Browse Forums Outdoor Living 1 May 07, 2011 8:05 pm Hello there We're considering putting a hexagonal piece of decking in the back garden but we know nothing about decking Can anyone tell us what sort of timber decking is best and what you think of composite decking. Also what is best to seal it with to protect it from the elements. Is it a good idea to stick it down with no more nails? Any advice would be good (btw sorry if someone has already posted a question like this I did a search and couldn't find anything similar.) Thanks Flew Re: Decking types - which is best for outdoors 2May 17, 2011 9:51 am Hi, after some searching around I've managed to answer my own question by looking at this website: www.deckingaustralia.com.au. If you've had a good or bad experience with spotted gum it would be nice if you could let reply and let me know? Thanks Flew Re: Decking types - which is best for outdoors 3May 18, 2011 1:32 pm Hi flew, Spotted gum should work well. I considered using spotted gum for the one I built but ended up going for Merbau because we liked the colour a bit better. In the end though I think the finish you apply has a lot more bearing on the way the final colour will look. Re: Decking types - which is best for outdoors 4May 19, 2011 9:31 pm We use spotted gum quite often, and gound it to be very good. It's a class down from Ironbark and I think Merbau, but is still very durable for outdoor applications. In my opinion in may need an oiling/treament more often than merbau as it is a Eucalypt species that is very dense and can dry out and crack quicker. This is more prevalent in the 136mm wide boards which can "cup", which is where the timber bows in the middle and holds water. Havent seen it happen as yet in the thinner 86mm boards Planned Landscape Constructions http://www.plannedlandscape.com.au Find us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 9907611509 Re: Decking types - which is best for outdoors 5May 20, 2011 4:13 pm Treated pine subfloors will react with standard deck screws/nails Use chemshield treated screws (nails eventually pop, even if ring shank or screw shank) Stainless steel screws on wide boards can snap I use either square drive or star drive Spotted gum is a good quality deck material and is a step below Iron bark in quality and also price The denser and harder the material the easier it scratchs (not including indents from chairs etc like T/P does) As planned said wide boards cup easier than thin boards, screwing the deck down helps to minimse this Use a good quality deck oil (not laquer or varnish) something like Sikkens range of oils they last longer than brands like Cabotts but Sikkens is quite expensive You dont need to use liquid nails on boards (no more nails or also know as no more skills) Some reading material below Table of timber species for outdoor use and properties Blackbutt :Coastal areas of NSW and QLD Australia.Eucalyptus type, light brown Hardness: hard Termite Resistance: resistant Marine Borer res.: class 3 Natural durability above ground: class 1 Natural durability ground contact: class 2 Cypress :Inland areas of Australia.Yellowish brown to cream, brittle character, susceptibility to surface checking, many knots. Hardness: moderate Termite Resistance: resistant Marine Borer res.: class 2 Natural durability above ground: class 1 Natural durability ground contact: class 2 Jarrah :South-west of Western Australia.Eucalyptus type, rich red to dark brown. Hardness: hard Termite Resistance: resistant Marine Borer res.: class 3 Natural durability above ground: class 2 Natural durability ground contact: class 2 Kapur :Indonesia, Malaysia.Reddish brown.Hardness: hard Natural durability above ground: class 2 Natural durability ground contact: class 3MerbauSouth-east AsiaLight to dark reddish brown, moderately coarse texture. Hardness: hard Termite Resistance: resistant Marine Borer res.: class 3 Natural durability above ground: class 1 Natural durability ground contact: class 3 Spotted Gum :Coastal areas of VIC, NSW and QLD Australia.Light to dark brown, moderately coarse texture. Hardness: very hard Termite Resistance: resistant Marine Borer res.: class 4 Natural durability above ground: class 1 Natural durability ground contact: class 2 Selangan Batu :South-east Asia, Indonesia.Yellowish to reddish brown, fine to medium texture. Hardness: hard Natural durability: class 2 Very resistant and durable. Sydney Blue Gum :Coastal areas of NSW and southern QLD Australia.Eucalyptus type, dark pink to red-brown, moderately coarse texture. Hardness: hard Termite Resistance: not resistant Marine Borer res.: class 3 Natural durability above ground: class 2 Natural durability ground contact: class 3 Treated Pine :VIC, NSW, QLD, TAS, SA, WA and some can also be imported.Pale-brown. Hardness: soft Natural Pine is low in resistance against fungi and insects. The durability depends on the treatment with wood preservatives but can be very high for Treated Pine Da Vinci Outdoor Living Architectural landscaping http://www.davincioutdoor.com Re: Decking types - which is best for outdoors 6May 20, 2011 5:56 pm davinci Treated pine subfloors will react with standard deck screws/nails Use chemshield treated screws (nails eventually pop, even if ring shank or screw shank) I dont believe this is true. There is no way the H3 treatment can possibly effect the metallurgy of a screw or nail. "Chemshield" is just a marketing ploy dreamed up by a nail and screw company. Just use galvanised or stainless steel screws. The S/S screws will only snap if you screw into hardwood sub-floor. S/S screws into treated pine sub-floor will suck down like a toddler with a slurpie. Hi, as per the subject. Does anyone have any recommendations for the best value decking oil (Bunning is close to where I live) for a treated pine deck? Thanks 0 10973 Use a product like Equisol's Vitalise to clean the deck then coat with a penetrating timber oil. It will look 10 years younger and add value to your home. Visit for… 1 15798 Hi, Really struggling to find some consistency amongst Span Tables, can anyone help… 0 2667 |