Which Types of Hardwoods and Fasteners Will Work Best For My Deck?
Get Recommendations for Your Project
Not every hardwood or fastening system performs the same under every set of conditions. Answer a few questions about your deck and the BWD Decking Wizard will generate recommendations based on your specific project.
Takes about 4–5 minutes.
See How Installation Conditions Affect Performance
Prefer to understand the why behind the recommendations? This guide explains how sun exposure, application, fastening method, and species selection work together to affect long-term hardwood performance.
Includes BWD’s species performance chart and video guidance to help you compare your options.
How Do I Get The Most Out of My Hardwoods?
See How Ipe Weathers Over Time
What happens if you oil your hardwood—or don’t? See how Ipe and other Brazilian hardwoods respond to prolonged sun exposure, why they gradually turn silver-gray, and what that color change actually means for the wood.
Includes a real-world weathering test, side-by-side photos, and video guidance showing the progression over time.
Learn How to Maintain Your Ipe
Learn what Ipe maintenance really involves, when cleaning or oiling is appropriate, how often it may be needed, and what to expect if you simply allow the wood to weather naturally.
Start with our practical care guide, then follow the linked step-by-step multimedia cleaning and oiling instructions when you’re ready to do the work.
A Few More Things Worth Knowing
Some of the biggest differences in a hardwood project come down to details that are easy to overlook. These three guides cover a few of the questions we discuss most often with customers.
Mixed-Length Decking
Learn why random and mixed board lengths are standard in premium hardwood decking—and how to plan your layout around them.
Easing Cut Board Ends
See how a simple finishing detail can give field-cut hardwood board ends a cleaner, more factory-finished appearance.
Airflow & Ventilation
Understand why airflow beneath hardwood decking matters and how ventilation can affect long-term performance.
What Type of Framing Is Best For My Hardwoods?
Building a Deck That Should Last for Decades?
The hardwood on top of your deck may last for decades. The structure underneath it should be designed with the same goal in mind.
Heritage Premium Deck Framing is our heavy-duty treated framing system for premium exterior decks, designed to pair naturally with long-lasting Brazilian hardwood decking.
How To Scratch My “Itch” For Research?
Take a Deep Dive Into Brazilian Hardwoods
Want to really understand the material you’re considering? IPEcertified is BWD’s comprehensive course covering Ipe and Brazilian hardwood decking—from material characteristics and installation to airflow, maintenance, performance, and more.
Explore the entire course or simply jump into the sections most relevant to your project.
Is Ipe Really Sustainable?
It’s an important question—and one worth exploring beyond the usual talking points. Sustainable Ipe Certified takes a deeper look at how Ipe and other Brazilian hardwoods are sourced and regulated.
Explore forestry, regulation, enforcement, environmental considerations, and real-world examples through an interactive multimedia course.
Why Should I Choose BWD?
We Don’t Just Help You Choose the Wood. We Help You Get the Project Right.
Most lumberyards are built around fulfillment: What species? What size? How many? Where are we shipping it?
At BWD, we see our job as helping make the project successful—not simply supplying the material requested.
That means understanding where your hardwood is going to live and looking at the entire system around it—things like
airflow, drainage, ground clearance, sun exposure, species, dimensions, fastening, framing, installation, and maintenance expectations.
Most importantly, we actively look for liabilities. If we see something that could compromise the outcome,
we’ll identify it, explain why it matters, and show you how we’d design around it—so you can make an informed decision.
Our goal isn’t simply to sell more hardwood. It’s to create more people who are thrilled they chose it.
Shipping Built Around Hardwood
Long, heavy, expensive hardwood isn’t an ordinary freight shipment. We’ve built our shipping process around
protecting the material and giving you better visibility and control.
- Fully enclosed engineered crating for LTL shipments
- Shipment documentation before material leaves BWD
- Tracking and delivery coordination throughout the process
- Direct-truck options when reduced handling makes more sense
Premium Material Deserves a Premium System
The decking is only one part of the project. BWD has developed and selected the products around it with the same focus on long-term performance.
From BWD Deck Clips and fastening systems to Heritage Premium Deck Framing, we can help you think through the deck as a complete system—not a collection of unrelated parts.
Don’t Just Take Our Word for It
We want customers to know what they’re buying, understand how we’re handling it, and see what real BWD projects and shipments actually look like.
Browse real customer projects, recent orders, shipment examples, and customer experiences before deciding whether we’re the right supplier for you.
What Do Other BWD Customers Say?
Am I Prepared For Installation?
Installing Hardwood Decking?
Start with the instructions for your fastening method. Each system has its own layout, pre-drilling, spacing, and installation considerations.
Installing Hardwood Siding?
Hardwood siding is a system—not just boards attached to a wall. Review the installation details before you begin, including fastening, rainscreen configuration, ventilation, and board movement.
A little planning before installation can make a significant difference in both appearance and long-term performance.
Know What Happens After Installation
Your hardwood doesn’t require a complicated maintenance program—but you should understand your options before the project is finished.
Learn about cleaning, oiling, restoring color, natural weathering, and ongoing care so you can decide how you want your hardwood to age.
What Do I Need To Know About the Shipping Process?
LTL Crate & Ship
Our most common nationwide option—built around protecting long, heavy hardwood through a multi-terminal freight network.
- Fully enclosed engineered crates—not simply wrapped or strapped
- Damage-Free Shipping Guarantee backed by a highly refined crating and loading process
- Live 4G GPS tracking on eligible shipments
- Carrier tracking + coordinated delivery from our Atlanta facility to your destination
Hotshot Delivery
For long lengths, heavier loads, or projects that benefit from faster, more direct transportation.
- Same trailer from BWD to you—no freight-terminal transfers
- Dramatically reduced handling and exposure to transit damage
- Often faster transit through direct routing
- Closer driver coordination with clearer ETA communication as delivery approaches
Local Delivery
A simpler, highly controlled delivery option for projects within our local and regional service area.
- Direct from our Atlanta facility to your delivery location
- No freight-terminal transfers or repeated handling
- Scheduled delivery window coordinated in advance
- Damage-Free Shipping Guarantee for additional confidence in transit
Want to See Exactly What We’re Shipping?
Pre-shipment photos of your actual material are available upon request.
We’ll photograph your order while it’s being prepared so you can see the hardwood that’s headed to your project before it leaves our facility.
One important delivery-day note:
Unless expressly stated otherwise in writing, the customer is responsible for unloading.
Please have appropriate labor or equipment ready when your shipment arrives.