Deck Builders Paradise Point

Residential and commercial decking around Paradise Point

Alongside home decks, we take on decking for managed and commercial properties: outdoor customer areas for cafes and retail, office break-out decks, body corporate common areas, and replacement decks on investment properties for landlords and property managers. Commercial work can be timber or composite, and is scoped and quoted the same way: measure, assess what is there, then a fixed written price.

What a deck frame is made of

A deck frame has footings in the ground, posts or stirrups on the footings, bearers running across the posts, and joists running across the bearers. The boards are fixed to the joists. Each layer has to suit the one above it.

Timber frames

Most decks are framed in treated pine. It is affordable, easy to work with and treated to resist rot and termites. The treatment level matters. H3 is for timber above ground and out of constant wet. H4 is for timber in contact with the ground. H5 is for timber in wet ground or high moisture. Using H3 where H4 is needed is a common reason frames fail early. Hardwood frames are stronger and last well too, at a higher cost.

Steel subframes

Lightweight galvanised steel subframes are an option for low decks, decks close to the ground and some composite installs. Steel does not rot or get eaten by termites, and it stays straight. It costs more than pine, and near the coast the coating and fixings need to suit the exposure. We use steel where it makes sense for the site and discuss it with you.

Joist spacing

Each board has a maximum span between joists. Thinner timber boards and most composite boards need joists at 400 to 450 mm centres, sometimes closer for diagonal layouts or commercial use. Wider spacing saves timber but gives you a bouncy deck and voids composite warranties. We set the spacing to the board manufacturer's guide.

Footings

Footings are concrete pads or piers sized for the load and the ground. Posts sit on galvanised stirrups above the concrete so they are not sitting in water. For low decks, adjustable steel pedestals on pads are sometimes used. On soft or filled ground, footings go deeper until they reach firm material.

Small details that make frames last

• Joist tape on the top of each joist to keep water out of the screw holes.
• Cut ends of treated timber sealed with end-grain preservative.
• Gaps between boards for drainage and airflow.
• Ground under the deck shaped so water runs away, not under the frame.
• Correct galvanised or stainless fixings for the exposure.

Boards, options and prices

On the frame we lay treated pine, hardwood or composite from Ekodeck and Ezy Decking, supplied and installed or install only. As a general guide, timber decking runs roughly $350 to $550 per m² and composite $450 to $700 per m² supplied and installed, depending on height, access, framing and finishes. More on timber decking and composite decking.