Decks
Timber, composite, and what each one costs to own
The decision most people agonise over. Here’s the honest comparison, including the maintenance nobody mentions at quote time.
Choosing your decking
Spotted gum
The local favourite. Dense, hard, class 1 durability, and the colour variation from pale to chocolate is why people pick it. Moves a little with the seasons, so gaps open and close.
Blackbutt
Paler and more even than spotted gum, which suits a lighter or more contemporary house. Bushfire-rated to BAL 29, which matters on Brisbane’s bush-fringe blocks.
Merbau
The budget hardwood. Stable, durable and cheap, but it bleeds tannin for the first year — which will stain pale paving and render below it unless we detail for it.
Composite
No oiling, no splinters, no movement. Costs more up front and gets noticeably hotter underfoot in full Brisbane sun, so we’d only use it under a cover or on a shaded south side. Per-square-metre rates include footings, frame, decking, fixings, balustrade where required, engineering and approval. Height above ground is the biggest variable — a deck 2.5m up needs bigger footings, posts, bracing and compliant balustrade, and costs roughly 30% more per square metre than a low-level one.
Repairs and rebuilds
Re-board only
Frame is sound, boards are cupped, splintered or rotting. We lift them, inspect and treat the frame, and re-board.
Frame & footing repair
Rotted bearers, posts sunk into soil without a stirrup, or footings that were never engineered. This is the common one, and it’s a safety issue.
Balustrade compliance
Anything more than a metre off the ground needs a 1m barrier with no climbable gaps over 125mm. Fails building inspections constantly at resale.
Not sure if yours needs repairing or replacing?
We’ll come and look at it for nothing and tell you straight.