Careful planning is important to gain the maximum enjoyment out of your deck.
It is easy to consider different ideas and make changes on paper as a concept
 or as sketches.  Making changes after plans are drawn and submitted to your
local authority for approval or particularly after construction commences
can be a frustrating and expensive exercise.  

Please click on the following links to gain information on each of the following subjects:

How to start the planning process?

Where to get ideas for your deck?

Some considerations at the concept and planning stage

Drawing a plan of your deck

Involving a designer

Building Approval

How to deal with existing garden features

Special considerations for a screened area

Pool Safety

Tannin staining (timber staining)

How to start the planning process?

Start planning by considering the activities your deck will accommodate, whether it will be a sunny breakfast area, a safe play area for children, a place for barbecues and entertaining or will host a number of activities.

Where to get ideas for your deck?

A handy source for ideas for the concept of your deck is house, garden and landscaping magazines. However, keep in mind that the projects are often the best of their type and often carry a high price tag. Generally, a simple design will be less expensive to build than a complex one and medium length spans require smaller cross-section timbers, which are more readily available and cheaper.
 

Some considerations at the concept and planning stage

Some considerations when developing the concept for your deck should include:

• the size you will need, shape you would prefer, and how it will influence the circulation from inside and outside your home
• the number of people you may have at any one time and whether they may be standing or seated. 1 square metre per person, standing, plus furniture and circulation spaces, is a reasonable starting point for calculating the area you will need.
• the size of your current or anticipated outdoor furniture - allowing appropriate circulation space even when chairs are pushed out.
• the position of your deck - will it be sunny in winter, shady in summer or protected from blustery winds? Will it affect your security or intrude on a quiet area of the home?
• if your deck is to be a thoroughfare or incorporate a stairway, is there a clear space for people to walk through without having to avoid furniture or plants or intruding on social gatherings?
 

Drawing a plan of your deck

Draw a plan to scale on a drawing of your house to check the usability of your deck e.g. the size and position of furniture, circulation spaces and standing areas. Check for other impacts, such as access to other areas of your yard, clearance from property boundaries and possible intrusion on utilities such as electricity, communications, water and drainage lines. If you have any doubts as to requirements for separation from utilities, or where they may be located, be sure to contact your local authority or service provider, employ a professional services locater and maintain the required separation.  Confirm locations before submitting plans and definitely before you start to dig.

Involving a designer

You may feel more confident dealing with a designer or draftsperson for preparing the working drawings. Alternatively, your local Deck Master will be able to prepare the drawings for you and submit them for local authority approval as part of the contract for construction of your deck.

The more thought that you put into deciding what you want from your deck - what it is to look like, the size and positioning, before consulting the designer or builder - the quicker the process will be and less costly your drawings should be.

Building Approval

You will need building approval for your decking project, so consult with your local building authority for the requirements for gaining building approval in your area.

How to deal with existing garden features

Rather than cut down a favourite tree or destroy a rock feature, you can design the deck to allow the tree to grow through it or to follow the outline of the rock or other garden feature.  Draw your bearer and joist layout to trim around the rock or the trunk of the tree making sure you allow plenty of room for at least 20 years of growth in the tree and for swaying in windy weather. During construction, you can scribe the decking in around the feature, allowing room for a tree to sway. The decking can be trimmed back every few years if necessary as the tree grows. When setting out the joists and scribing the decking around the feature, ensure that you have allowed room for any waterborne dirt to flow away and not become trapped in the timber work as this can lead to accelerated deterioration.

Before construction, consider whether your favourite tree needs pruning or removal for safety or the health of the tree. It will be easier and cheaper to prune or remove the tree before construction, when the tree pruner can work without concern about damaging your deck.

Special considerations for a screened area

If building a screened area, it is necessary to insect proof the underside of the decking. This can be achieved by attaching metal insect screening to the underside of the joist or placing the screening between the joist and decking. Screening attached to the underside of the joist can be removed (not necessarily easily), if required, for cleaning any debris that falls through the decking. Placing the screening between the joist and decking would be a neater solution but would be more difficult to clean.

Pool Safety

If your deck forms part of your pool area or overlooks your pool, ensure that your deck, including handrails, balustrading and gates, conforms in all respects to pool safety requirements.

Tannin staining (timber staining)

Hardwoods release tannins during weathering. Release of tannins is initially high and reduces over time as the tannins are washed from the surface. The dripping of water containing tannins will not affect natural ground, but will stain expensive brickwork or tiles.

Tannin staining can be reduced by using standard or custom made “drip strips” to direct water away from walls. The area under a fully exposed timber deck should not be used for a purpose where tannin staining may be an important issue.

Buying kiln-dried hardwood does not remove the tannins - it simply dries them out and they are reactivated on exposure to moisture from wet weather.