APPEARANCE
Rhino Wood is designed to be extremely low maintenance: once it’s installed, it doesn’t need any further treatment like waxing or recoating. When it’s first laid, Rhino Wood is a walnut brown colour that gradually turns to a stylish grey as it weathers. The speed at which the colour changes depends on the conditions it’s exposed to, like sun or rain.
If you’d like to retain the walnut brown colour, you can wash the timber with soap, warm water and a light bristle brush and then apply an oil-based coating.
INSTALLATION
Ready to install Rhino Wood? Here’s all you need to know before you do so.
General information
Base construction for decking needs to be done in accordance to good building practices, standards and regulations. It’s important to ensure good drainage and ventilation beneath the structure to avoid pooling of water and unnecessary moisture collection. A Rhino Wood deck must be installed with adequate ventilation below the deck to allow a free flow of hot and cold air from the decking below the surface. We recommend a maximum joist spacing of 450mm CC apart for 20mm thick material, and a maximum of 600mm CC joist spacing for 27mm thick material. A fully treated CCA sub-structure is recommended. Class 4 treated timber should always be used when in contact with the ground. Galvanized steel or aluminium may be used as an alternative to Class 4 timber but the same standards of good building practices apply.
Mounting / fixing
Screw fixing
Due to the hardness of Rhino Wood decking timber, it’s essential to pre-drill before fixing the decking boards down onto the substructure. Screwing down boards without pre-drilling a pilot hole MAY result in the boards cracking. We highly recommend that a pilot hole be drilled, no more than half a millimetre smaller than the diameter of the fixing screw. If the pilot hole is too small it MAY result in the boards being forced apart, especially towards the board ends.
*You may also want to consider using the 140mm x 27mm Heavy Duty Rhino Wood deck board for secret fixing applications, as it’s suitable for the side grooving necessary for some secret fixing applications.
Joining or butt joining
When butt joining the timber, we recommend using a double joist on the butt join, in order to have enough surface area to fix the boards correctly to the sub-structure. When installing with screws, it’s recommended that the spacing be a minimum of 20mm from the edge of the boards.
Different finishes
Natural
Rhino Wood finishes to a smooth clean finish that will surface weather to a grey patina over time.
Brushed
Our most popular finish due to the unique modified nature of Rhino Wood is brushing. This textured finish adds to the visual appeal of the boards and is also the option to select if you want a no-slip surface.
Reeded
Rhino Wood Boards can be reeded on request
Maintenance
Here’s how you can use Rhino Wood, as well as how to maintain it over the years.
Untreated – Natural Greying
If left untreated (recommended) the timber will lighten in colour and eventually form a long lasting grey patina. This colour change is due to the impregnated compound forming a protective layer on the surface of the timber and is not a factor of the timber itself discolouring. If you want to restore Rhino Wood to its original colour, a simple application of a high pressure hose to the timber will do the job. Make sure you keep the nozzle head of the high pressure hose roughly 15cm from the Rhino Wood and apply sweeping actions over the timber. You’ll notice that the integrity of the surface of Rhino Wood is completely intact. Watch a demonstration video of this process below.
Treated – Maintaining original colour
If you want to maintain the original colour of Rhino Wood, apply a penetrating oil when the timber is installed. How often you apply the oil will depend on exposure and UV conditions. In general, it’s recommended that you oil Rhino Wood every 6 – 9 months in order to maintain the desired aesthetic. If necessary after a couple of years, the oil can be removed with a high pressure hose and re-applied if desired.
Material Testing
Agency, Brandenburg
| Test Conducted | Test Method | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Durability against wood fungi in use class 3 EN 335-1 | MPA-SAA-M-01 | Durability class 1 – Very Durable in alignment with standard EN 350-2* |
| Durability against wood destroying fungi in alignment with CEN TS 15083-1 | MPA-SAA-M-01 | Class 1 – Very durable in alignment with standard EN 350-2* |
-
1. Very Durable
- 2. Durable
- 3. Moderately Durable
- 4. Slightly Durable
- 5. Not Durable
South African Bureau
of Standards - SABS
| Test Conducted | Test Method | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerated weather testing: wood exposed to light for 1000 hours | Atlas Ci4000 series | Slight fading of colour- No warping- No cupping- No change in dimensions- No cracking |
| Accelerated weather testing: wood exposed to light for 1000 hours | Atlas Ci65 series | Slight fading of colour- No warping- No cupping- No change in dimensions- No cracking |
| Modulus of rupture (MOR) | F * L/2 * b * tF = the maximum force, NL = the distance between the centres of support = 250mmb = the width of the test piece = 111mmt = the thickness of the test piece = 20mm | Normal pine = 92- Rhino Wood = 152- Rhino |
| Pesticide control | 29 months as of 08/01/2015 | No termite damage was observed |
Association of Architectural
Aluminium Manufacturers of South Africa
| Test Conducted | Test Method | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal conductivity of Rhino Wood | Laser Comp Fox 314 heat flow meter instrument | Thermal conductivity = 0.173 W/(m•K) |
University of
Stellenbosch
| Test Conducted | Test Method | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Janka hardness | BRITISH STANDARD BS 373:1957. Methods of testing small clear specimens of timber | Result 7471 N |
