No more excuses: it’s time to lay wood flooring even on the outside. It is indeed our own garden asking for it, in order to recreate that calm and refreshing environment. Forget about those heavy cover or hi-tech surfaces. The only light, flexible and natural solution is decking.  We already talked about the nultiple advantages of owning an outdoor wood flooring. We even told you that keeping it healthy for a long time is easy and cheap. Now we would like to give you some suggestions so that you can choose the right species.

Outdoor wood, let’s ask some questions!

First thing to do: what do you expect from your outdoor wood floor? In particular, ask yourselves these questions:

1) Appereance: would you rather have visible screws or invisible clips? Would you prefer soften colour or strong shades?

2) Weight capacity: is it just going to be laid for an aestethic purpose or is it going to sustain something heavy?

3) Space: do you need to cover a large surface or smaller?

4) Durability: do you want a fixed layout or just a temporary one?

Take this into account and you will have a better idea on the choice of the wood species, as different combinations of these answers could lead to a different outcome. In the end, ask some advise to a professional: they will be your best guide in choosing. For now, we will give you an overall idea of the aspects you should take into account in order to be prepared.

There’s wood and wood. The “Unbeatable 5”

Key word here is just one: durability. Therefore, in choosing the wood species for your enviroment, weather resistance is definitely the most important factor to take into consideration. Then there is the dimensional stability: the resistance of the wood when in artificial changes. Exotic woods are ideal in this case. Some of our national wood species are great as well. The following are the best five in our opinion.

The exotic species

Let’s start with four exotic woods, natural resistant.

1 – IPÈ (Brasile-Paraguay-Sud America)

The colour varies from brown to olive green. It is the most used wood species for decking in the world and it is suitable for both small and large surfaces, with high stepping traffic and different type of usage.

2 – TEAK INDONESIANO (Indonesia)

Its colour varies from light yellow to bronze. Its natural oleoresin makes it extremely durable and pest resistant. It is perfect to design a decking for prestigious buildings. It is particularly valued for its dimensional stability, water resistance and beauty that make Teak a unique wood species.

3 – BANGKIRAI (Malesia e Indonesia)Its highly effective hardness makes it perfect for outdoor flooring such as bridges and piers. It presents itself with fine texture and woven fibre, multiple veins and different chromatic gradations.

4 – CUMARÚ FSC* (Sud America)

The most appreciated exotic wood species varies from a brownish-yellow to reddish – brown colour with darker veins. Its characteristics suits every type of usage. It is in fact chosen not only for outdoor flooring but also for structures such as piers and shipbuilding, railway sleepers, and for carpentry. It is highly resistant to insects attacks and belongs to class A reaction to fire classification, comparable to concrete or steel.

Thermo-treated

In recent years, some species have also entered the market with a lower natural durability, which can be easily increased with interventions such as heat treatment. The process involves a controlled drying cycle that modifies the basic physical and mechanical properties and brings durability to a comparable level with that of the most resistant woods. Our choice in this case is just one.

5 -THERMO-TREATED ASH FSC* (Northern Europe)

For external use, it is completely dried before being thermo-treated. This last treatment gives it a more intense shade of brown and a great stability. It is suitable for small and mid-sized areas with low stepping traffic.

*Certificate FSC guarantee that forests are managed according to the strictest enviromental, social and economic standards. From the rights of local populations and workers, to compensation for impact on the enviroment guaranteed.

Teak module, for a season and DIY

If you want to cover large surfaces in a short period of time, and maybe something that is not fixed, Corà Parquet has the perfect solution for you. It is called Module Teak. The solution combines the quality of the Indonesian Teak (such as aspect, natural resistance and water repellent) with the easy laying system. The classic planks are replaced by a pre-assembled structure which can be laid on concrete or solid ground. And laying is so intuitive and easy that you can DIY.

Thanks to the natural oils in this wood species, Teak module has both a resistance to the sun and to the raining days. And if you wish to preserve it in the autumn period, you could dismantle it, so that it would be ready to come back next spring.

A “young” look forever.

Let’s conclude with some considerations to keep in mind. Every kind of wood species, when exposed to sunlight, will eventually turn a greyish colour. It is a totally natural process, moreover, it gives the wood floor that aged effect that looks trendy. If you do not fancy it, anyway, do not worry: you can easily keep it clean and protected with small gestures.

Just use our best products, of course. And following the advice of Corà Parquet team.

Do you want to read more about outdoor parquet?

Discover the insights on our blog!

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