Timber Floor Au

Sometimes using padstones to support the joists is better, for various reasons, ...

There could be underground drainage or electrics or termite activity etc.

I just prefer it, and the deck feels solid as a rock.

I just set a laser level and string line up, and do outside row of padstones, set into concrete, with appropriate fall to next padstone at 400mm intervals in rows and columns.

Then build the frame from 4inch or 5inch x 2 inch timber, and lift that into place.

Then lift the frame up off all the pads, and using builders adhesive from bunnings at 1.50 a pop whack huge blobs of adhesive on every pad, then lower the frame onto the padstones.

Then next day deck it.

And yep just frame the outside edge of your deck first, mitre the corners and fix into place.
Then lay all other boards in whichever direction you prefer.

Adding an edge board does mean a bit more fiddling with the framework underneath, to allow nailing for the ends and the subsequent planks. But its pretty easy once you get going.

If you get stuck i will mock up a drawing for you, and post it on here later.

That deck was approx 32 sqm

I would seriously recommend Narangba Timbers as I said before, even if you gotta drive the 70k down from s.c to get the stuff.. there timber is A1

Ste

Oh and allow min 10% for wasteage

Sleeping Beauty

...........you're so good, ta very muchly.

btw, we are in mid NSW, so i am afraid Narangba Timbers are too far away , thanks anyway.

Timber Floor Au

ooops lol

Wol

As Timber has said, merbau leaches the brown out for months, makes a hell of a mess of brickwork or concrete although it can be washed off.

Once the stain's come out it remains grey, which I prefer anyway.

Sleeping Beauty

i wish you hadn't posted that forum steve.............another forum i will be obsessed with. however, all the jargon and talk makes me feel unsure that we can do it by ourselves

Sleeping Beauty

i've just been reading on another forum about the tannins in merbau. do you think we are better buying it and storing it for a wee while before laying it? or, as suggested in a few post on that forum, letting it 'weather' before putting stuff/oils/coating on it?

also, another question....................sorry................. .......

when laying the deck, will it look better having the lengths different, so that this is no 'line' where all the lengths finish together?
or does it look better when all the lengths finish together?

and another one....................

kiln dried or air dried?

Timber Floor Au

The tanin comes out during weathering. If you leave it out to "leach" its colours, ensure nothing is on it, as it will leave shadow marks.

Very much like cherry, when merbau weathers it actually darkens, but is affected initially before treating, by the sun, and can mark quite easily. ( from sun / shade staining )

I have had merbau ( mirrabow ) down on some jobs for donkeys years, and if a pigmented oil is used, then you can retain its colouring.

If you want greyed colour, then use natural un pigmented oils, however these do not provide any sun screening.

Or stick to blue gum etc, or tallow wood's

Ste

wanderingwombat

Which is why raised decks make wonderful carports to park your new white car under

WW

The OH

Here you are Ste posting about padstones and a lovely memory of Padstow came flooding back of Rick Steins pitch and a Golfing sesh at St Enodoc...Did you know that Sir John Betjeman (28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) Poet Laureate and writer on architecture is buried at St Enodoc Church? I love Myfanwy...

http://www.johnbetjeman.com/poetry.html

Will a 2.4mm gap on te' decking cause my 36' putt to veer off line?

Now back to the thread...

Will a trip to Narangba Timbers be worthwhile?

Would it be better to buy the stuff from them directly and just pay for labour?
Does the calculator on the NT site work on your PC?

Timber Floor Au

Mate, one of my all time heroes is John Betjamin, poet laureate. Love his style.

Deffo worth a visit to Narangba Timbers, I even have a trailer, you can borrow

If you do head up this way, they are literally 5 mins drive from me, I can take you there if ya like.

Its always hard weighing up labour only jobs, as more often than not the installer will up his labour price, out of professional duty lol.

I dont know of another merchant in the Brisbane area, with the level of stock of N.T.

Yep their calculators all work fine

Ste

The OH

A gent and a scholar

Will PM to arrange a sortie

youngy73

right then timber. whats your feeling on just laying a concrete slab then laying 2x2 battens then nailing the boards to the battens. thats what im going to do on my next deck when i get the house started.i will paint the battens to waterproof them.

Timber Floor Au

We used to use this system on flooring. Never done it outside on a deck.

I would probably advise drilling eccentric oversized holes thru the battens into the concrete and then putting large washers over the holes and fixing thru. This would allow any movement within the concrete substrrate and differential in the decking framework etc to work in tandem.

Thats my theory lol.

Alternatively use builders adhesive ( elastomeric type ) and glue the battens down, direct onto the concrete. Im not sure sikkens t2 adhesive can be used externally.

Ste

Sleeping Beauty

apologies for resurecting this thread. we are very near the deck being laid. we have had a price off someone who my OH works with onsite (he will be doing it as a foreigner). however, treated pine has been quoted i keep menting merbau, but OH has been told that merbau is not great round a saltwater pool, the treated pine is guaranteed for 20 years etc etc. i just dont like the look of treated pine (even though i know it can be stained), i prefer the look of merbau (not that i have seen it in the flesh, just off web piccies etc).

any takers on this? is merbau no good round salt water pools?

mrs 'pleased to be getting her decking done at long last, but not so pleased i might not end up with what i want'

Wol

See my April post above. So long as the decking's below the pool coping the stain won't run into the pool so that wouldn't be a problem. In any case, if the decking *did* have runoff into the pool the pine treatment would leach into the pool water anyway and would probably be copper chrome arsenic.

I would go with the merbau, myself, or one of the recycled plastics lookalikes.