lighter than the dark red hues of mahogany.

Choosing the supplier is something you have to look at as well. You want to find a lumber yard that will answer your questions, provide you with tips on how to build a deck, and everything else that you may need throughout the building process so that you are not without support.

A final thing to look at is the cost of the materials. You need quality lumber, but you also want to be sure you get a good price. It’s never a bad idea to call a few different lumber yards to get quotes. This will help you to find out who has the best price as well as who is going to deliver so that you don’t have to pick it all up yourself.

You don’t have to get all of the deck lumber on your own. When you work with an experienced lumber yard, you can ask questions in order to gain guidance. This makes it easy to buy with confidence because someone is helping you to choose a wood that is the color and strength that you require. Once you have the lumber, you can then build a beautiful deck off the back of your home.