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Tigerwood decking

architype | Posted in General Discussion on July 3, 2008 12:35pm

Hello,

 

I’m a first time user and look forward to many future discussions.

My question is has anyone out there had first hand experience installing Tigerwood decking?  I have a client that has aprox. 2500 sf of porches and deck and I have been reasearching options, and so far I like the properties of tigerwood.  I have never installed it, but the website comparison to Ipe states that it is slightly less dense than Ipe so it is easier to work with and easier on blades and bits.  It also can be ordered milled to use the Ipe hidden fastener system.  Has anyone used this system and if so, what are the negatives?  I have about 500 sf of screened porch where we want to use T&G tigerwood.  any negatives with this system?  It claims to be at least 20 year product, and it is less expensive than Ipe, (still not cheap, though).

The grain patterns of tigerwood are more varigated than Ipe, (hence the name), and it is a lighter color so it should not be as hot on bare feet.

Thanks…look forward to your replies. 

Reply

Replies

  1. DougU | Jul 03, 2008 03:46am | #1

    Arch

    I have never heard of tigerwood for decking so I googled it, pretty neat stuff.

    Dont know anything about it but here's a pic and a bump!

    View Image

    Doug



    Edited 7/2/2008 8:46 pm ET by DougU

    1. architype | Jul 03, 2008 05:00am | #2

      Thanks for the pic.  I really like the way it looks, but this project is big and I don't want to commit until I'm confident it is the best choice.  Client wants low maint., good looks, hates trex and any other synthetics he has seen or I have shown him. Has a friend w/ Ipe and says it is OK, but doesn't thrill him for the money.  Hope I can find someone w/ good testimonial so we can move on.  He trusts me and I don't want to disappoint, he can lead to many other quality projects.

      1. Dave45 | Jul 03, 2008 05:10am | #3

        You might want to show your customer Doug's picture before you spend much more time researching Tigerwood.  It's definitely beautiful, but 2500 sq ft of it is gonna be noticeable 'cause it sure ain't subtle. - lol

        1. joewood | Jul 03, 2008 05:40am | #4

          I haven't heard much negative about tigerwood, and have never seen it myself, but I'd be a little hesitant about using any wood outdoors with such a wild grain pattern.http://woodsshop.com/

  2. hipaul | Jul 03, 2008 06:18am | #5

    I've only used Tigerwood on one small deck (80 sq. ft.), but it definitely machined a lot easier than Ipe. I've always liked Ipe or Masaranduba because of their more uniform look and color, and I really didn't like Tigerwood when I first started seeing it, but I've grown to like it a lot and am just about to do a larger deck in it in a month or two for some other folks.

    It silvers out nicely after a while, and you won't see the tiger stripes at that point any way.

    I've been getting it FSC certified from a supplier here in Portland, OR.

    http://www.environmentalhomecenter.com/shop.mv?CatCode=PRODUCT&ProdCode=FSC_TROPICAL_DECKING

    I have not used it pre-milled so I can't vouch for that, though I used a biscuit jointer on it for Eb-Ty hidden fasteners and it worked just fine, a lot easier to cut than Ipe.

    Paul

    1. architype | Jul 03, 2008 03:22pm | #8

      Thanks for the info.  We are planning to let it weather, but if the client wants we will experiment with stain/sealer combinations on some scraps to see the effect on the grain.  I saw the Ipe concealed fastener system at the website for Tigerwood and there is a supplier out of NY that carries the wood FSC certified and the fastening system, (http://www.advantagelumber.com).

      The prominent grain doesn't bother me, but I could see where it might get busy in large quantities.

  3. davidmeiland | Jul 03, 2008 07:12am | #6

    We just did a purpleheart deck, and have done ipe 3-4 times in the past. Installing hardwood decking is tediously slow. You could build 10 Trex decks in the time it takes to install one hardwood deck. Boards that are at all non-straight present a major challenge, and predrilling and screwing everything takes forever. Buy a couple of new cordless drills and impacts and warn your client to expect a huge bill.

    1. moltenmetal | Jul 03, 2008 03:00pm | #7

      What's your client doing to resist oxidation/fading of the purpleheart?  I used some for decorative wedges/pegs/plugs on an outdoor project and found they went off-colour pretty quickly.

      1. davidmeiland | Jul 03, 2008 04:00pm | #9

        It's turning grey... not a problem.

  4. JasonQ | Jul 03, 2008 07:40pm | #10

    I would look at Garapa (apuleia macrocarpa).  Got mine from East Teak in South Carolina, but it's available elsewhere as well.  Little bit softer (and a good bit cheaper) than ipe, more uniform in color than Tigerwood.  It's a light brown in color with some ribbon figuring.  I built a 16x16 deck out of it last year and it was pretty easy to work with.

    Jason

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