Is your decking safe?
by The DeckSpert

Building a deck may seem easy enough , but like all projects, if the solid foundations are not put into place, safety will be a issue.

When building a deck, basic principles apply. These include the set out of stumps, bearers, joists, and the decking boards. Australian standard are amongst the highest in the world, and unless the are obeyed, problems can and often will arise. Traditionally decks are build using the following principles.

Basic set out

1. Stump holes are dug to a depth of approx 600mm deep, (depending on the ground). At the base of every stump, a sole plate should be placed, ensuring your deck does not sink. These holes should then be filled with a form of cement, Rapid set,can be used for low lying decks once the stump is placed in the correct position . Normally stumps are set at 1500mm apart, or 1.5meters.
2. Bearers are then attached to the stumps. The bearer carries the weight of the deck, so it is very important the distant between each stump suits the type of bearer being used. i.e. If the distance between stumps is 1500mm, a 140mm x 45mm F7 Treated pine can be used. When the distance between the stumps increase, lets say, 2300mm, you will need to increase the thickness of your bearer to 190mm x 45mm F7 treated pine to bear the load.
3. Joists sets outs should be the same. That being 450mm centres. This is very important as the decking sits on top of the joists.
4. Nails and fixings. These items are very important. Remember, outdoor timber decks are generally exposed to the elements, so using the correct nails & fixings ensures your deck does not fall down in years to come, should the hardware rust.

ARE YOUR DECKING BOARDS LAID THE CORRECT WAY? One problem l often come across is that people lay the decking upside down. Most decking boards have grooves on one side of the board. This IS NOT DESIGN to add grip. It is designed for air flow, allowing air to flow between the joists and the bottom of the decking boards so the decking boards do not rot out as quick as they would if the are laid incorrectly.

The correct nails used to hold the boards down is very important. Another common problem is when the wrong nails are used, they will eventually come loose, and work there way up. This is extremely dangerous, and can cause bad cuts to feet and hands should little ones be crawling around.