Softwoods Play Hardball
Timber decking became an object of desire when it was pioneered by Groundforce alongside Charlie Dimmock, but the industry is still in its early stages. Richard Stirling talks to American Softwoods European Director Eddie Pearce about the potential for designers to take timber outdoors.
WHEN IT COMES to building in timber, the US leaves this country behind. Timber is well established as the material of choice for the North American housebuilding industry, and this doesn’t stop at timber frame and cladding.
Although decking is a favourite with TV gardening and DIY programmes, the market is still an emerging one in this country, and has a lot to learn from its established US cousin. As a promoter of the US forestry and timber processing industry, learning from the US decking industry is a two-edged sword for American softwoods European director Eddie Pearce.
He tells TiC designing-in decking represents a shift in attitude to the way we live. “From the experience and results of the US market we recognise the value of creating what we deem outdoors living space,” he says, “rather than having a green patch or a patio. In our opinion, wood gives a warmer feeling and an opportunity to create nice designs as a follow on from the building, and our own experience has shown that even in smaller spaces you can be creative.”
The trail of the Southern Pine
Pearce says treated Southern Pine is competes best on performance and cost. Hardwood decks, he says, are expensive and, because of their hardness, difficult to install.
“In US states like Florida, every deck, walkway or marina is treated Southern Pine,” Pearce says. “One of the reasons for its popularity is it’s one of the strongest softwoods you can get.
“Most softwoods and many hardwoods don’t have its natural durability. That’s why many tropical hardwoods are used for decking.”
The timber is treated with either copper azole of ACQ to protect it from decay, and in the US, treated wood often comes with a lifetime guarantee of 25 years. Specifiers in the UK, however, don’t yet have that guarantee. Pearce explains that Southern Pine differs from European softwoods as the treatment runs right through the cross section of the wood.
Taking the strain
Pearce says UK designers have a lot to learn about the performance and capabilities of timber. “There’s a significant lack of knowledge about loads,” he says. “The designer often doesn’t take into account that the deck might have one person standing on it one day and 50 people the next day. Then there are things like plant pots to bear in mind; the design has to take into account the highest load the deck will take.”
For strength purposes, the most commonly used European softwoods usually have a grade of C16, Pearce says, whereas. Southern Pine has a higher load bearing capability of C18. This means if designers know they are going to have consistent load, they will have to keep spaces closer together when they use European softwood as a joist.
Specifying Southern Pine for decking is not necessarily to the exclusion of other timbers, Pearce claims. “When people are saying they want a hardwood deck, it can be that only the deck boards that are made from hardwood,” he says. “The sub-frame is usually something else, because the job would be too costly if whole deck to be made from tropical hardwood.”
Softwoods needle the groove
When it comes to the aesthetics of the decking, Pearce says he prefers smooth boards to grooved. “You won’t find any grooved boards in the US, and that will be for a good reason,” he says. “Ribbed boards were introduced into the market place on the claim that they are less slippery. But tests in Holland showed this isn’t the case. In winter when the grooves have filled up with water, the board will dry out much slower than a plain board. And when the water freezes, it will expand and will destroy the wood.”
The UK can take a lot of inspiration from its North American counterparts in terms of application, design and materials selection. One thing for the fledgling UK decking industry to avoid, Pearce says, isn’t North Americans, but cowboys.
“The only thing we are concerned about is the potential for cowboy builders like we saw in the early days of the double-glazing industry,” he says. “We ended up with a lot of poor quality installation. That’s why we got involved with the Timber Decking Association, who can assure us audited suppliers and installers.”
And with the assurance of quality contractors and strong, durable products, it is time that the UK decking industry got off the ground.
