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Timber decking should be a source of great enjoyment for the enhancement
of lifestyle which it brings and satisfaction for the quality of
construction and trouble free performance over a long life.
For a decking project to provide enjoyment and the satisfaction of good performance
over a long life, each
element of the project must be individually considered, specified to a high
standard and integrated into a total project solution.
By employing a “system approach” of good practices in design; construction and
finishing materials; and construction, installation, finishing and maintenance
practices, a satisfying timber decking project can be delivered which performs
well over a long life, avoiding the problems of poor performance or premature
deterioration.
A system approach, as illustrated below, combines good practices in:
• design and detailing
• choice of quality, and suitable, materials for the subframe, decking,
fasteners and finishes
• framing construction and decking installation, and
• finishing and maintenance.
To find out more detail about each of these elements,
please follow the links in the column on the left.
The benefits of a “system” approach become more apparent in the medium to
long-term as other decking projects without this approach may suffer from
reduced enjoyment by its users because of poor performance and premature
deterioration.
Unfortunately, not all timber decking provides the enjoyment and satisfaction which
it should.
Dissatisfaction with a timber decking project can result from:
• Problems occurring in the short term – often related to poor performance of
the decking timber eg distortion, excessive swelling and shrinkage or fixings
working out or failing
• Problems occurring in the longer term - often related to premature
deterioration of the decking or subframe timber or fixings, or in the worst
case, failure, if the deterioration is not recognised.
These problems can originate in a number of areas including:
• design and/or detailing
• choice of decking or structural timber
• choice of other materials
• construction of the subframe
• installation of the decking
• finish chosen or finishing techniques
• maintenance of the decking (or lack thereof).
We heard firsthand about a deck where good quality spotted gum decking had been
used but it had been fixed to 35mm softwood joists with gun nails which had
burst through the side of the joists and which were not providing sufficient
hold down force, allowing the decking to move underfoot. This deck started to give trouble
immediately - for the owner, supplier, builder and designer and it is not an
easy fix.
We also spoke to a building designer at the Gold Coast in Queensland who had
material
and/ or construction problems with the last 4 timber decks he had designed and
was considering not designing timber decks in future.
It does not have to be like this.
Timber decks can be a source of great
enjoyment by getting it right the first time, either through specifying all the
elements of the project or by contacting
your local Deck Master,
who will discuss your requirements with you and deliver you a quality
deck which meets your expectations of quality, performance and
satisfaction.
Focusing on one or a number of elements without ensuring that all the
other elements are of a high quality is likely to result in a less than
satisfying result eg buying good quality decking timber but not specifying how
that decking to fixed, with what type of fixing and into what type of subframe,
may lead to performance and longevity issues. The project may well
last until the end of the guarantee period but may not last as long as it should
and may not perform well over its life.
The construction elements of the Decking System
are covered in greater detail in the Construction Standard - click here
to access the Deck Master Construction Standard page.
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