Browse Forums Eco Living 1 Jul 02, 2011 8:29 am Hi there, I LOVE the look of Merbau but can't bring myself to order it... every time I looked at it I'd think of those poor orangutans... What are some other sustainable options that can be used for outdoor decking that still have that nice red/deep colour? Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 2Jul 02, 2011 1:05 pm Southern Mahogany isn't quite as deep a red but still a beautiful colour. I plan to use Radial Timber Sales' NewDeck, their milling technique makes the most of these hardwoods. Newtown rebuild: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=48977 Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 4Aug 06, 2011 12:24 am I am currently using recycled bridge beams set into galvanised frames to build a set of platform steps but there is no reason why you could not do entire decks this way. You can use salvaged metal for the frames as it is acid dipped before it is galvanised so appearence is not important pre welding/dipping. Really the entire system could be recycled/salvaged materials (with exception of the coatings). http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr164/Fishdejour/house10/IMG_1731.jpg Our decking boards where remilled from larger sections of salvaged timber (spotted Gum). Being larger wharf boards we have allowed it to grey off as we have a lot of polished timber in the house (as you can see) so wanted a low maintenance/contrasting look. Hardwood only oxidises at a rate of 6mm per 100 years so it does not need to be oiled if it is a larger profile. There are numerous recycled timber businesses that remill quality class 1 & 2 hardwoods into decking (Google it) http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr164/Fishdejour/house10/IMG_1664.jpg Steve Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 5Aug 06, 2011 10:11 am Love the look of your house Steve Really the only environmentally sustainable option is recycling or plantation. There's lots of places sell recycled. Plantation there is not much option in Australia at the moment other than pine. If you do go Merbau, Fowls auctions has it and other decking in their auction next week Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 7Aug 06, 2011 8:24 pm Steve Thanks tjilpi, I like it too it is a work in progress but is over 50% recycled content in total, shows that it is possible to reuse materials and still achieve a nice look. Steve Hey Steve! Good on you! I can't tell you how nice and refreshing it is to see people like you on the forum. I have been on here for a while and really love H1 and the community. But I haven't seen much discussion about sustainable building, which is scary. We are building a house with as many enviro aspects as possible (orientiation, ventilation, insulation etc.) but now we are looking into materials. The immediate issue is our front door. (Our builder - small guys so flexible, but they just don't know about sustainable options - use Corinthian doors which are made of Merbau or Pacific Maple - not as high up the baddie rank but still threatened). Stegbar use imported Western Red Cedar from Canada. So we are having troubles sourcing a plain front door from recycled or sustainable timbers. (Preferably near Sydney). Any suggestions????? SunshineT's Build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34585 Designs start: 4/12/09 DA: 5/7/11 Demo: 22/12/11 Slab: 24/2/12 Keys: 31/8/12 Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 8Aug 06, 2011 8:40 pm kels Hi there, I LOVE the look of Merbau but can't bring myself to order it... every time I looked at it I'd think of those poor orangutans... What are some other sustainable options that can be used for outdoor decking that still have that nice red/deep colour? Same-totally agree. We are getting a quote anyway for the stuff but really want something sustainable. Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 9Aug 07, 2011 11:09 am SunshineT ] Hey Steve! Good on you! I can't tell you how nice and refreshing it is to see people like you on the forum. I have been on here for a while and really love H1 and the community. But I haven't seen much discussion about sustainable building, which is scary. We are building a house with as many enviro aspects as possible (orientiation, ventilation, insulation etc.) but now we are looking into materials. The immediate issue is our front door. (Our builder - small guys so flexible, but they just don't know about sustainable options - use Corinthian doors which are made of Merbau or Pacific Maple - not as high up the baddie rank but still threatened). Stegbar use imported Western Red Cedar from Canada. So we are having troubles sourcing a plain front door from recycled or sustainable timbers. (Preferably near Sydney). Any suggestions????? Thanks for the positive comments. Sustainable building is poorly understood in Australia, as you noted, sustainable housing is the exception rather than the rule sadly. There is a misguided perception that it costs more, houses are unattractive, they are the domain of hippies etc. etc. a lot of bad press. Our place will be 100% autonomous when complete and look quite contemporary (with a bit of soul), it has cost only a little more than a conventional house but we will never pay another bill for the rest of our days, I am not sure why that idea is hard to sell?? Simple stuff like orientation, cross flow ventilation and insulation etc. should be in the BCA really. The bells and whistles end of sustainable housing market is expanding incredibly around the world but not so much here in Australia. Good on you for thinking so much about it and acting on it, the benefits go so far beyond yourself and your family. We used recycled front doors that came from a demolition, salvaged materials are the most benign material available and I rather love them as a feature. There are a heap of salvage yards in Sydney that would have such things, probably 'plain ones' also. Ours are not every ones style but there is a huge range of recycled doors out there and they are a fraction of the cost of new. These cost $600 total (I have fitted Comfort Plus into the top panels, added seals, door hardware etc now) http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr164/Fishdejour/house10/IMG_0650.jpg I would also consider getting one made, there are a heap of joinery’s that would be able to do it for you. Try Ironwood in Sydney they would be able to sell you recycled timber and make you a door or recommend a joinery. http://www.ironwood.com.au/ I know a few in Canberra if that would help? These folks supply recycled timber and do joinery work too http://www.thors.com.au/ Let me know if you need some other bespoke door contacts in Canberra? (That is my closest major city so I do most of my 'shopping' up there) Steve Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 10Aug 07, 2011 11:37 am Hi Steve - thanks so much for that info. Funny, we already came across Thors and love their stuff. I posted a recycled timber door of theirs on my thread as the dream door. My DH called Thors but problem is the door we saw costs at least $1800 for a 820mm door... It might be that we pay that much (as I really couldn't open a Merbau door each day), but still want to have a look around. Thanks heaps for the tips - will follow up those links. btw, where are you building? (I grew up in the Canberra area so know its surrounds well)... T ps: your house really looks beautiful. Have you thought about starting your own thread? I would love to follow your build... SunshineT's Build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34585 Designs start: 4/12/09 DA: 5/7/11 Demo: 22/12/11 Slab: 24/2/12 Keys: 31/8/12 Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 11Aug 07, 2011 1:07 pm I am lucky to have lifestyle and the skill set required to build such things but yes it is exspensive when you start looking at having bespoke fittings/fixtures made. We consider longevity (quality) is part of building a sustainable house, a house that lasts 100 years, has adaptability, built in deconstruction etc reduces impact in a major way. There are so many angles to consider. I have a thread "Hill House" over in the Owner Builder section of the forum. It should probably be in here (Eco living) as it sits uncomfortably with the 'owner builder' project homes, our project is rather wholistic not just about the house building, we look at all aspects of our lives in relation to sustainability. We are on the Far South Coast just outside Bega but I also spent some time growing up in Canberra, went to Uni there and do a lot of work there still, I quite like it but the coastal/rural lifestyle is pretty hard to beat. Steve Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 12Aug 07, 2011 2:53 pm Thanks Steve. We had a look at the Ironwood website and DH tried to call them, but no answer as it is Sunday. Will follow up next week. We love the idea of recycled timber... Hopefully next week we will find out the credit we get from our builder (for not using their door) which we want to apply to sourcing our own. If it is comparable, then it might be attractive to others... can't hurt to spread the word?! I will let you know how we get on. I will check out your thread (if it was in your signature that would be easier to find Cheers, T SunshineT's Build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34585 Designs start: 4/12/09 DA: 5/7/11 Demo: 22/12/11 Slab: 24/2/12 Keys: 31/8/12 Decking using sustainable wood? 13Aug 10, 2011 7:57 am Hi A store where we went to look at bamboo flooring had a product called Decklife decking (Google "Decklife") which is made from bamboo and recycled plastic. It doesn't have the grain of timber but I think it looks good and I like that it is low maintenance and sustainable. Paul Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 14Oct 28, 2011 2:32 pm Hi there - if someone is reading this in the future - we found a solution to getting a front door made from sustainable wood (as most commercial doors are Merbau or Cedar). DH found a great guy, at North Coast Doors (in Toormina), who is custom making our door: - Spotted Gum - 1000mm x 2340mm - plus frame for $1500. Sounds like a small operation, but it's nice to support small businesses and the guy sounds like a really hands-on old fashioned sort. SO we are pretty happy. So glad we don't have to use merbau or to resort to sourcing it through a nasty big company. SunshineT's Build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34585 Designs start: 4/12/09 DA: 5/7/11 Demo: 22/12/11 Slab: 24/2/12 Keys: 31/8/12 Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 16Oct 28, 2011 5:46 pm kels wow that's great, thanks Hi Kels. yeah, we are pretty chuffed to have a custom door in such a hard wood that is Australian and sustainable. Plus looks pretty nice (we hope!). Are you looking to do the same? SunshineT's Build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34585 Designs start: 4/12/09 DA: 5/7/11 Demo: 22/12/11 Slab: 24/2/12 Keys: 31/8/12 Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 17Oct 30, 2011 5:40 am Perhaps way into the future now. We're now planning to move instead of renovate so decking will be done by my Dad using an Australian hardwood but we'll just repaint the current front door white instead for now. Was interesting hearing about your door though. Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 18Jan 25, 2012 8:21 pm i would have thought that building with sustainability in mind would have become very "trendy" by now. i will be building my house with 'econess' galore. i hope to install solar panels and a wind turbine to stay off the power grid. i am installing rainwater tanks so i dont have to use mains water even though my rates will include a $200 fee for 'maintenance' of the water pipe that runs past my property. there will be a minimal number of hinged doors in the house. most doors are to be sliding. there is a higher than usual number of windows for both natural lighting and ventilation. i have found there are natural paints on the market (livos) i think the brand is called. and now you guys have highlighted the often forgotten art of recycling old timbers! i knew it was a good idea to join this forum! there are demolition yards near where i live and next time a cyclone blows through the place, i should be so lucky as to pick up a lot of house timber from damaged buildings. Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 19Jan 25, 2012 9:46 pm hard_aground Start collecting materials now... it takes a long time to find the right materails if you decide to go the recycled/salvaged material route. Sustainability will cost you more too, that's why it is not so 'trendy'. I reckon I could have built my place for half what it has cost me so far if it was a conventional home.... Steve My building project - Hill House viewtopic.php?f=38&t=13537 Who you have in your life is more important than what you have Re: Decking using sustainable wood? 20Jan 26, 2012 7:47 am Steve hard_aground Start collecting materials now... it takes a long time to find the right materails if you decide to go the recycled/salvaged material route. Sustainability will cost you more too, that's why it is not so 'trendy'. I reckon I could have built my place for half what it has cost me so far if it was a conventional home.... such as shame the sustainable option is still more expensive. hard_aground - this forum is fabulous! SunshineT's Build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34585 Designs start: 4/12/09 DA: 5/7/11 Demo: 22/12/11 Slab: 24/2/12 Keys: 31/8/12 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 10940 Broker here - legislation says that every true broker must put the clients best interests before theirs so in theory they must offer you the best options for you on their… 2 45939 0 1967 |