Imported hardwoods versus Australian-grown timber
Merbau, keruing and the other imported boards can be honest. They can also be illegal, unstable in Australian sun, or a missed job for a local mill. How to tell the difference.
What the deck is made of
Timber & Materials
Hardwoods, treated pine, composites and the fasteners that hold an Australian deck together. How to choose a surface that will still look honest in ten summers.
Bamboo, aluminium and the other decks people ask about
Strand-woven bamboo, aluminium boards, porcelain on pedestals and recycled plastic all turn up in Australian quotes. What they actually are, where they fail, and the warranty clauses that matter.
Choosing decking boards and hidden fasteners
Width, profile, gap, screw alloy and clip system decide whether a deck stays flat. A practical Australian guide to 86 and 140 boards, reeded faces, stainless against coated screws, and end-sealing.
Treated pine decks: when they make sense, and when they do not
Treated pine is the default Australian deck frame and a questionable wearing surface. H3 against H4, the CCA story, copper azole, paint, expected life and the bushfire limits that end the argument.
Composite versus timber decking in Australian climates
Composite boards promise less oiling. In Australian sun, salt and wet seasons they still heat, fade, grow mould and expand. A clear-eyed comparison over a fifteen-year life, not a brochure weekend.
Australian hardwoods for decks: spotted gum, blackbutt, ironbark and merbau
A working guide to the hardwoods Australian decks are actually built from — durability class, movement, colour, supply and the finish each species will tolerate.