| In choosing the species of lumber for exterior deking, | | | | the timber can vary quite significantly, even along a |
| one of the important considerations is the initial colour | | | | single plank - Spotted Gum is one such example. In |
| of the wood. Maybe you have solid wood hardwood | | | | other species such as Jatoba for example, the colour |
| flooring indoors and wish to create a smooth | | | | variation is not so great. And other species may have |
| transition to the exterior space. In this case you | | | | grain flecked with yellow, such a Cumaru for example. |
| would probably want to use a similar colour species | | | | And the source of the timber can have bearing on |
| on you deck. Or maybe you have a particular theme | | | | the timber color as well as the age of the actual |
| in mind for your deck which requires a bold | | | | trees. Jarrah from young trees for example is |
| statement and dark timber color. Or maybe it's a | | | | generally a salmon pink color compared with a darker |
| small courtyard where a light timber color is required | | | | red brown from more mature trees. |
| so as not to overwhelm the proportions or make the | | | | Remember also that several of the species can |
| space look even smaller. | | | | change color quite rapidly on exposure to sunlight - |
| Fortunately there's a wide range of suitable timber | | | | generally turning darker in color. Whilst Purpleheart for |
| species available with excellent durability | | | | example is initially purple in color, it will change to a |
| characteristics that span the entire colour spectrum - | | | | brown colour on extended exposure to sunlight. |
| from light straw, to pinks, to light browns, chocolate | | | | And of course no lumber species will retain its original |
| browns, dark brown, orange red and dark red/brown | | | | color forever. Without a regular regime of coating |
| - even purple. Just some of the hardwood species in | | | | with a good quality decking oil, the UV in sunlight will |
| these various color ranges that could be considered | | | | gradually cause the timber to fade to a soft grey |
| include: | | | | colour; some species more rapidly than others. |
| Light straw - Tallowwood, Blackbutt | | | | But even with the application of a good quality |
| Light/mid brown - Teak, Selangan batu, Cumaru, | | | | decking oil at regular intervals, you can only slow |
| Spotted gum. Merbau | | | | down this fading process. The only way to restore |
| Olive brown - Ipe, Grey Ironbark | | | | the colour of your decking is to sand back the |
| Chocolate brown - Bongossi | | | | surface to remove the weathered top layer of the |
| Red brown -, Jarrah, Karri | | | | wood. Some chemical based restoration preparations |
| Dark red - River red Gum, Red Ironbark, Forest Red | | | | are available, but generally they will be unable to bring |
| Gum, Jatoba | | | | the wood color back to its original brightness, but |
| Purple - Purpleheart | | | | leave a somewhat grey undertone. |
| Note however that for some species the colour of | | | | |