Deck Design of the Week

Tigerwood Decking Shines in New York

Learn from Deck Builder, Aaron Roberts, why Tigerwood decking is a great decking material to work with.

Building a Tigerwood deck is a rewarding experience. Many deck builders and homeowners choose this exotic hardwood because of its gorgeous golden brown colors and dark streaks. The fact that it is also more affordable and just as durable as the most expensive composite decking also adds to the luster of using Tigerwood decking. As you can see from the pictures, this Tigerwood deck design is truly unique. The hot tub area is spectacular at night and really shows how Tigerwood decking shines.

We’ve recently spoken with an expert deck builder in the Rochester, NY area, Aaron Roberts. We asked him what he thought of working with Tigerwood for this Rochester, NY home.

ATL: How long have you been a deck builder?

AR: We have been specializing in high end custom decks since the summer of 07, this will be our fourth full season.

ATL: What led you to choose Tigerwood for this deck project?

AR: The homeowner actually did the research and chose the product.  He was looking for a natural product that would be unique in his neighborhood, but more economic than Ipe.  I believe he was also attracted to the hidden fastener system.

ATL: Was this the first time you worked with Tigerwood?

AR: Yes.

ATL: Was it easy to work with?

AR: Yes, about the same as any decking that uses a hidden clip fastening system.

ATL: What tools did you use to cut and install the wood?

Our standard woodworking tools, I think we installed fresh saw blades.

ATL: How did the owners feel about the finished product?

AR: The homeowner’s love the deck, and so do their neighbors.  We were hired again about a year later to build the hot tub deck addition.

ATL: Would you work with Tigerwood again?

AR: Absolutely!

ATL: How was it to work with and order from Advantage Trim & Lumber?

AR: They made it very easy.  I filled out the quote form with the exact pieces I needed, they were purchased and on a truck in a couple of days, and arrived right at my job site.  Not a whole lot different than if I had just called up my local lumber supplier and ordered it.

Thank you, Aaron for your business, for taking the time to answer our questions, and especially for the wonderful pictures!

If you would like to buy Tigerwood decking, visit the Advantage Trim & Lumber Hardwood Store.

Buy Tongue & Groove Ipe Decking Today

Advantage Trim & Lumber now offers a quick, easy, and affordable way to find Ipe T&G. Now, buy tongue and groove ipe decking can be as easy as ordering a book from Amazon.com.

We have all the sizes you would need with the best prices:

• 1 x 4 Ipe T&G
• 1 x 6 Ipe T&G
• 1×6 +PLUS ® T&G
• 5/4 x 4 Ipe T&G
• 5/4 x 6 Ipe T&G

Lengths from 3 to 20 feet are available. And, if you have a custom order, you can always contact us directly:

You might be surprised to know that hardwood breathes. Well, not literally, but throughout the course of the year hardwood decking will absorb and release moisture from the air. This process makes the wood expand and contract. So, when installing hardwoods like ipe decking, it’s important to know how to properly space each deck board so that, when the wood does “breathe” you won’t run into problems such as a warping, or the deck boards butting up against one another.

Here’s our recommendation for Gap Spacing Ipe Decking:

Allow 1/16″ gaps between deck boards. This space is ideal for proper for air circulation, water drainage along with wood contraction & expansion.

For ipe decking, the average rate of shrinkage is roughly 1/16″ on 4″ wide boards and 3/32″ on 6″ wide boards.

Now that you know what gap spacing is good for ipe decking, you can install your deck with confidence knowing that you’re using the best hardwood for decking and that it will have a better chance of lasting over 40 years with no maintenance required.

Did you know that ipe decking makes great garden bridge material? Now, I am not just talking about the Brooklyn Bridge (which also uses ipe for its boardwalk). I am talking about building a bridge in your backyard area that goes over a pond, or garden. If you have seen those backyard renovation programs on television, you definitely know how a backyard bridge adds a ton of style and appeal.

So, when it comes to building a garden bridge, what makes ipe decking the best wood?

Like with any application, it all comes down to form, function, and price.

When it comes to looks, ipe decking looks the best both in the near and the long term. When you install ipe to make a bridge for your backyard, you will marvel at how gorgeous and, depending on whether or not you apply a deck finish like Ipe Oil™, how new it looks.

As far as function is concerned, no other hardwood will be as resilient to mold, decay, and termites than ipe. With the wood’s tight grain and natural oils, your bridge will have the best natural defenses against many common decking problems that plague other, inferior materials such as pressure treated, composites, or PVC decking.

As with most items you buy, you get what you pay for. And, when it comes to ipe bridge material, you get the combination of good looks and exceptional durability and more. No other hardwood bridge material gives you as high a ROI as ipe decking. How? When you factor in labor, resources, and materials, along with the years of maintenance free use, no other material comes even close.

Simply put, when you build an ipe garden bridge for your home, it will both outshine and outlast all other alternatives.

Ultimately, what does this mean for you?

If you buy ipe decking from Advantage Trim & Lumber, you will get premium grade ipe in many size options. We’ll even make sure that you order just the right amount of decking so that you save even more time and money.

Contact us today to order ipe decking for your garden bridge building project.

Brazilian Walnut flooring is a wonderful choice for any home. People mainly choose ipe for hardwood flooring because of the many benefits that this exotic wood provides.

For instance, did you know that this exotic flooring option is so dense that it does not need to be refinished as often as other, weaker, flooring options?

Also, thanks to it being a feature-rich 100% natural product, a floor made of ipe will last for decades and still look great.

Many people who have purchased ipe flooring have come back to us and said they had no idea how resistant to scratches and slivers their new hardwood floor actually was. Some of the many things said include how safe they feel now that they can let their children run across their floors barefoot. This peace of mind was a god-send to many moms and dads.

Of course, it was also nice to hear that they also loved the way their new floors looked.

Ultimately, if you’re looking to install flooring that is safe, durable, and beautiful, then you’ll do very well with ipe / Brazilian Walnut flooring.

Contact Advantage today to order both unfinished and pre-finished ipe flooring.

As you can see from this article, the selection of ipe decking from Advantage Trim & Lumber is second-to-none. Call today or buy ipe decking online.

Article snippet from the January, 2010 edition of Landscape Architecture Magazine. Thanks to everyone at Landscape Architecture.

We’re proud to introduce a new, easy, and affordable way to buy ipe decking.

After doing much research and upon the request of our loyal customers, we have developed a Hardwood Store unlike any other.

Currently, you can buy ipe decking from the comfort of your home. So, if at 2AM, you decide to build a deck, you can log into your personal account and buy ipe, deck tools, and accessories easily and securely.

The best part? Because you can now buy hardwood from the Advantage Trim & Lumber Hardwood Store today, you can save even more money due to really low hardwood prices.

We’ll be introducing more hardwood species in the coming months. In the meantime, you can call us directly to order or ask about any of the other hardwood flooring and decking options that are in stock right now.