Jacuzzi Cladding – Umhlanga, Durban

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Jacuzzi Cladding Umhlanga, Durban

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Jacuzzi cladding is a nice job to get hold of because it allows one to use up a lot of off cuts that would otherwise be useless in building say, a 20 square metre deck, as most of them are less than 1m in length. A lot of wood is wasted when erecting a wooden deck because one will order a 3.3m piece of timber and only 3m or 2.9 will be required. Or the lengths required are not available from the supplier so a longer piece needs to be bought. Cladding Jacuzzis allows one to use these off cuts in the substructure and thereby recover some of the cost of the waste. The timber is still new and is not compromised and would need to be cut to that length anyway (so sorry no discounts because of this).

This Jacuzzi cladding was fairly simple in that there was an existing structure there that had deteriorated and was therefore removed and replaced with exactly the same shape structure. So there was no thinking involved really, we simply made sure that the existing structure was correct in its dimensions and then we replicated what was there.

When constructing these types of decks or cladding structures it is best to try to keep the deckboards running in the same direction. To make the deck boards all run parallel or perpendicular to the pool or Jacuzzi would be very tricky and may result in errors. Having said that we are busy with a wooden deck now in Westville where we have kept the deckboards parallel to the pool on all sides for various reasons. I will update you once that is finished, with pics.

Jacuzzi Cladding Umhlanga, Durban

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The structure of this cladding went on well and we then clad it with normal standard deckboards. We created a 1m² step or landing so that once people had finished in the Jacuzzi they could dry off on this landing without having to try to balance on the edge. It provided a nice platform that remains relatively dry. The shelf or step on the side of the Jacuzzi provided a nice ledge to climb in and out of the Jacuzzi with and to place drinks or snacks on while relaxing.

All screw holes were plugged with a mixture of clear epoxy and saw dust (to match the colour as closely as possible) and then sanded flat. It was sealed using Timberlife Satin Wood Base 28, an outdoor wood sealer suitable for woods of low porosity. Maintenance is therefore kept to a minimum as this product penetrates the timber and does not dry on the top as do most shop bought sealers. The timber can be left unsealed but it will turn grey and any sealing thereafter needs to be done carefully by bleaching the timber first to get it back to its natural colour.

I haven’t done many Jacuzzi cladding jobs, but as mentioned above it is a useful way to get rid of off cuts that would otherwise be useless in a larger wooden deck. Our other use for off cuts is shower duckboards and pot plant holders, for the much smaller pieces. They keep the pot plants off the deck which prevents that piece of the deck being exposed to excessive or continual wet. The duckboards are useful for getting in and out of the shower. We sell those at the cost of timber in an effort to recover a bit on the waste.

For a free quote or advice on your wooden deck or Jacuzzi cladding please complete the form below and we will contact you.  Or you can call us on 082 496 5444.

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Wooden Sundeck Built in Gillitts – April 2013

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Timber deck builder Durban

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This was our second deck we built in Durban using CCA pine as a substructure. I can confirm that there is a substantial cost saving using pine as a substructure and provided it is CCA treated to the correct Hazard Level (H level), then it is guaranteed by the supplier and manufacturer against rot and insect infestation for up to 50 years. So at least H3 must be used which is good for outdoors, exposed to the elements and if there are parts of it that are making contact with ground then H4 is better. In fact the cost difference between H3 and H4 is so slight that I am tending to just use H4 throughout as a matter of course to err on the side of caution.

This deck extended from the house outwards about 5m. Half of that 5m length was on existing tiles and concrete so we placed batons of 38 x 76 and the rest of it dropped down about a metre onto soil. We chose 76mm as our width of baton because it brought us up to exactly where we wanted to be in terms of height of the deck in order to clear the bottom of the door. We therefore had very little space between joist and the tiles so there was very little packing to do. When we place batons on the ground as joists, we fix them using a hilti. The hilti is really just to stop the joist moving sideways and not really up or down as once the deck is built the weight of it keeps it from lifting up. However the hilti provides enough fixing power in both directions so sleeve anchors are not necessary. Often the ground on which you are fixing these batons / joists to, is not completely flat and in order to get the surface of the deck level, one needs to shim one end of the baton or joist. This results in one end being higher than the concrete ground level and as such a gap exists between the baton and the ground. Because these batons are relatively thin (between 38mm and 76mm) they are not strong enough in their width to support the deck. They therefore need to be packed with structural grout or a building sand / cement mixture to take up the gap between the baton and the ground.

Timber deck builder Durban

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The rest of the deck was elevated about 1m off the ground so from that point we installed 38 x 114 joists with a main beam running the width of the deck (parallel to the stairs in the picture). We set that back 300mm so that our span between beam and wall was only 1.9m which is the maximum I am happy to go with a 38 x 114 joist.  The rest of the deck was therefore cantilevered by about 300mm.

Deckboards went on without a problem, and we then built the stairs that you can see in the picture. We took a different approach to the stairs that we normally do, or have done in the past. In the past we have secured a beam all the way along the front of each riser. In this case we built treads and risers in line with each joist and then only on the front riser we fixed a fascia beam which was then secured to posts that had been set in concrete in the ground. It was much quicker than, and just as stable as our previous method. The structure that we built can be seen on one of the pics alongside.  The client wanted to leave the sides open as he is planting some indigenous plants alongside to cover the gap thus allowing his access beneath the deck if need be, but once the plants grow they will cover the sides.

Timber deck builder Durban

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This deck was left unsealed as the client wanted the greying effect. I will re-visit it in a few months’ time and if the client is agreeable we can bleach it and high pressure clean it in order to bring it back to its natural colour.

For a free, no obligation quote please complete the form below and I will contact you.  Or you can call us on 082 496 5444.

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Wooden Sundeck, Toti, Durban

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Wooden Sundeck Installer Durban

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We built this wooden sundeck in Toti using CCA Pine, for the first time, as our substructure and decked it using balau deckboards. For a long time I have been using only balau as a substructure. But after some careful investigation I have accepted that a CCA treated pine substructure is as good if not better than a balau one.

The manufacturers of the solution that is used to pressure treat the timber guarantee their product for between 30 to 50 years depending on which manufacturer you use. Provided the company doing the pressure treatment treats it correctly and provided the correct Hazard Level (H level) is used in the correct application, the timber will be guaranteed against rot and insect infestation by the manufacturer of the solution. I will write another more detailed article on CCA pressure treatments, but for the purpose of this article you will need to know what it broadly means.

Wooden Sundeck Installer Durban

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H2 CCA Treated pine is good for roof trusses where it is not exposed to the elements such as rain. H3 treated is good for outdoors such as decks and H4 is good for in the ground or in contact with wet soil. H5 is good for in salty water and is normally a combination of CCA and creosote treatment. H2 is commonly sold off the shelf at most timber yards. H3 and H4 is more specialised so one needs to find a supplier who is regularly treating to H3 or H4. Under no circumstances should H2 be used as a substitute. It will rot within a few years. Simple. Do not use it in decks, keep it for the roof.

Wooden Sundeck Installer Durban

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In order to activate a guarantee against the manufacturer one would need to take photos of the deck going up ensuring that the correct H level is used, an audit process would need to be completed on the company treating the timber and the build would probably need to be registered with the manufacturer and possibly inspections conducted during the build. So although it is possible to activate a guarantee, it is not really practical as the substructure will go up in 2 days and the deck will be done in 5 days. However, if the manufacturer is willing to offer this sort of guarantee, then we can safely assume that the timber we are using will hold up to its promise. In a nutshell, H3 or H4 treated CCA Pine is suitable for a substructure for a deck and may very well outlast a balau substructure. I would not be too keen to use it as deckboards for two reasons. Although it won’t rot or get eaten by ants, it will expand and contract a lot more than balau which will result in checking, cracking, warping, bowing etc. over time. The second reason is that because it is half as dense, one needs to use a 32mm thick deckboard as opposed to a 19mm deckboard in balau. So twice as much timber is used and the cost is actually slightly more in pine per square metre than balau. So why not use balau in the surface? It is much better looking and much more stable (i.e. it remains flat for many more years).

Wooden Sundeck Installer Durban

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The cost saving in using CCA pine vs. balau in the substructure is great and this allows me to keep my prices low whilst still providing a quality product. The CCA Pine will last as long if not longer than the balau substructure if the correct H grade of CCA pine is used.

All areas that have pine exposed are clad with deckboards so that the pine is not visible. Balustrades remain full balau.

For a no obligation quote on wooden decks, balustrades, pergolas and any other outdoor timber construction, please complete the form below and I will get back to you.  Or you can call us on 082 496 5444.

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Wooden Sundeck Installed – Oriel Place, Bluff, Durban

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Wooden sundeck Durban

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This sundeck we installed in Durban was a relatively simple one to build. The client wanted to extend the area around the pool to create more space. It was a simple cleat, beam and joist system with a fascia beam on the front to attach the balustrade uprights to. There was one challenge in that the retaining wall that runs below the paving next to the pool was not parallel to the paving and as such not parallel to the edge of the deck. A bit of fancy timber work was required with supports, small posts and sleeve anchors which created a substructure that became parallel to the pool, paving and resulted in the sundeck being parallel too.

Many of the properties in the Bluff are on situated on steep slopes and decking allows the home owner to reclaim a lot land that would not have been utilised. Terracing the garden is one option and decking over those can add extra space to one’s garden and therefore value to one’s property. I’m not sure if you have noticed, but a garden that has even a few stairs tends not be used as much as a garden that flows on the same level. It is important therefore to design the deck in such a way that you try to keep it all to one plane or the same level. This will result in more of the garden being used. If stairs are necessary one should consider staggering it over a longer length rather than 1m wide stairs.

Wooden sundeck Durban

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On this build posts had to be set again in the cavities of the loffelstein retaining wall. It was a relatively small deck and only took a few days to complete. I am sure the owners are now enjoying it through the last two summers and it has created a lot more space that they can now use in their garden.

It was sealed using a Timberlife Satin Wood Base 28 sealer with a mahogany tint. This sealer soaks into the timber rather than leaving a varnish type finish on the surface. There are two types of this sealer, one for woods of high porosity (pine) and one of timbers of low porosity (balau). Be careful to select the correct one. It is relatively low in wax content compared to their other products which is better for the horizontal surfaces that tend to get hammered by the hot African sun. The higher wax content sealers are good for vertical surfaces such as balustrades, screens, cladding etc. It is very easy to apply as it is very viscous and because it doesn’t dry on the surface, brush marks and runs are impossible to achieve. It simply soaks in. 2 to 3 coats are recommended and in the first year of the decks life it will be necessary to reseal it every 3 to 4 months. As time goes by the maintenance intervals will become longer as the timber is continually being nourished with this sealer.

It is inexpensive and is easy to use so re-sealing every 3 or 4 months in the first year is also inexpensive. There is no need to sand the deck before each application. Simply clean it, high pressures clean it if you wish, and re-seal. I will go into more detail in another article on sealing decks and maintaining them as it is a subject that warrants its own platform. Since writing this I have written and article on deck sealing which can be found here.

For a free no obligation quote or to discuss the design of your deck, please complete the form below and we will contact you.  Or you can call us on 082 496 5444.

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Pool Deck Built in Northdene, Durban

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Pool Deck Builder Durban

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This pool deck we built in Northdene was in excess of 100 square metres. Pool decks can be quite difficult to measure as the pool is sometimes not square and the area to be covered is often an irregular shape. Care should be taken to measure it properly to avoid an underestimate of area for both the client and the contractor. No one, the client nor the contractor, wants to realise half way through the job that it has been grossly under, or over, quoted.

There were two levels on this deck. An area of about 1m running around the pool was in concrete while the rest of the deck was to be laid on soil. Also there was an area towards the steps where the existing concrete sloped upwards in an effort to get rain water to run towards the pool instead of collecting near the wall. This area ran almost up to pool level, so in order to get the deck level at the height we wanted we had to cut our baton at a wedge shape.

We placed posts in concrete throughout the soil area and where we got to the concrete plinth around the pool we switch to a 30mm baton. In total we decked about 100m². It took time to lay these joists and make sure that the tops were all flat and level. Deckboards also took time as we laid them down without a single joint line.

Pool deck builder Durban

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Where a deckboard ends and new one starts, creates of course a join in the surface. What one needs to do is sort of finger the deckboards so that the join is alternated on each adjoining deckboard. This is not only more pleasing to the eye but also prevents lifting in one single line. If a deckboard is going to lift it will almost always lift on the join. If all those joins are in a straight line then it will lift along the entire line. If they have been staggered then it won’t be as noticeable or as serious. So they took longer to deck but are done the correct way.

We built a small hut around the pool pump and heater that came off an adjoining wall. The hut had its own doors and roof and finished it off neatly to cover the pump and filter.

Around the edge that was exposed to the pool water we planned some deckboards to 10mm thick which allowed us to bend them around the curve of the pool. This fascia will protect the deckboards from excessive water from the pool and will ensure they last longer. Wood has a tendency to take in water from the end grain. Picture it as a bunch of straws held together. The water will travel up the end grain and this is where rot will start. Wood takes in very little water from side or face grain and it is therefore imperative to seal the ends off properly. When timber is purchased one will always find that the ends have been sealed using a wax substance. This is done in order to prevent the wood taking in water during transport, often by ship. Once it gets to site, it is cross-cut and this seal is lost. It is important therefore to apply plenty of sealer to this end grain.

Pool deck builder Durban

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Timber Stairs Built Hawaan Forest Estate, Durban

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Timber stairs Durban

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These timber stairs I built-in Durban were the first stairs I built. This was towards the beginning of my deck building career and I had no idea really what to do. I had been involved in carpentry for a fair while so I had an understanding of timber, how it behaves and how to construct and manufacture items, but I had no idea of what needed to be done to build stairs both effectively and affordably. I resorted to Google and surprisingly, or not, I found hundreds of videos on how to make stairs. Mostly American videos so a few adaptions to our local conditions and I had a good idea of what was required.

I used the more conventional, more expensive method of building stairs. I took three pieces of 50 x 220 stock and cut my treads and risers out of the timber (see the diagram attached). This is done by first calculating the riser and tread based on the height of the deck that you need to reach with the stairs. Although an optimal height of each riser is about 190mm and the tread about 280mm, it will vary depending on the vertical height so as to keep each riser and tread the same height and length.

Timber stairs Durban

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Once these two measurements have been calculated, one uses a large steel square to draw the risers and treads on the stock. The square is simply placed on the stock and the two points are marked off on each end of the square resulting in a right angle where the tread meets the riser. The trick was cutting through the 50mm wood with a hand-held skill saw. My skill saw has a small blade so it kept jamming and burning the wood. In hindsight I would have used 40mm stock or even less as the strength of the timber exists in the width, not the thickness. So a 30 or 40 by 220 would have been much more affordable and much easier to work with. Nevertheless, we persevered and eventually had 3 lovely stringers cut and ready for installation.

From there it was a matter of placing the stringers in place with the tread level and securing them in place with posts concreted into the ground. The inner most stringer was secure directly to the wall using sleeve anchors and this became our starting point from which we set the others, level to that and to ground. With all our stringers in place we decked the surface using 19 x 68 deckboards. We added a bit of substructure to the sides to accept our cladding, clad it and sealed it using a Nova product. Nova produces some top quality timber preservatives, but be careful not to mix them up with the varnishes. Varnish is a no go on any deck as it will peel and flake as the sun breaks it down. To get it off afterwards is near impossible and varnishing over it again results in a blotchy effect. One can’t use anything other than varnish once it has been varnished so stay away from varnish or anything that dries on the surface, with the exception of water based sealers. An article on sealing decks can be found here.

You can find a large reference base on Wikipedia about stairs here.

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Sundeck Installed in Durban Bluff

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Wooden sundecks Durban

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This sundeck I installed in Durban I actually subbed out because I had too many new builds on the go at the same time to be able to do it quickly enough. I use a very good subbie who charges reasonable rates, has his own transport and tools and skilled labour. He has actually been building sundecks in Durban for a lot longer than me and I can therefore leave him to his own devices and let him get on with the job. We follow him to fill sand and seal the deck after he has constructed it.

This deck was built off the bar area and canter levered over the retaining wall above the pool. It went around the corner to a braai area and had a set of stairs for access. An awning was first installed by an awning company and we then decked around the posts of this awning.

It was installed flush with the entrance to the bar which only allowed us about 150mm between the top of the deck and the existing concrete slab on which we were installing it. As a result there was not enough space for any under beams and we employed a slightly different method to a deck on the first floor.

Wooden decks Durban

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The substructure is first built on the ground and is then attached to the wall using sleeve anchors. It results in the entire substructure being flat and in the same plane. This as opposed to a beam that supports a joist sitting on top of it. So to start with a 30 x 102 is cut to length to fit the length of the building to which it will be attached. Joists, at 550 centres, are then T’ed off this and secured from behind using two kalgard screws. A last fascia beam is secured in the same way resulting in a grid type substructure which is then lifted into place, chocked if need be, and secured to the wall using sleeve anchors. The front edge is then supported by short legs which rested directly onto the concrete. There was no need to dig through the concrete as it was solid enough to support the weight of the deck. On the front edge where we have canter levered it we had to drop longer posts down onto the retaining wall and concrete these into the retaining blocks.

The balustrade was an unconventional balustrade as can be seen from the pic. Because the client didn’t want to obstruct his view when in a seated position, we reduced the height of the balustrade to 500mm instead of the normal 1m. We also left the balustrade open and no pickets or cross pieces were installed resulting in a very simple straight lined balustrade. It worked well and looked quite neat afterwards.

Stairs were installed at 1m wide with the same style balustrade or hand rail running up each side.
This deck was intentionally left unsealed so that it would weather. When balau weathers it turns a very attractive grey colour. It’s a personal preference I suppose. Some like it, some don’t. It looks more rustic without looking too tatty. It must be noted though that if one decides to seal it afterwards, then it must be bleached and prepared properly otherwise it will turn very dark, almost black. The greying is actually black algae that grows on the surface of the wood and although it won’t necessarily result in rot, needs to be bleached and removed with a high pressure cleaner before sealing. This is also applicable to decks that have been sealed and are now to be re-sealed and have started greying.

For a free no obligation quote to construct your sundeck please complete the form below and I will get in touch with you.  Or you can call us on 082 496 5444.

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Wooden Pergola La Lucia – Durban

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Wooden Pergola Durban

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Wooden Pergola, Durban

This pergola was built for a client of mine in La Lucia, Durban. They were on of my first clients and have since continued to come back to me for other work ranging from sundecks to doors, bars etc. Their pergola is still in good condition and we have since been back to install corrugated roof sheeting on top to block the rain out but still allow light through. We used a translucent bronze roof sheeting from Safintra.

The pergola was drawn by a draftsman and we quoted based on that. With all due respect to engineers, draftsmen and architects, they do tend to over spec when it comes to using balau. Perhaps it is building regulations that force them to spec it the way they do. Balau is twice as dense as SA Pine, twice as heavy and far stronger. I have seen a deck 3.5m in the air being held up with 60 x 60 posts which had been joined with a half check in the middle. Although I wouldn’t build like that, it bears testimony to the strength of balau and its stability. That deck was at least 15 years old and the posts were still straight and had not bowed under the weight of the deck.

Wooden Pergola Durban

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Nevertheless we built according to the spec and used two 40 x 140 pieces of balau as the posts with a spacer in between. So we had a split post which measured a total of 120 x 140 with a gap in between. These were secured to pre fabricated galvanised steel feet that kept the wood of the ground and were secured to the concrete patio using sleeve anchors.

From there we built a structure up to the desired height and built it around an existing braai chimney. It was secured to the chimney on both sides to give the effect of the joists or rafters moving through the brick work of the chimney. There was an angled front to it and we fixed a fascia beam to that front edge.

The top was clad with thatching laths to give it a rustic look and feel. It kept the sun out and provided the shade they wanted, but the rain obviously still came through.  Bolts were used to secure the posts together through the spacers.

2 years later they asked me to come back and place bronze translucent roof sheeting on the top and clad the sides using the same thatching laths. Now it keeps the sun out and the rain but still retains its rustic look and feel.

Wooden Pergola Durban

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The roof was completed easily enough by attaching some rafters and purlins at the correct spacing and then attaching the roof sheets using self-drilling Tek roofing screws. The front end of the roof sheeting had to be cut as the front edge of the pergola was angled. Cutting plastic roof sheeting can be tricky as it tends to burn and melt with the heat generated from the angle grinder disk. It was therefore better to use a non-abrasive disk like the steel disks normally used to cut concrete or stone. The fiber disk was too abrasive and melted the sheeting wherever it touched it.

Please feel free to give us a call for quotes on wooden pergolas, sun decks and other timber related construction by completing this simple form.  Or you can get us on 082 496 5444.

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Deck Maintenance and Deck Sealing

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I was prompted to write an article on deck maintenance and deck sealing this week as we had a small quiet patch and as a “filler in” we sanded and sealed a picnic table, repaired a broken ball and claw foot and a leather couch and this reminded me to write this article.

Deck maintenance and deck sealing is always a question asked when quoting on new decks. Clients want to know that if they invest this kind of money in their property, will it be expensive to maintain in subsequent years. The simple answer is no, but if not correctly sealed in the beginning, then it can become an expensive and time-consuming task each time it needs to be maintained. The question is also sometimes asked when choosing between timber or composites.

There are many ways to seal a deck. “Finishing” is the correct term for it and this term also applies to all other timber products. Varnish, polyurethane, oil, sealer, paint etc. are all products used to “finish” a project. When it comes to decks there are certain products to stay well clear of. Because a deck lives outside in the hot African sun, any finish that dries on the surface of the timber will result in problems once it starts to degrade. All finishes will degrade and it is therefore very important to stay away from those that dry on the surface. It is common sense that anything that has dried on the surface will have the tendency to lift, either by cracking, flaking or peeling. When it comes time to maintain the deck, one will either have to sand it all off, or lightly sand it and re coat it with the same or similar product that was used in the beginning and live with a patchy finish. Therefore varnish is a big no-no. Polyurethane, although very durable and hard will also crack and flake and is better left for the purpose it was intended, indoor finishing on cupboard tops etc.

So that leaves us with those finishes that soak into the wood, nourishing them and when they degrade will not peel or flake because they have not dried on the surface. Simple hey? Not so. There are products which contain higher wax contents than others and although still classed a timber sealer, tend to soak in and leave a waxy film on the surface. This waxy film (or coating for want of a better word) will also tend to go blotchy once the sun does it work on it and will therefore also require some degree of sanding. Before we carry on, it is virtually impossible to sand the entire coating off. The electric sanders do not reach all corners, especially on a balustrade. The belt sander, rotex sander and any other sander will be too wide for the deckboard. Because there is a gap between boards, to allow water to drain away from the deck, the surface of the deck is not perfectly flat. So one will need to tilt the sander left and right as they sand down the length of the deckboard in order to remove the whole coating. Try it, it will cure you of varnish for outdoor products. The corners where the machines cannot reach will need to be sanded by hand and your labour bill will be more than erecting a new deck. I tried in my early days and learnt the hard way.

Oils can be used with some success. Raw linseed oil will take weeks to dry as it is raw and completely natural and therefore needs to soak in completely before you can walk on it. Also when the sun bakes down on the deck it will start to get soft and can become very hot to walk on. Boiled Linseed Oil will dry quicker as it contains additives that help the drying process but will still take a few days to dry. In the meantime the dog will run on the deck and leave muddy footprints that will dry into the surface. Again a lesson I learnt when experimenting with my own deck. Boiled Linseed Oil is not really boiled, it just means it has additives to help it dry faster than raw Linseed Oil. So for all intents and purposes it is a sealer. Danish oil will work well. I have not finished a deck in Danish Oil, but have used it quite successfully on outdoor furniture.

So now that we’ve eliminated the definite no no’s, we are left with timber preservatives or penetrating finishes. These are very viscous, almost as viscous as water. They are easy and quick to apply, no runs, no streaks and they go on quickly as they soak right into the wood. Seeing as they soak right in, they cannot flake or peel as there is no coating that has dried on the surface. We use a product manufactured by Timberlife called Satinwood 28 Base. This is a product designed for woods of low porosity. They also manufacture one for woods of high porosity. Don’t get them mixed up or the sealer will disappear right through your pine deck in a day or two or sit like a coating on your balau deck.

At least 2 coats are necessary on the first application and because the deck is new, one will need to reseal it about 3 to 4 months later. After the first year this maintenance interval will increase to every 6 months and the older the deck gets the longer the maintenance interval will become. The deck will slowly become saturated (well almost) with the sealer and it will last longer. It comes in clear and one can add a tint of your choice. They recommend that you use at least the lightest tint as the tint contains stabilisers which slow down the degradation process due to UV in the sun’s rays.

Even though it will need to be done every 3 to 4 months in the first year, the process is simple. Wash the deck and reseal. No need to call in the professionals and pay their rates. No need to sand and no paint stripper required. DIY it on a Saturday or Sunday or get your domestic helper to do it.

Timberlife also supply a product called Ultra Care Gold. This has a higher wax content as mentioned above and is not suitable for horizontal deck surfaces but works very well on the vertical posts of balustrades. They also sell Deckwash which is used to wash the deck on a monthly basis and again nourishes it and leaves it looking new for longer. It is inexpensive and well worth using. Simply mop it on and mop it off.

So in short stay away from finishes that dry on the surface. Stick with those that penetrate the timber and nourish it.  In the case of a deck that has been coated with a coating that has dried on the surface one can either lightly sand and re-seal with the same coating or if budget allows one can remove the coating, by using paint stripper and a high pressure cleaner. Stick to a maximum of 150 bar pressure otherwise the timber can be damaged. I’ve successfully removed coatings on decks with this technique. It is messy, uses a fair amount of water and a considerable amount of paint stripper. Depending on the thickness of the coating, one might need to apply the paint stripper more than once and blast it off with the high pressure cleaner.

High pressure cleaning can also be used to clean the deck before resealing it with Satin Wood 28 Base, but is often not necessary. I say not often necessary if you catch it before the balau starts to “grey”. Balau will tend to turn a grey colour if left unsealed or if the sealer that is there reaches a point where it is almost completely degraded due to the sun’s UV. If this occurs and the deck is then resealed, it will go very dark, regardless of what tint you use. The grey colour is in fact a thin layer of black algae. You will find that it is quite slippery when wet. This black algae needs to be removed first before resealing. Again Timberlife, and Woodoc, and some other manufacturers supply a product that will remove a lot of this by bleaching it. Timbrite is the one I use and it can be scrubbed on with a brush and then hosed off. It won’t take all of it away, so high pressure cleaning is a quicker way of getting rid of it. I would suggest scrubbing Timbrite on with a brush, then high pressure cleaning it off with 150 bars of pressure. This will renew the wood back to almost its original colour.

Leaving a balau deck unsealed will not necessarily speed up the rotting process. Balau is extremely durable as it contains natural resins and oils which repel water and the toxins in it discourage insects. So sealed or unsealed it will still last for years. Some prefer it unsealed to give it the natural grey look, but take note that if you then decide to seal it, clean it first as described above.

All the above also applies to outdoor furniture or any other timber that is in direct contact with the sun’s rays, especially those that are in the horizontal plane as they are getting more direct sunlight than the vertical pieces.

Timberlife are of course not the only ones who sell these products. They can be commonly found in hardware stores (Dulux, Woodoc and Plascon), but buying from the manufacturer is of course cheaper, but a bit more effort is required than popping in to your local hardware store.  All of them do pretty much the same job.

Good luck and remember that a deck is a living thing, nourish it, feed it and it will reward you.  If you’re feeling lazy, not interested in DIY or simply don’t have the time complete this form and I will submit a quote to maintain your timber deck.  Or you can reach us 082 496 5444.

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Timber Stairs Built in Hillcrest – February 2013

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Timber stairs Durban

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As a deck builder and timber stair builder in Durban I have had to learn how to build timber stairs the hard way, through trial and error (and a bit of Googling).  Timber stairs have always been a tricky one for me and I have battled to build them in the past. At first I Google’d ‘building timber’ stairs and found a few videos on the topic which explained it quite nicely. Most of the videos online though are American and they therefore explain it in inches. But after converting it the technique and calculation used to work out your runs and risers becomes quite clear.

The riser is the vertical piece of the step and the run (or tread) is the horizontal piece. Building regulations in South Africa state that the riser can be no more than 200mm high and the tread or run can be no shorter than 250mm. Timber, either in pine or balau, will come standard at either 140mm wide or 220 wide. One should therefore use two pieces of 140 wide stock in order to get a tread of 280mm wide. I have seen stairs built using 220 wide stock which although is not completely according to building regulations can work if a gap is left between the front of the top tread and the back of the tread below that. The gap should be at least 30mm to get back to your minimum of a 250mm wide tread, although building regulations state that this gap should be no bigger than 20mm. Because the stairs are open, one can normally get away with this as your foot will be able to move past the back-end of the tread as you climb the stairs. Be sure to check with building regulations before designing your stairs to ensure you are compliant or that your contractor is adhering to these regulations.

Timber stair builder

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First you need to calculate the exact height of your riser and the exact width of your tread. I will use 1,1m as the height of the stairs for the example below.

Assuming a riser of about 200mm or less divide 1, 100mm by 200mm. You get 5.5 risers. Increase this to 6 risers because if you take it back to 5 risers you riser will be more than 200mm.

So 6 risers and therefore 5 treads. The top tread of course being the deck itself.

1, 100mm divided by 6 risers give you an exact riser height of 183.3mm. 5 treads of 280mm each will result in a total floor length of 1, 4m. From this you can work out the length of the stringer. a²+ b² = c². Remember him? Yeah!!! The stringer by the way is the piece that runs down diagonally from the deck to the floor and to which the treads are attached.

Now lay the stringer flat on the ground, starting your markings a comfortable distance from the end to allow for cutting to the correct angle and possibly notching the end to accommodate any lip that may exist on the deck. Deckboards can either be set flush with the joist or they can hang slightly over which will dictate whether or not the stringer needs to be notched so that it can be fastened to the joist or beam.

Timber stairs Durban

Click to enlarge

With the stringer flat on the ground, take a large square with markings on both sides (the big black square) and slide it along the one side of the stringer so that you reach the 183.3mm mark on one side and the 280mm mark on the other side. Of course you would round this to the nearest millimetre. One can buy little clamps that clamp to the sides of the square to make this job easier. In fact sophisticated stair stringer squares can be bought but the big black square works just as well. With your riser height and tread width marked on the stringer you can now draw a line around the square at the corner. This is where your riser and tread will be. Move the square down to the end of the marks and repeat to mark the next one. Continue until the end of the stringer. Cut the top end of your stringer off parallel to the riser at the correct distance to attach to the joist. The bottom of the stringer will be cut, either parallel to the riser or tread depending on whether you want a vertical or horizontal end which will either attach to the concrete ground (horizontal) or be set into the soil using a post and concrete (horizontal or vertical).

If you have as much difficulty understanding this as I did, then you are not alone. Try it and you will find it becomes second nature.
Now it’s just a matter of attaching your treads and job done. If you have a balustrade running down the sides of your stairs this can be attached now. Care should always be taken where the balustrade capping and cross supports, on the stairs, meet the same on the deck as they are running at different heights. It is better to take the balustrade up, level out whilst still on the stairs and then meet the horizontal.