It can be confusing for someone who is not familiar with buying wood lumber as to what the difference is between decking and lumber. For example, we offer both Ipe Lumber and Ipe Decking. They are similar but are meant for different final products and have different drying applied to each.
Decking is
- Decking is for exterior use as either: a decking slat, a milled T&G slat (tongue and groove) for porch decking, or milled to be used as exterior siding.
- Milled and ready to use – which means that it has smooth surfaces and finished edges compared to rough lumber.
- If it is Ipe decking, it can be Kiln Dried or Air Dried depending on how dry the environment is. As for Cumaru, Garapa, and Massaranduba, they are all Kiln Dried. We try to match the moisture content of the wood so it will adjust easily to the outdoor environment were it is being installed.
Lumber is
- Lumber is generally for interior floors, trim, and mouldings. Depending on the species, it can be used for exterior door and windows.
- Rough – which means that it not milled or cut down to specific size. Though upon your request, we can mill or cut the wood down for you.
- Our lumber is in random lengths and widths because it has been directly imported from the original overseas mill without finishing. If you are looking for specific sizes or lengths, we can find them for you, and cut them to match.
- All lumber is Kiln Dried, so that it can work well in an air conditioned or heated home interior. Since it is Kiln Dried, the dehumidified environment of a climate controlled home will not cause any issues. If the wood was of a high moisture content, then it could shrink or crack when brought into a climate controlled environment.
If you have anymore questions please feel free to ask below or contact us.