To measure the wood’s stability, you need to know their tangential and radial shrinkage percentages. Both of these properties pertain to how much wood species tend to shrink during the drying process.

1. Domestic and Exotic Decking Materials
People, when deciding to purchase decking materials usually only consider two things: the
appearance of the wood and its cost. The most important factor however, and also the most
overlooked, is the wood’s structural stability. People need to know that the stability of the
wood is more important than its appearance and cost, because if you unfortunately make
the mistake of choosing an unstable decking material, the deck boards will easily be at risk
of warping or checking which refers to the curling of boards inwards and to the cracking and
splitting of the ends of deck boards, respectively. When these happen to the boards, they
will cost you not only money but a lot of time to fix and repair them as well. Therefore,
when choosing a decking material, it is important that you take into consideration the
stability of the wood species. Their stability is very easy to measure and there are
predetermined properties of wood species that could help you ascertain the wood’s stability
and durability. You need to get the best quality ipe decking for use in a variety of outdoor
applications and keep the natural feel you always wanted.
To measure the wood’s stability, you need to know their tangential and radial shrinkage
percentages. Both of these properties pertain to how much wood species tend to shrink
during the drying process. As mentioned earlier, the properties are measured in
percentages and the lower the percentage the better because it means that the wood will be
less likely to shrink during the drying process and will be more dimensionally stable during
installation. Radial and tangential shrinkage percentages are individual properties that hold
their own importance. However, it is better to correlate these two properties together to
measure a wood’s stability. The smaller the differential between the two measurements, the
better—it means that the wood is more stable.
Decking materials are divided into two types: domestics and exotics. Domestics are
generally considered softwood. They are less dense, less hard and have restrictions on
weight. However, there are still kinds of wood categorized under softwood that are
considered great decking options. These are Western Red Cedar which is known for its
strength, stiffness and high density, which also has a tangential shrinkage of 5% and a
radial shrinkage of 2.4% and the California Redwood which has a tangential shrinkage of
4.9% and radial shrinkage of 2.2%. As you may notice, Redwood’s percentages are lower
than that of Cedar; however, if you consider their differential, Redwood is 0.1% larger
which means that Cedar is more stable than Redwood.
Then, there are the exotics. Exotics are heavier and denser but they also have higher
tangential and radial shrinkage percentages. But before you shun them away, you have to
consider their differentials. Some exotics have lower differentials than their domestic
counterparts; therefore, despite their higher shrinkage percentages, you can be assured
that they are more structurally stable. Some examples of exotics are IPE and Merbau. IPE
lumber has a tangential shrinkage of 8%, a radial shrinkage of 6.6% and a 1.4%
differential. This differential value is more than acceptable and because of IPE wood
decking’s properties which include high density, strength and stiffness, it is generally
suitable for decking purposes. Merbau, on the other hand has a tangential shrinkage of
4.6%, a radial shrinkage of 2.7% and a 1.9% differential. These values are still considered
excellent which makes it a good decking wood option as well.
Based on the values, Cedar is more stable than Redwood and Merbau is more stable than
IPE wood decking. But between Merbau and Cedar, although their shrinkage percentages
are almost the same, the differential of Merbau is smaller which makes it the better choice.
However, one inconvenient property of Merbau is that it bleeds. When it gets wet, it will
bleed a red color from its wood and can stain any light colored surface including driveways,

2. porches, cars, etc. To minimize the bleeding, you will need a high-quality wood sealer and it
would be best to not install it over spaces which might be ruined by its bleeding.
Furthermore, while all of these values are certainly important, you should also consider the
density of the wood. The higher the density of the wood, the better because it is density
which protects the wood against mold, insects and rapid changes in temperature. So,
although Merbau has a lower differential value than IPE, most consumers still choose IPE
over Merbau because of its higher density. Besides, nobody would want a decking material
that is bleeding. Which type of decking material would you prefer? Share them with me in
the comments below!
Remodel your house with quality flooring choices and get a natural and add a natural
character to any environment.