Chengai Wood Decking Problems

[stopper15 0]

I spent $800 to cover my balcony in Chengai Wood decking. Despite being treated and varnished, in less than 6 weeks the wood is cracking, splitting and warping ! In one place the crack is 4 inches and the other its 2 inches. There are also smaller 1'-2' cracks at the joins.

The carpenter did advise me to use short wood strips across the balcony width but I think thats ugly so I asked for longer wood strips to span the length of the balcony. He has replaced the 4' cracked area but I feel like asking for my money back !

Has anyone else had such problems ?

[bull88 1]

I spent $800 to cover my balcony in Chengai Wood decking. Despite being treated and varnished, in less than 6 weeks the wood is cracking, splitting and warping ! In one place the crack is 4 inches and the other its 2 inches. There are also smaller 1'-2' cracks at the joins.

The carpenter did advise me to use short wood strips across the balcony width but I think thats ugly so I asked for longer wood strips to span the length of the balcony. He has replaced the 4' cracked area but I feel like asking for my money back !

Has anyone else had such problems ?

Hi Stopper15

Using wooden decking will definitely cause warping and cracking due to our climate. It also depends on the quality of the wood and how they are dried before the treatment process. Wat your carpenter mentioned about using short wood strips is correct, but again, u lose the aesthetic looks. I think possible warping / cracking:

1) Thickness of the wood - the thicker the better but again impossible to install in the balcony

2) Balcony is generally sheltered and do not get direct sunlight when the wood is wet (esp when raining). So drying becomes problem.

Also using Chengai wood will produce liquid sap unlike if using Balau wood.

my 2cents worth

[l_club23 0]

Hi Stopper15

Using wooden decking will definitely cause warping and cracking due to our climate. It also depends on the quality of the wood and how they are dried before the treatment process. Wat your carpenter mentioned about using short wood strips is correct, but again, u lose the aesthetic looks. I think possible warping / cracking:

1) Thickness of the wood - the thicker the better but again impossible to install in the balcony

2) Balcony is generally sheltered and do not get direct sunlight when the wood is wet (esp when raining). So drying becomes problem.

Also using Chengai wood will produce liquid sap unlike if using Balau wood.

my 2cents worth

My chengai decking was done last year and despite being on the top floor and directly exposed to elements, I have had no prolems wih cracks and no visible warpage og the wooden strips. I had also actually opted for longer strips as I feel it looks nicer.

Might be the quality of the material that you have a problem with.

[stopper15 0]

I had the carpenter come inspect the warping and cracks in my decking and he said something interesting.

With Chengai wood, they cannot use the wood close to the bark nor too close to the centre because they can cause cracking problems. So he suspected with the rising cost of wood the suppliers cut the strips closer to the outide or the inside of the tree trunk (to maximise their profit). He said you cannot see until the problems appear. How true this is I don't know.

But he did offer to replace the cracked areas. The slight warping of the strips he can do nothing about. He says its the nature of outdoor wood - that they all warp to some degree.

[leechaorui 2]

I had the carpenter come inspect the warping and cracks in my decking and he said something interesting.

With Chengai wood, they cannot use the wood close to the bark nor too close to the centre because they can cause cracking problems. So he suspected with the rising cost of wood the suppliers cut the strips closer to the outide or the inside of the tree trunk (to maximise their profit). He said you cannot see until the problems appear. How true this is I don't know.

But he did offer to replace the cracked areas. The slight warping of the strips he can do nothing about. He says its the nature of outdoor wood - that they all warp to some degree.

May I know how do suppliers charged for chengai wood? My contractor is charging me about $12K to $13K for decking and fencing.

[melvin 0]

May I know how do suppliers charged for chengai wood? My contractor is charging me about $12K to $13K for decking and fencing.

you should let us know the area not only the costs....

[battleangel 2]

Take into consideration Heveatech,a fantastic wood deckings that comes with a warranty on termites/structural/decay.The one and only decks in Spore with an assurance.

[battleangel 2]

There seems to be a very good variation of quality outdoor deckings circulating in the industry right now,stuff like Accoya,heveatech and Safari African decks based on seo that I run through recently.The plus points being the warranties given by them.They dun seems to have the common issues of cracked lines like chengal which occurs likely due being young trees nowdays.Now that says a lot about the manufacturers confidence level.Don't you think so.

[battleangel 2]

The alternatives to timber is composite/plastic premium decking.Nevertherless,they can quite hot when you step barefooted on it as its bound by elements outdoors and once scratches nothing much can be done about it. Replacement is costly. Timber decks are still the best option coz it can sort out those two issues. With technology now being so high, timber decks also now come with assurances for warranties against termites on it. Google search is one of the best option to find more information.