Free freight to NY, New England, NJ & PA on hardwood decking orders over $5,000. Once you qualify, the rest of your order ships free too.
DuraTau® thermally modified 5/4×6 deck board: S4S, eased edges, First Clear grade. Net 25 mm × 139 mm (about 1″ × 5-1/2″). Chemical-free heat treatment for stability, with 1,330 lbf Janka hardness. Even lengths 8′–20′, priced by the foot. 25-year warranty.
5/4x6 S4S Eased Edge covers 5.472″ per lineal foot · 0.625 BF per lineal foot.
Price per board
Length
Board
$/LF
$/MBF
8'
$50.88
$6.36
$10,176
10'
$63.60
$6.36
$10,176
12'
$76.32
$6.36
$10,176
14'
$89.04
$6.36
$10,176
16'
$101.76
$6.36
$10,176
18'
$114.48
$6.36
$10,176
20'
$127.20
$6.36
$10,176
Length
8'
10'
12'
14'
16'
18'
20'
Board
$50.88
$63.60
$76.32
$89.04
$101.76
$114.48
$127.20
$/LF
$6.36
$6.36
$6.36
$6.36
$6.36
$6.36
$6.36
$/MBF
$10,176
$10,176
$10,176
$10,176
$10,176
$10,176
$10,176
Need help with a takeoff? Request a quoteand we'll build the tally for you.
25-year warranty
On DuraTau decking from Ghent.
Top grade, top quality
First Clear: the clearest grade we sell.
In stock
Ready to ship or pick up, no waiting on a mill.
Your exact tally
Pick the count for every length. Send us your plans and we’ll build the tally for you.
Free freight over $5,000
On hardwood decking to NY, New England, NJ & PA. Once you qualify, the rest of your order ships free too.
White-glove delivery
Within 100 miles of Ghent, guaranteed: our own truck, unloaded by Moffett forklift or by hand. 100–400 miles: hotshot trucks from carriers we’ve used for years. No tractor-trailer in your driveway.
Talk to a real person
Lumber people, not a call center. (518) 828-5684Mon–Fri 7:00–4:30 · Sat 8:00–12:00
Family-owned since 1946, now in its 4th generation, in Columbia County, NY.
Jason Meltz (right) with Andrew Jackson of Old Mill Carpentry on a Doju hardwood decking project.
“Ghent’s edge is deep technical product knowledge and a true partnership with both suppliers and customers. We deliver the highest-quality specialty lumber, timbers, flooring, siding, and custom millwork at the most competitive prices—and we’ll help guide you from design to delivery.”
Jason Meltz, Owner
DuraTau® is thermally modified Tauari, a Latin American hardwood. The boards are cooked with heat and steam only, no chemicals and no preservatives, which permanently changes the cell structure: the wood takes up far less moisture, so it resists cupping, warping and swelling, and the pale raw timber turns a warm golden brown all the way through.
Most thermally modified wood starts out soft. Tauari starts out dense, so DuraTau keeps real hardwood numbers after modification: 1,330 lbf Janka, about twice Korina, with shrinkage under 2% across and along the grain and Class 1 (very durable) decay resistance. The tight, even grain resists surface checking and splinters.
Grade: First Clear
Profile: 5/4×6 S4S E4E (eased four edges), net 25 × 139 mm
Lengths: even lengths 8′ to 20′
Warranty: 25 years
Strength: MOR 12,100 psi, MOE 1.8 million psi
Fastening: 304 or 316 stainless steel; ExoDek QuickClip is the recommended hidden fastener
Finishing: takes oil- and water-based stains and paint; left bare it weathers to silver
Like all thermally modified wood it is a little more brittle than raw stock: pre-drill at board ends, and use it for decking, not structural framing. More on the DuraTau page, or download the product sheet (PDF).
Please refer to the installation guidelines before purchasing or installing.
DuraTau® is thermally modified Tauari, a Latin American hardwood that has spent most of its working life as flooring and interior millwork, often under the trade name Brazilian Oak (it is not an oak). Raw Tauari is pale, fine-textured and straight-grained, and it is denser than most of the woods that usually go into a modification kiln.
That starting density is the point. Thermal modification, which is heat and steam in an oxygen-free kiln with no chemicals added, makes wood stable and rot-resistant, but it also makes it lighter and more brittle. Start with a soft wood and you end with a softer one. Start with Tauari and you end with a board that still tests at 1,330 lbf Janka, with a modulus of rupture of 12,100 psi, about twice the hardness of thermally modified Korina.
The modification does what it always does: shrinkage falls under 2% both radially and tangentially, so the deck stays flat with even gaps through wet and dry seasons, and the durability rating is Class 1 (very durable). The pale raw wood turns a warm golden brown all the way through. The tight, uniform grain resists surface checking and splintering, which matters on a surface people walk on barefoot.
We stock DuraTau as a First Clear 5/4x6 deck board, S4S with eased edges, in even lengths from 8′ to 20′. It carries a 25-year warranty. Like every thermally modified wood it belongs on the surface, not in the structure: frame the deck in something else.
Color
Pale before treatment; thermal modification turns it a warm golden brown, wheat-toned, carried right through the board. Weathers to silver-grey if left unfinished.
Grain
Even to straight, tight and uniform.
Texture
Fine, with a medium luster.
Durability
Class 1, very durable. The decay resistance comes from thermal modification, which converts what fungi and insects feed on, so it runs through the whole board and cannot wear off, leach out or need re-applying at a cut end.
Working
Machines, sands and finishes cleanly. Like all thermally modified wood it is more brittle than raw stock: pre-drill near board ends and at fasteners and keep carbide tooling sharp. Fasten with 304 or 316 stainless steel; ExoDek QuickClip is the recommended hidden fastener. Bonds with MUF, PU and STP adhesives.
Drying
Kiln dried, then modified; it leaves the kiln at very low moisture content and takes on far less moisture in service than untreated wood. No further seasoning needed before installation.
Great product I’ve done 3 decks with this and one tongue and groove ceiling it’s a beautiful product
Eric O., SwiftElk · Cairo, NY
★★★★★
I Love my Golden Balau deck
I was a little unsure which product I wanted to use on my new deck. But Jason and the team at Ghent helped guide me in the right direction. My deck turned out so beautiful and the clips used to install it allowed us to not have any screws showing. I am so happy with our decision. The best part is it requires little maintenance. This was as important to us along with being beautiful. I am so happy I shopped local and got an amazing product I can enjoy for years to come.
Laurie P. · HOLLOWVILLE, NY
★★★★★
Ghent Wood Everywhere
The crew at Ghent wood products assisted us from start to finish on building our dream home. From the designing stages to completion, They were there to answer questions, give competitive pricing , and deliver premium materials. We wouldn't go anywhere else!
Mat & Shelby N. · Ravena, NY
★★★★★
Happiness is a Red Balau Deck
Jason and his team were super helpful with advice on how to install my deck using the QuickClip hidden fasteners. We did have to screw and plug most of the end joints to keep the boards straight.
Steve G. · Portland, OR
★★★★★
We installed and finished our 2x12 and 2x6 Batu dock trim boards last October using ExoShield Walnut. After seven months, the material still looks perfect. Wow! This stuff really does last. All my previous experience has been with Penofin's Hardwood Formula. This finish blows it away. Thank you!
Stephen · Mercer Island, WA · Batu Dock
★★★★★
We've used a number of products here in Florida where the sun beats down on our deck and have never found a successful product. We decided to try using your Black Walnut ExoShield and it's performed much better than anything else we've tried. Tung Oil is the magic and your product is the magic! In addition, we stained our entire Cedar porch ceiling with Black Walnut ExoShield and then applied a coat of marine Spar Varnish over the ExoShield. We couldn't be happier with the results and everyone who comes over compliments us on the beauty of our porch ceiling.
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