Wood decks are marvellously flexible structures that can be designed and built to suit you, your family and the property you live in. They make great additions to homes of all ages and are superb for businesses like pubs, clubs, hotels and restaurants that want to create an attractive outdoor room for their customers to enjoy.
Market research shows that the popularity of decking and associated landscape structures is growing in leaps and bounds. Wood decks are now an established part of garden design. Anyone who is thinking about creating a deck should ensure that the materials used are fit for this purpose and that the builder knows what they are doing as properly built decks will provide years of pleasure but it is absolutely crucial, particularly with a raised deck, that the structure is safe and sound after completion. Not new information, but it does merit a timely reminder, and following these guidelines should ensure a lifespan of at least 25+ years.
There is a wide range of species of wood, both hardwoods and softwoods, which are highly suitable for decking. Beyond the usual materials like cedar, there are a growing number of exotic hardwoods, most of which are sustainably harvested, that offer superior advantages over the typical wood decking materials; including those that are pressure-treated. Some of the possibilities: ipê, cumaru, bangkirai. Ipê has a Class A fire rating in the US. The important factor for wood used out of doors is that it is durable enough to resist fungal decay. Some species of wood have a natural ability to resist decay completely; others have varying degrees of natural durability and may require treatment.
Softwoods are used a lot more for decking because it tends to be less costly and easier to work with than hardwoods. However the rich attractive colours of hardwoods add greatly to their appeal, and naturally durable hardwoods are usually higher in density than softwood and their impact and abrasion resistant properties are reasons why they are used on commercial projects that have a lot of heavy use.
The wood should preferably be straight grained and have a moisture content no greater than 20% to reduce the risk of distortion caused when timber with higher moisture levels dries to suit the local conditions. Wood is a natural product and as your deck timbers weather, small cracks are likely to appear on the surface of the boards. These are caused by the intermittent wetting and drying of the wood and are part of the character of wood. They have no structural effect whatsoever. This natural ageing process can be slowed by the annual use of a clear water repellent coating, such as the Oli-Natura Yacht & Teak Oil. Unless a deck is painted with a stain, the original colour of the timber used will fade gradually when exposed to the elements. Whether your deck is made from a deeply coloured hardwood, such as ipê or the more mellow hues of a softwood species, such as Western Red Cedar, both will fade over time to a pleasant silvery grey; using a clear water repellent coating will help to prevent fading.
By far the majority of wood decks, boardwalks and piers built around the world are surfaced with plain timber boards. While grooved deck boards are often marketed as "anti-slip" there is no evidence to suggest that they perform any better or worse than plain decking. Choice of deck board style is therefore a matter of personal preference. A fall of around 1:100 should be built into a deck to help the surface drain and prevent standing water. Grooved deck boards were actually designed to aid water drainage and as such should be laid in the direction of the fall away from any adjoining property. Where there is a higher than normal requirement to prevent the risk of slipperiness, for example on ramps or stairs, then deck boards with built-in abrasive strips can be used.
As with all wood projects, on-going care and maintenance cannot be forgotten or ignored:
- Regularly clean the deck with a brush to remove dirt.
- Occasionally remove mildew, algae and dirt with a pressure hose or deck-cleaning liquid. A stiff brush should remove mildew and algae.
- Once a year, add a clear water repellent.
- Check for damaged boards and replace as necessary.
For more information, contact
Danny or
Dominic for further information.
