Exotic hardwood decking such as Ipe, Cumaru and Tigerwood are the most durable, natural wood decking available. Because of this strength, you can’t saw these hard woods as easily as you would cedar, redwood, or teak. Here are some tips in how to cut hardwood decking:
For cutting hardwood decking we recommend:
- A circular saw with a high quality carbide tipped blade.
- Make sure you set up your miter saw properly, a good saw stand with plenty of material support decreases the chance of binding and burning a finish cut.
- Hardwood dust is a respiratory irritant, so always wear safety glasses and a dust mask or respirator.
- Always cut with the good face up to minimize end-cut splintering.
- Finally apply a wax based emulsion such Hardwood End Grain Sealer on all fresh cut ends to minimize checking and other defects cause by moisture insertion.
Check out this video to see just how easy it is to cut hardwood decking:
Don’t worry nobody was hurt in the production of the video, everything was well planned;-)
Check it out and subscribe to the AdvantageLumber.com YouTube channel.