Prep and Inspect Deck Boards Before You Begin
Acclimate and Seal Deck Boards
Acclimate your deck boards prior to installation. Like an interior floor, your deck boards have been kiln dried to very low moisture content and it is designed to fit average climate conditions. The drier the climate, the more helpful it is to lay out your deck boards upside down (no gaps) to allow adjustment to your climate prior to installation. If you can leave them for a week or more this will allow them to equalize to your local climate. The hotter and drier the climate the longer you should let them adjust. Just prior to flipping them over for installation, we highly recommend applying a ‘sealer’ coat of either Penofin or Messmers to the back of the boards (or the same UV protector that you will use on the face). You can slop it on, and it is better if you do not wipe off excess, as you will on the face.
Inspect each board and trim out any of the following defects.
Ends: Each deck board has 1/2” to 5” of excess length. Our mills do not trim to exact 2’ multiples.
Shake: Shake is break in the fibers of the wood caused by wind or other natural stresses while the tree is alive. After kiln drying and processing, shake appears as scalloped splits along the edge of a piece or as a ‘fish scale’ on the face. It is the main defect to look for and trim out, because it causes sharp edges that can give slivers when handled. Tiger Deck is otherwise very smooth and almost sliver free.
Crook or Warp: Crook is the result of natural stresses in the wood fiber. Tiger Deck products are kiln dried to 8% +/- 3% moisture content. At this moisture content most crook and warp that may have happened over time is complete. The decking application is a very harsh environment for wood. Moisture and heat gradients will cause the wood to try to move over time. Install Tiger Deck as soon as practical after acclimating. Proper and tight installation of our system greatly minimizes splits and other time related defects. The Bow Wrench will straighten most of the crook during installation. However, if there is still too much crook, trimming the board into shorter pieces allows utilization of the piece.
Knots and Holes: Very few knots and holes get by our graders but you may find some. They do not affect the structural integrity of the piece and may be left in or trimmed out for aesthetic reasons.
Color: Tiger Deck is tan/gold with black striping and accents. But each piece will be different and can run from an entirely light tan piece to one that is mostly black striping. We recommend that pieces be laid out before installation on the deck to match the color gradient effect desired. Exposure to the sun will even the colors to a rich reddish tan.
Oxidation: All wood/composite decking products and some 'plastic/fiberglass' decking products will chemically react to any metal contact. Generally this chemical reaction shows up as 'black stain' or 'black spots'. We recommend saving leftover Tiger Deck trim to use as 'Coasters' between the metal and the deck. Cable rail, aluminum balusters, iron railing, iron furniture, metal shavings, welding dust, and airborne industrial metal pollution will all eventually stain the wood/composite with direct wood contact without a physical barrier such as wood or spar varnish. In time, metal contact with any wood/composite deck material will Oxidize/Corrode regardless of what oil or water based UV Protector/Stain et al is used (or not). The only way to remove this chemical stain is sanding.
Tiger Deck is a very dense hardwood with amazing strength and durability properties when compared to other wood and composite decking products. Tiger Deck is a natural product and our graders and quality control attempt to ship a 100% usable product. We adhere to or exceed industry (West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau) standard maximum 5% off grade pieces per shipment to our customers.