This week has seen us miss a couple of days on the site due to rain. However there has been a bit of progress. John and his team have been working through getting the Deck-Max decking system into an efficient process. This system uses a biscuit joint system which results in a deck with no nails. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing but also results in a smoother surface because the timber will not cup. This is ideal for use with wheel chairs.

Here are a couple of photos of the system biscuit and the deck that has resulted.

If I was to do this again I would order the decking with the sides pre-grooved. This would have saved a lot of time in the installation process. However the end result will be stunning. I now have to work out what type of finish that we need to apply.

The decking timber we are using comes from Boral Timber. It is an Australian hardwood called  stringybark . (Eucalyptus muellerana)
Yellow Stringybark is found in the coastal plains and adjacent ranges of Victoria and southern New South Wales. The heartwood is yellowish brown with a pinkish tinge. The sapwood is slightly paler. The texture is medium and even, with the grain often being interlocked. The timber resembles Blackbutt in colour and texture. Yellow Stringybark is probably the best of the commercially available stringybarks in terms of properties. The timber’s working characteristics are good and applications include framing, decking, flooring, sleepers, poles, piles and crossarms.

The Australian Hardwood Network has put out a good publication called Timber Decks, download it here.

There are more photos of the deck laying process in the photo gallery. Remeber to check through the photo gallery as it is updated with new photo’s each week, detailing our progress.