Article: Inside & Out
Create Your Own Outdoor Paradise For Your Home!
Imagine having breakfast alfresco as you read your weekly PropertyPlus, or catching the last rays of sun as you wind down after a hard day at work. Creating functional areas out of unused space is just one of the many benefits timber decks and paved outdoor areas provide.
Top Deck
Do you wish you could entertain friends more often but don’t have a big enough home? Would you like to extend your living space but can’t bear the financial or mental stress? Do you wish you could spend more time enjoying the sights, sounds and aromas of your garden?
Timber decking is a great way to make stylish, level areas for all your external entertaining needs. Decking can also invigorate the way you use your outdoor environment, with tricky sites like sloping embankments suddenly made available for summer barbecues.
Durability is a key factor when choosing timber for your deck, not only for safety reasons but also longevity. Factors like growth rate, harvesting time, processing techniques, and geography can all affect strength so it pays to do your homework before committing to a particular type of timber. Bob Ward from our local Placemakers says that while a number of species are suitable for outdoor decking, they do need to be resilient. “This includes many hardwoods with narrower sapwood (outer wood beneath the bark) that has been appropriately treated, as well as many softwoods – as long as the wider sapwood is also appropriately treated,” Bob explains.
Timber TLC
An outdoor deck that has not been protected against the weathering effects of sun and rain will not only fade to a drab, grey colour but also likely split and distort. All timber decks need to be maintained and the frequency depends of the type of protective finish, how exposed the deck is, and the timber species used.
One coat of water repellent preservative or oil based primer, along with an additional coat of a timber finish should be applied to the top surface of joists prior to fixing.
After the deck has been constructed, additional coats should then be applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions. There are several brands producing an attractive array of timber finishes, while others use natural plant oils to protect timber from wet rot, UV rays, and splitting. In fact, most modern brands’ ingredients are CO2 neutral and 100 per cent environmentally sustainable.
To prevent timber surfaces from becoming slippery when wet, add Intergrain UltraGrip to your timber finish. This new product creates a textured surface that is ideal for stairways, thoroughfares and pool surrounds.
Expert Versus DIY
There are countless companies on the market who specialise in designing and building outdoor decks, enabling you to customise just the right look for your property. Professional installers bring a wealth of knowledge to each job so you don’t have to worry about every single detail. A simple scan of ‘landscape contractors & designers’ in your local Yellow Pages should get you started. DIY decks come in all shapes and sizes, from easy-to-assemble systems to more sophisticated set ups. Placemakers has a useful information sheet titled ‘How to build and choose your decking’ that outlines key issues such as timber selection, construction, and maintenance.
The most common decking timbers are Pine (Softwood),Kwila and Vitex (Hardwoods). As long as they are properly treated softwood can be used in all decking situations.
Hardwood decking timber is naturally durable and resistant to wear and tear. It’s important to give careful thought to the decking timber used as not only does it maximise the living space but also has a practical and aesthetic appeal to it, which means being suitable to your weather conditions and the natural elements that it is exposed to.
Pine Decking - Premium Pine Decking
This is superior quality decking timber, which is the most common and preferred timber for decking use. It has a class finish to it and competes well against Hardwood because of increased checks and graded selection it has to go through for this category. Because of the soft characteristics, the defects in this product are minimal. Defects include smaller and tighter knots compared with the standard grade. The defects for premium timber which are not permitted would be bark encasing and a partial bark encased knot, along with defects such as piths, splits and checking. All pine decking comes treated as H3.2.
Standard Pine Decking
The standard or merch grade decking timber is a mid range, lower cost timber which is suitable for standard decking projects. Because of the slightly lower grade of timber the product may distort more overtime in comparison to premium product.
The permitted defects for this timber include: bark and resin pockets; tight intergrown knots to a maximum of 1/2 of cross-section; and spike knots inter-grown to a maximum 30mm width sapstain. The defects not permitted for this timber would include bark encased knots, pith, splits and checking.
Kwila Decking
Kwila, is a very good alternative to pine decking. It can be found in lengths ranging from 1.8 to 4.8m while most commonly available size would be around 3m to 3.6m in length. The species contains a natural resin which will bleed and discolour the timber while it is drying. Both green and dry Kwila machine and finish well. Kwila is a very stable and durable timber which makes it an ideal choice for outdoor uses.
Vitex Decking
Vitex is also know as Vasa and has a dark yellowish-brown or walnut-brown appearance. The grain is straight to interlocked and can appear as a ribbon shaped pattern in the timber. The timber is slightly greasy to touch. Because of Vitex’s durability it is especially ideal for decking in coastal situations. Vitex must be stacked properly. Stacks must be weighted and have fillets between layers to enable sufficient airflow between layers. This will help reduce degradation.
Styles And Locations
Decking comes with two main faces. The top is commonly grooved, and the back is usually smooth. When planning a deck you must take the location into consideration. If your deck is near the coast and you have the grooved side up, the grooves will fill with sand and debris over time, so it may be better to have the smooth side up. If your deck will be shadowed by trees, falling leaves and wet weather can make for a slippery surface, so it would be better to have the grooved side up.
Note: If it is necessary for visitors to your property to cross the deck to access the street, there is a slip resistance requirement in the NZBC. This requires the grooved side to be facing up and at a right angle to the direction of the house.
Top Tips
Softwood requires to be treated for higher durability. Once treated it can be used in all decking situations, even pergolas. Once stained it can have a similar hue as hardwood. Treated softwood,such as pine can be a cost effective option.
Hardwood is a little more expensive than softwood. It has a richer timber hue than softwood and is resilient. While hardwood is harder to treat it is naturally durable.
Like most wooden structures its important to stain them regularly with decking oils and stains.
