Saturday, May 5, 2007

Cost of Brazilian Hardwood Decking

I had a customer contact me about Brazilian Hardwood. They really loved the colors, grain, and hardness. They specifically wanted Jatoba as the beautiful red color would compliment their existing home. The problem they were facing was a concern of the cost of Brazilian hardwoods. On the phone we had a discussion of the true cost of any deck or dock. What we concluded was that the decking is not the only consideration when it comes to costs. Actually, a deck has many costs at many levels. To name a few are;

  • Time you are shopping for, and pricing decking
  • Time to pickup the decking (or cost to have it delivered)
  • Removing the original decking - do not forget disposal
  • Replacing rotten or damaged joists on a rebuilt deck
  • Insuring foundation is level - checking footers
  • Installing the beams and hanging the joists on a new deck
  • Installing the new decking
  • ACQ Screws will cost you about $150 for 300 sq ft of deck
  • Installing the railing posts, railings, and balusters
  • Wrapping the deck

You can see from this list that the decking boards are actually just one component in the building of a deck. In addition, their is a large amount of time, either the DIY or a contractor involved. However, the most visible part of a deck is the decking. That is what your family and guests will see. Once we came to this conclusion, the customer bought his Jatoba.

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