A deck is one of those jobs where the bit you don't see decides how long it lasts. Anyone can screw boards down. Getting the footings, the bearers and the fall right so it's still solid and not cupping in ten years — that's the actual work, and it's most of what you're paying for.
We build new decks, fix up tired ones, and re-board frames that are still sound but have had their day on top. If your old deck is greying off, splitting or has a couple of soft boards, you don't always need to start again. Plenty of times the substructure is fine and a re-board gets you a brand new deck for a good bit less.
Hardwood, treated pine or composite
Usually the first thing people want sorted, so here's the straight version.
- Merbau is the workhorse hardwood round here. Looks rich when it's oiled, takes the weather well, and it's the best bang for your buck. It does bleed tannin for the first wet season, so keep that in mind near light pavers.
- Spotted gum is a step up — harder, a lighter honey colour, and it handles coastal conditions really well. Costs more than merbau but it's a lovely board.
- Treated pine is the budget option. Done right with proper H3 or H4 timber it's perfectly good, especially for a deck you plan to paint. It moves a touch more and won't have the same look as a hardwood.
- Composite (Modwood, Trex and the like) is the no-sand, no-oil choice. More up front, but you wash it and walk away. Worth a look if upkeep is the thing putting you off a deck altogether.
There's no single right answer. Dave will walk the options with you on site and match it to your budget and how the deck gets used.
Sloping blocks, pool surrounds and the coast
Half the Illawarra is built on a slope. A deck off the back of a Figtree or Mount Keira home can sit a metre or more off the ground at the low end, and that changes everything — bigger footings, more bracing, and a balustrade if it's over a metre. We dig proper footings down to load-bearing ground. None of that plonk-it-on-the-dirt caper, because a deck that drops one corner is a deck you'll be pulling apart.
Pool surrounds are their own thing. The boards need a slip rating, gaps for drainage, and the deck has to respect the pool barrier rules — gate swing, gaps, the non-climbable zone. We've built enough of them to keep the certifier happy the first time.
Then there's the salt. Anywhere near the water at Thirroul, Wombarra or down the Shoalhaven, the air eats cheap fixings. We use stainless or properly coated decking screws and galvanised structural fixings, because nothing looks worse than rust streaks bleeding out of a six-month-old deck. And it's not just the beachfront jobs — the southerly throws salt a fair way inland.
Looking after it
A hardwood deck wants a coat of decking oil when it's new, then a top-up every year or so. More than that on the side that cops the sun and salt. Skip it and the timber goes silver and starts to check. It's not a hard job — a good wash and a re-oil on a dry weekend — but it does need doing. If that sounds like more than you'll get round to, that's exactly the conversation where composite earns its extra cost.
Most decks we build take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on size, height and access. Tight side gates, carrying timber through the house out to the back — that all adds time, and I'll factor it into the quote rather than spring it on you later.
Thinking about a new deck, a repair, or just want a read on whether yours has life left in it? Give me a bell on 0414 007 351 or grab a free quote. Happy to come have a look and tell you straight.
Common questions
- Do I need council approval for a deck?
- Often a low deck under 600mm with reasonable area is exempt development, so no approval needed. But once you go higher, near a boundary, or over a pool barrier line it changes, and Wollongong, Shellharbour and Shoalhaven councils all read it a bit differently. We'll tell you honestly which side of the line your job falls on before we start.
- Merbau, spotted gum or composite — what should I pick?
- Merbau is the value hardwood and looks great oiled. Spotted gum is harder, lighter in colour and holds up beautifully near the coast. Composite costs more up front but you never sand or oil it again. The right call depends on your budget and how much weekend upkeep you actually want to do.
- How much does a new deck cost?
- As a rough guide, a straightforward ground-level merbau deck runs around $350 to $500 a square metre supplied and built, and composite or a high deck on a steep block pushes higher. Height, footings and access are the big cost drivers. I'll give you a fixed written quote once I've seen the site.