Go Tropical with Hardwood Decking and Railing

Thinking about remodeling or resurfacing your deck or patio? Interlocking deck tiles are rapidly becoming one of the easiest ways to do so, especially because these modular wood tiles are able to be installed by almost anyone.

How to install deck tiles

Start by clearing your deck or patio of debris and furniture. If installing on an existing wood deck surface, replace any rotted or warped deck boards and make sure there are no protruding nails or screws. The surface your tiles will be installed on should be as flat and level as possible to prevent the tiles from shifting.

Once your surface is ready, it’s time to begin tile installation. If the area you’re covering has at least one wall you should lay the deck / patio tiles starting at one of the outside edges (away from the wall). This allows the final tiles you install to be positioned in the row next to the wall or walls.

Begin placing a single tile at the corner then take the next tile and lock it into position, using the interconnecting tabs. Then proceed the same way across your entire deck or patio surface. Make sure that the tiles’ outer edges are aligned parallel to the edge of the deck or patio that you’re covering.

You may need to cut the hardwood deck tiles to properly fit them into your final row. A normal hand saw or power saw usually does the trick for cutting many types of wood tiles, but be careful and don’t let your saw hit any screws on the tile’s underside. With hardwood deck tiles, be sure to use a carbide tipped saw blade, as tropical hardwood is very dense. If your cut pieces won’t be secured to the plastic base by at least two screws, add more screws as needed.

You also might need to cut tiles to fit around oddly-shaped objects including pipes or posts. To do so, use thick paper or cardboard to make a template the exact size of a single tile and showing the area to be cut out. This will help you avoid making mistakes when cutting the outdoor wood tiles.

Sealing Abaco deck tiles
Because of the durability of this hardwood and a pre-applied oil penetrating sealant,
it does not require an additional water sealant; however, we do recommend that you use a high quality penetrating oil sealant to maintain its appearance. If not maintained with a sealer, and depending on the use and exposure to the elements, the color will eventually fade to a silver/gray tone.

In general, it’s pretty simple to install interlocking decking tiles. And if you make a minor mistake in aligning tiles, just pull them up and start again.

Read our how to install literature or simply learn more about Abaco ipe wood deck tiles. If you are interested in purchasing Abaco deck tiles for a project, you can locate a local retailer or visit the storefront on amazon.com.