In the sub-tropical environment of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, this homeowner needed not just one, but two large decks restored. Being over 20 years old, and surviving in the hot, humid environment, the old decks were riddled with rotting and warped boards. The old paint was hiding the true condition of the timbers with many suffering far more rot than initially thought, also a number of the original hardwood joists were also well past their used by date. So these rotted members were replaced with new treated pine timbers, and by adding a generous coating of waterproofing compound between all abutting and lap-jointed timbers, we have ensured they are well protected for many years to come.
The original handrails, poorly supported across their length, had sagged over time, and the unsightly chunky hardwood vertical railings closed in the 6-foot-wide space and locked out the light and stunning hinterland views.
On the lower deck, the old 70mm boards were removed, all remaining nails pulled from the joists, additional framing was installed to support the new decking board layout, and then all new 140mm wide Merbau boards were laid to their full 5.7m length in two sections, divided by a perpendicular board. Expert joinery resulted in perfect picture framing of the sections and created a touch of elegance. Lengths of 140mm decking boards were laid over 90mm boards to create the sturdy handrails, supported through the mid points by new Merbau posts which were fixed down into the sub-structure of the deck, with a clever hidden fixing system designed to ensure there are no screw holes visible in the top handrail. Marine-grade stainless steel balustrade wires and fixings completes the look and lets the light and natural colours from the garden in to encase the space.
Up on the less exposed top deck the old boards were not as rotted as the bottom deck. However, the sag and warping of the handrails was more pronounced. The old green paint, no doubt considered fashionable at the time, was peeling and had come away entirely in many places, on account of weathering the harsh western sun.
The space required 20m2 of merbau decking boards, staggered to get the most use out of the materials, with picture framing edges. The merbau was chosen due to its durability, natural resistance to termites and fungal rotting, low maintenance and for its beautiful aesthetic, which over time will weather to match the rustic weatherboard home.
Due to the height, horizontal slats, made up of ripped 140mm boards, were attached to the newly installed posts to a height of 700mm from the deck surface, to create a more solid feeling barrier to the (substantial) drop below. The wire balustrades then satisfies the barrier requirements while not obstructing the view.
And what a view that is. The very happy homeowners now enjoy their decks, content with the knowledge that they will last another 20 years, if not much longer.
Below are a few images taken during this 3 week-long project, showing some details of the transformation from what it was, to what it is now
