Kayu™ Canada Exotic Hardwood Installation Tips
We would like for your Kayu™ hardwood installation to go as smoothly as possible with the finished product appearance and performance maximized for your enjoyment. Hire a professional installer with experience using exotic hardwoods. If you’d like to take on the project yourself, here are some tips based on years of Kayu™ Canada experience.
Keep in Mind:
Kayu™ Canada Inc sources products that are meticulously selected, prepared and milled under the utmost of quality control. This is a natural product and is subject to many variables including colour, density & characteristics. While we strive to take the greatest care when selecting, shipping & storing our product some watermarks, sticker stains etc may occur. These can be removed during the initial cleaning, prepping & installation of the product. These are not defects.
Some expansion, contraction, cracking and cupping may occur after installation and are a natural occurrence. These products are natural wood and are subject to variations in colour, grain, density, weight and performance.
End to end expansion and contraction is negligible with Kayu™ hardwoods.
Deck Installation Tips:
Prior to Installation:
- Store your hardwood in a dry, shaded area and ensure boards are properly stacked.
- Pre-oil all four sides, this ensures equal moisture transfer and reduces the likelihood of cupping. We recommend Messmer’s UV Plus for Hardwoods, Hemp Shield Penetrating Oil, or Osmo Decking Oil. For more information on these products, visit our maintenance page.
Installation Methods:
Use Kayu™ approved stainless steel or ACQ coated screws to install your deck. Other screws are not recommended as they may react with the hardwood. You can either face screw your deck boards or use a hidden fastener system. Kayu™ Canada recommends the following products for a successful installation:
- Kreg Hidden Fastening System
- Pro Plug System
- DeckWise Hidden Fastener System
All these products, including stainless steel screws are available from Kayu™ Canada for your convenience. Watch the three videos to familiarize yourself with the three installation methods. Visit our accessories page for more information about these products.
Recommended Practices:
- Joist spacing 24” on centre for 5/4 decking material
- For the best hold glue down decking material with exterior grade construction adhesive (PL Premium, or Titebond Fast Set Polyurethane).
- Especially at any butt joints, ensure you have glued down decking to underlying joists.
- Install solid blocks to double up the joist, to have screws farther away from butt joints, to prevent cracking.
- 1/4″ or 5/16″ gap between 5/4 x 6″ deck boards to allow for expansion in moist conditions.
- 3/16″ gap between 5/4 x 4″ boards to allow for expansion in moist conditions
- Trim ends neatly and butt together tightly. Lengthwise expansion is nil.
For Decks 18″ or Less from the Ground:
- Use 5/4 x 4″ decking boards
- Ensure proper ventilation and airflow beneath deck.
If you wish to use the 5/4 x 6″ decking close to the ground or low ventilation areas (rooftops), install a hardwood strip on top of the joists, fastening hardwood to hardwood will prevent any cupping that could occur in a low ventilation, high moisture environment.
Hardwood Deck Maintenance:
Maintaining your hardwood deck is important to keep it protected and looking like new. Read Kayu™ maintenance tips here.
Tongue and Groove Installation Tips:
Prior to Installation:
- Store your hardwood in a dry, shaded area and ensure boards are properly stacked.
- Pre-oil all four sides, this ensures equal moisture transfer and reduces the likelihood of cupping. We recommend Messmer’s UV Plus for Hardwoods, Hemp Shield Penetrating Oil, or Osmo Decking Oil. For more information on these products, visit our maintenance page.
Skirting & Siding
Kayu™ Canada Inc. Dark Red Meranti and Red Balau Batu tongue & groove material can be installed horizontally and vertically. Kayu™ Canada’s 1 x 4 tongue & groove, V-Groove, is our most popular product used for siding. We also do custom milling siding such as shiplap, and bevel siding profile upon request.
Horizontal application: Start at the bottom and work up with the groove edges facing downward. Siding up to 6” wide can be blind nailed with one siding nail per bearing toe-nailed through the base of each tongue. Nails must penetrate 1 ¼” into solid wood framing.
Vertical application: Start at one corner with grooved edge toward adjacent wall. Use a level, or plumb line, to ensure that the first board is installed plumb. The grooved edge of the first board may have to be trimmed to ensure a flush fit. Siding is nailed to horizontal blocking and, or furring strips, at 24” on center. As with horizontal installations, pieces up to 6” can be blind nailed and wider pieces should be face nailed.
- All tongue and groove skirting should be installed with stainless steel screws or stainless steel brad nails.
- DO NOT install tongue and groove skirting and siding tight, leave a gap for expansion and contraction. In periods of high humidity the woods can expand.
- It is recommended that all hardwood siding be installed on a Rainscreen, please refer to your local building code.
Soffits
- Due to the weight of Kayu™ Exotic hardwood this material must be nailed and glued with a high quality exterior construction adhesive.
- It is always a good idea to check local building codes for proper wood soffit installation.
Exterior Covered Porch Flooring
- Lengthwise there is virtually no expansion therefore neatly trimmed ends can be butted tightly together.
- Use 16g or 18g stainless steel nails. Blind nail through the tongue at 45° angle, the nail must penetrate the joints.
- When face nailing with ¾” of the edge or end of the board, drill pilot holes to prevent splitting.
- Ventilation is extremely important, DO NOT box in the underneath of the tongue and groove decking material. The moisture underneath a boxed in deck will be absorbed by the underside of the tongue and groove decking material. The sun and wind will dry the topside of the tongue and groove decking material and this will cause the material to cup.
Rainscreen Installation
- A Rainscreen is and exterior wall assembly method where the siding material is installed off from standard exterior wall. Creating this gap between the exterior wall components and the exterior cladding material creates a capillary break which allows for ventilation, drainage, and evaporation.
- This wall assembly simply prevents the exterior wall from getting wet.
- It is always recommended to check with local building codes for exact specifications when installing the rain screen exterior wall assembly.
