Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - yet another decking?

Anyone have, use, or build a deck with Siberian Larch decking? Pros/cons, etc.

Also, is there a difference in the 2x material purchased from the big box home centers vs local lumber yards (besides cost)?

Thanks

I've never used "Siberian Larch decking".

Lumber yards stock 20' lengths. Big box stores usually don't. Most lumber yards offer 2 kinds of PT lumber (ACQ and Borate treated). Big box stores tend to offer only one or the other. Lumber yards usually have a larger selection of 4X sizes. You usually drive right to the pile at a lumber yard, rather than having to handle the boards twice and struggle getting them moved around inside the store. And, at least around here, the price difference is minimal.

What about golden garapa hardwood for decking? It too is suppose to be a lighter colored species and hold up just as well as ipe or cumaru.

Regarding the quality of lumber from the different places, which has a better quality? Or do they both have good quality, it's just with a lumber yard your more likely to find less "defective" boards than at a big box store? ie. the big box stores require more sifting through the stock to get hte amount of good boards then at a lumber yard.

Thanks

gryghst72,

I haven't installed a wood deck of any species in over 5 years. Everybody is going with composites.

What's available around here for wood decking is redwood and the exotics, like Ipe and mahogany. The problem with redwood is that it's $2.50/lin.ft. -- composites run from $2 to $3 per lin.ft. My customers are paying the same for either, but they don't have all the maintenance if they go with a composite.

They shy away from the exotics because of the labor it takes to install it. Everything has to be pre-drilled and hand screwed. It takes 3 times as much time to install 1,000 sq. ft. of an exotic as it takes to install a composite with a stand-up screw gun. At $60 a man hour, the cost becomes prohibitive for them.

There's really no difference in the quality of lumber between a lumber yard and a big box store, AS LONG AS you are looking at the same grade of lumber. #2 & btr Doug Fir has to meet the same grading standards regardless of WHO the retailer is. Big box stores will have some items (like 2X3's) which will cost less than a 2X4, but they aren't code approved for anything.

Thanks again for all your input. Since I am doing the decking, labor cost is not an issue for me. Only the maintenance afterwards. I don't mind having some maint. (like washing/scrubbing the deckboards every year or so) as that is part of homeownership, kinda like having to wash your windows or pressure wash your driveway every so often. Just part of the package. From what I have read, hardwoods have a higher maint. schedule than PT pine to keep the "new-wood-look". But if I let it weather naturally, it will turn grey to silver (sort of like a patina on copper) and protect the wood that way.

As for the sub-structure lumber, it sounds like I can over-order from the big box store and just return the boards not used (ie. unusable) when the project is finished and save some money that way.

You have a great forum here. Hope you can keep it running for many years to come.