With summer fast approaching, we thought now was the perfect time to focus on every kiwis favorite place to spend a summers day/evening entertaining – the deck.
A perfect way to add extra square meters to a homes floor space, a deck can be one of the best investments you can make when it comes to adding to your home – but Installing a deck requires a bit of planning and forethought. There are council rules and regulations to be followed, and decisions to be made about the materials, cost, and colour of your deck.
(If you are unsure whether your deck will require consent, or would just like a professional opinion, hit the contact us tab and send through an enquiry form)
Types of Decking
Hardwoods
Hardwoods are by far the most popular choice for kiwi decks, and for good reason – they are hard wearing, have minimal shrinkage and look great when installed correctly – but they are also significantly more expensive than softwoods like pine.
Kwila is our best seller when it comes to hardwood decking sales, this timber is yellow brown to dark red brown and when combined with a stainless steel screw fixing, always comes up a winner. one of the downsides of kwila is the fact it bleeds substantially more than other decking, which can result in staining of surrounding concrete/tiles if not careful.
Another popular request we receive is Vitex, this is a creamy grey timber and bleeds less than kwila, and if left unstained it will weather to an attractive silver/grey colour tone.
There are many other choices when it comes to hardwoods – Purpleheart/mahogany/garapa – this choice will all come down to personal preference – so visit your local timber merchant and ask to see their sample board.
Softwoods
Generally speaking, we do not recommend softwoods to our clients, as in our opinion a deck is an area that needs to be hard wearing – but on the odd occasion one of our clients needs a cheap alternative for whatever reason – we would recommend Pine in the 140×35 size option, as this will have the least shrinkage (keep in mind pine will still shrink and expand dramatically at different stages of the year)
Eco decking
Eco decking is made from recycled materials, usually wood and plastic combined into a comparatively eco-friendly composite material. The wood provides a natural look and feel to the product, while the plastic component protects the wood from moisture and means the finished product is virtually maintenance-free. Composite decking has been used in the United States for around 30 years, but our high UV levels made the plastic components of earlier composite decking warp. Advances in technology have enabled new composites to be developed, which hold up in New Zealand’s harsh UV rays.
Fixings
Screws
Stainless steel screws will always be our number one recommendation for deck fixing. They provide an easy way to replace a damaged board,create a great feature when installed well and provide a vastly superior hold to nails.
Nails
Nail fixings are a cheaper alternative to screw fixings and still provide a great finish when installed well, but over time there hold can give and result in squeaking decking and potential hazards for bare feet – when choosing a decking nail make sure they are annular grooved to ensure their hold is sufficient, and at the bare minimum that they are galvanized – most retailers will have specialist decking nails that are both of these requirements.
Thinking of getting your deck constructed before summer? Hit the Contact Us tab and send us a enquiry form to secure your dates!
