Upper Highway Timber Balustrades

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Well-designed timber balustrades are a defining feature of quality outdoor living in the Upper Highway area. They provide safety, structure, and a natural finish that elevates decks, patios, and entertainment spaces. At The Wood Joint, our approach combines premium timber, precision workmanship, and professional installation to deliver long-lasting results.

Our latest project highlights this commitment to quality, with expert craftsmanship by Justice Meyiwa. Every element of the balustrade was carefully measured, fabricated, and installed to ensure strength, durability, and visual balance, resulting in a finished space our clients can enjoy with confidence.

Blaustrades Durban

Custom Timber Balustrades for Upper Highway Homes

Homes in the Upper Highway and greater KZN region require outdoor structures that can withstand local climate conditions while complementing modern and traditional architecture. Timber balustrades remain a popular choice because they offer:

  • Strong, natural materials suited to exterior use
  • Custom sizing and spacing for safety and aesthetics
  • Seamless integration with timber decking and outdoor spaces
  • A timeless finish that adds value to your property

When built correctly, timber balustrades are both practical and visually striking.

Precision Timber Craftsmanship from Design to Installation

Quality outcomes start with the right process. For this project, we focused on:

  • Careful timber selection appropriate for outdoor exposure
  • Accurate fabrication for clean lines and consistent spacing
  • Professional installation for stability and long-term performance
  • Final quality checks to ensure safety and client satisfaction

This attention to detail is what sets custom timber work apart from off-the-shelf solutions.

decking craftsmanship

Built to Meet South African Standards

All balustrades should be constructed with safety and compliance in mind. Our work aligns with recognised South African building and safety standards, as outlined by the
South African Bureau of Standards.

We also follow the South African timber industry’s best practices, recommended by the
South African Timber Trade Federation, ensuring responsible material use and proven construction methods.

For outdoor decks and balustrades specifically, guidance from the
Timber Decking & Flooring Association of South Africa helps ensure correct spacing, fixing methods, and durability, particularly important in KZN’s climate.

Designed for Outdoor Living in KZN

Durban and the Upper Highway experience humidity, rainfall, and temperature changes that demand thoughtful design. By using quality timber and correct installation techniques, we ensure balustrades that perform well over time while maintaining their appearance.

Thinking About a Timber Balustrade or Deck Upgrade?

If you’re planning a new deck or upgrading an existing outdoor area, a professionally built timber balustrade makes all the difference. With the right materials, skilled craftsmanship, and expert installation, your outdoor space becomes safer, more functional, and visually refined.

Want to see your project come to life?
Book a consultation with The Wood Joint today and let us help you create a timber solution tailored to your Upper Highway home.

Wooden Decks, Waterfall, Durban

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  • Wooden Decks Durban
  • Wooden Decks Durban
  • Wooden Decks Durban
  • Wooden Decks Durban
  • Wooden Decks Durban
  • Wooden Decks Durban

We recently finished this deck at a client’s house who had been doing some other major renovations.  It was fairly simple deck.  The only part that needed careful planning was to ensure that the top of the deck fitted in below the window sill on the one side and flush with the door on the other side.  We needed to create a small step up of one brick on the sliding doors side in order to get the levels to work.

It was a standard H3 and H4 CCA Treated pine structurer with 19 x 68mm balau deck boards.  Screws were kalgard and counter sunk with screw wholes filled with epoxy and sanded flat.  We finished it with a decking oil which penetrates the timber rather than drying on the surface, making future maintenance easy and inexpensive.

The wrap around steps create a nice finish which can be used as seating as well as access to the deck.  This was a better option, considering the height of the deck, than a standard 1m wide stair case with balustrade around the deck. See above for pics of work in progress and the completed product

For a free no obligation quote you can contact me Garrick Dunstan on 082 496 5444 or use the contact form below.

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Balau Wooden Stairs in Hillcrest

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Long time no post.  After building this site over a number of years by adding hundreds of articles and pics of work in progress, work completed and general advice and sharing of experiences in our work, I realized that I had neglected our readers and hadn’t posted anything for a long, long time.  So here it is.

Dah, dah!!!  Some stairs we built in Hillcrest recently.  Yip, that’s balau, the tried and tested timber for deck building, stair building, balustrades and any other outdoor timber construction you can think of.  It’s hard, naturally resistant to rot and insect infestation and cost effective when it comes to this type of thing.  Building in other softer, less stable timbers such as pine will only save you the difference in the cost of timber because the labour is still the same no matter what you build it in.  So you might as well go balau.  It’s for life.  Well mostly, depending on how old or how young you are.

We also build timber decks, balustrades, pergolas, screens, you name it.  Anything wood, think “Wood Joint”.  Contact me, Garrick Dunstan, for a quote on 082 496 5444 or use this little contact us form below. Or just browse the site for many other articles on deck building.

Enjoy the pics

timber stairs hillcrest
timber stairs hillcrest
timber stairs hillcrest
timber stairs hillcrest
timber stairs hillcrest

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Westville deck, balustrade and gates

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For a free no obligation quote please contact me, Garrick Dunstan, on 082 496 5444 or use the contact us form below

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Pennington Deck

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For a free no obligation quote please contact me, Garrick Dunstan, on 082 496 5444 or use the contact us form below

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Cowies Hill floating platforms

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For a free no obligation quote please contact me, Garrick Dunstan, on 082 496 5444 or use the contact us form below

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Covid 19 – Essential Services Permit

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The Wood Joint (PTY) LTD has an Essential Services Permit in the business category SUPPLY, CRITICAL REPAIR ON ESSENTIAL SERVICE.

If you feel your request falls under the category of SUPPLY, CRITICAL REPAIR ON ESSENTIAL SERVICE please use the contact us form below to submit your enquiry or contact Garrick Dunstan on 082 496 5444.

The Wood Joint PTY (LTD) reserves the right to decline to quote or perform any work if it is not in terms with Government Regulations.

The possession of the CIPC certificate is still subject to the company fully complying with the applicable Lockdown Regulations and is a record of the company¶s details. This certificate does not in itself constitute the right to continue operating during the period, and it is the responsibility of the company to ensure that it complies with the regulations. Only businesses which provide essential services in terms of the Lockdown Regulations, as amended, issued by the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs may continue their operations during the COVID-19 lockdown, and only in respect of goods or services defined as essential in the regulations.

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Wooden Pergola built in Cotswold Downs Hillcrest

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This wooden pergola was built in the common public area of Cotswold Downs in Hillcrest. The original one had been damaged due to high winds. It was built using H3 CCA Treated pine. Being H3 CCA treated it has a minimum life span outdoors, in the weather, of 50 years. See here for an article on the correct treatment of pine.

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We built concrete bases with galvanised steel drag plates set in the concrete. The ground had a slight fall to it so each plinth was set and cast level with each other. The timber sits out the concrete fixed to the drag plates. This should limit the premature rot of the timber and resulted in H3 being used as opposed to H4.

We finished this one with a mineral based Rystix in Imbuia (black) at the client’s request.

For a free no obligation quote on your pergola, wooden sun decks, stairs and balustrades please contact me Garrick Dunstan on 082 496 5444 or use the contact us form below.

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Wooden Balau Deck built in Cotswold Downs, Hillcrest

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This wooden balau deck built in Cotswold Downs in July 2019 was built primarily to cover the JoJo tanks which were being housed below. There were various challenges in getting the beam across the span around the pipes that led into the tanks but with a few tricks we managed to hang a beam from above rather than secure it from below.

Wooden Balau Deck Cotswold Downs HIllcrest Wooden Balau Deck Cotswold Downs HIllcrest Wooden Balau Deck Cotswold Downs HIllcrest Wooden Balau Deck Cotswold Downs HIllcrest Wooden Balau Deck Cotswold Downs HIllcrest Wooden Balau Deck Cotswold Downs HIllcrest Wooden Balau Deck Cotswold Downs HIllcrest

The balustrade was built using balau and marine grade stainless steel wire rope which always works best when you don’t want the view to be obscured when in a sitting position.

There are a few strict rules at Cotswold Downs in Hillcrest with regard to the maximum height of the deck so we had to stagger it and create a split level deck. This resulted in some benches with removable lids for storage and a small flight of stairs to access the lower section.

For a free no obligation quote please contact me Garrick Dunstan on 082 496 5444 or use the contact us form below.

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Wooden balau deck built in Hillcrest

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This wooden balau deck was built in Hillcrest. It was built on top of existing slasto. When building on top of a previously laid substrate one can build directly on top of it rather than removing the paving or slasto. It helps with water flow below the deck keeping it drier and thus preventing premature rotting due to excess moisture for prolonged periods of time below the deck.

Timber deck HIllcrest Timber deck HIllcrest Timber deck HIllcrest Timber deck HIllcrest Timber deck HIllcrest

When building on a substrate like this that has a fall, the width of the joists need to be wedge shaped to accommodate the fall. The pieces of treated timber therefore need to be cut and treated again with an end sealer. We use Kugard which protects any cut ends of timber.

Other than that the deck was a straight forward build. There are various other articles on this site that explain the process we use and the measures we take to make sure the deck lasts longer. Please feel free to browse the site.

For a quote on your timber deck please call me, Garrick Dunstan, on 082 496 544 or use the contact us form below.

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