MERBAU TIMBER DECKS Sustainability? > Bad

Orangutan family

Merbau Timber Sustainability

The Hidden Damage Caused By Merbau Decks In Australia

Orangutan family endangered
Orangutan families are losing their homes and populations are becoming extinct just so we can improve our homes and have a nice looking deck! – Ridiculous!

“Merbau is not only considered an endangered species, at the prevailing rate of indiscriminate usage it will also be extinct within the next 35 years.”

Does this sound like a 
Sustainable timber to you?
Come on Australia, we can do better than this. PLEASE READ ON!


What about the animals?
Does anyone care?
Or do you just love your new deck & not aware where it came from?

“I looked into the eyes of this vulnerable orangutan and pledged to do something to be part of the solution.”

Learn more about Tracey Bailey’s story here.

Click the link above to learn more about Tracey’s business, helping the rainforest by buying sustainable products.

Why not use Merbau?

  • The destruction of large forest areas to get just one tree is shocking!
  • It doesn’t grow easily in plantations.
  • The small Islands of Indonesia cannot sustain this continued destruction
  • It is very difficult to enforce any laws put in place.
  • Logs are often smuggled over near-by borders or officials are paid off to turn a blind eye.
  • It is rapidly causing the extinction of beautiful defenceless animals
  • Not only losing their homes – THEIR SPECIES IS BEING WIPED OUT!

Where there is big money involved it will only continue.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD

I think it’s important to get the word out about the sustainability issues & damage from Merbau timber as many people are not aware of the destruction caused by the continued importation of this timber species to Australia.

Please read then share this post.

Merbau seems to be a very popular choice here in Australia
– DIYer’s walk into their local hardware store looking to build a deck and don’t know better!
The sales staff will probably point you in the direction of the Merbau racks without a second thought.

CHANGE IS UP TO YOU – Your choice of decking timber can help
So what can we do?  – Education and choice when purchasing is the key to this change, we must make change happen through the choices we make when building decks and other outdoor projects.
Get the FACTS right before making a decision based on price and colour alone!

Do we trust them when they tell you it’s sustainable and being managed? – IT’S NOT!

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Wooden Name Signs

Close up of wooden name sign for dog kennel

Wooden Name Signs

I’m often asked if I make wooden name signs. Of course the answer is yes I do!

In fact it has now become my main line of work. 

Close up of wooden name signs for dog kennel
Wooden name sign for a dog kennel – My early days of sign making

Just about every sign I make is a name sign of some sort.
Here’s some more examples.

  • House Name Signs
  • Beach House Signs
  • Holiday House Signs
  • Personalized Signs
  • Cabin/Shack Signs
  • AirBnB Signs
  • Shed Signs
  • Mancave Signs

I used to make these signs by doing all the lettering by hand with a router to carve out the areas needed following guide lines on the stencil and a pantograph.

gif showing how a pantograph works in motion as used in sign making or engraving
A Pantograph in motion

This involved printing out a large banner sized paper stencil to trace from and gluing it down to the timber. The lettering is then painted after being carved into the timber with the hand held router. The result of carving the lettering this way is a flat bottom cut to a controlled depth.

These days my signs look more like this,

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