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Build A Timber Deck, Save The Earth
Build A Timber Deck, Save The Earth
Building that timber deck does not just increase the value of your property and give you a cool place to enjoy the outdoors; it’s also an opportunity to do the... Read more...
The Benefits Of Building With Timber
The Benefits Of Building With Timber
Are you thinking of building a deck, a pergola or some other outdoor living extension? We’ll say it outright: build with timber. Here are a some of the utterly compelling... Read more...
Jambu Timber: An Alternative To Merbau For Decking
Jambu Timber: An Alternative To Merbau For Decking
Jambu timber is a viable alternative to Merbau for decking boards and building other outdoor living extensions. Merbau is one of the most popular and best-selling premium hardwoods when it... Read more...
How To Choose Your Decking Material
How To Choose Your Decking Material
Adding a deck to your property offers many advantages and benefits. How do you choose the decking material that maximises the return on your investment? Everyone knows about the many... Read more...
Outdoor Extensions Should Be Made From Timber
Outdoor Extensions Should Be Made From Timber
Timber is the building material of the future and here’s why your deck, pergola, patio and other outdoor living extensions should be built with it. The abundance of building materials... Read more...
Build A Pergola – Post Cement
Build A Pergola – Post Cement
  Securing pergola posts is an important concern when you build a pergola. In this video Peter shows how to prepare concrete on which the post will be anchored. Please watch... Read more...
Build A Pergola – Install Posts
  The finishing touches to building a pergola include affixing posts and making sure they are straight and plumb. The video here demonstrates what needs to be done with respect to installing posts. You can also check out an earlier blog article on how to effectively install pergola posts along with other information about how to build a pergola.   Read more...
Build A Pergola – Installing Purlins and Roof Sheets
  As you build a pergola and get to the part where you install purlins and roof sheets then you know your pergola is almost complete. Purlins are the small in size but generally long in length timber lengths that run parallel to the ridge, across the rafters of a pergola and provide fixing points for roofing sheets to be laid. Watch how Peter, one of our expert builders, deals with these as he builds a pergola. Link back to our earlier blog post on how to build a pergola... Read more...
Build A Pergola – Installing Trusses
  Perhaps the most satisfying part when you build a pergola is when you install the trusses. The pergola begins to take shape at this point, as you will see in this video. Check out the video on how to install vertical and starburst struts. Or see how to install purlins and roofing sheets.   Read more...
Build A Pergola – Vertical and Starburst Struts
  Vertical and starburst struts are features unique to gable-roofed pergolas. The video here shows you how to prepare and install them when you build a pergola. These features are installed on the gabled ends of the pergola. Vertical struts connect the ridge to the bottom chord. Starburst struts start from the bottom of the vertical strut and jut outward diagonally toward the gable’s end rafter. Together the struts create a pattern that looks like rays of sunlight shooting upward from one point, hence the term “starburst”. This pattern contributes... Read more...
Build A Pergola – Barge Capping and Ridges
  When you have put up the rafters your gable pergola essentially takes shape. But to completely build a pergola you need to finish off the framework with barges and ridges. You can think of barges and ridges as the components that complete the outline of your pergola and give it a more polished look. The ridge and ridge cap are installed across the peak of the pergola, where the top of the rafters converge. Structurally the ridge and ridge cap protect the roof from dirt and other material that... Read more...
Build A Pergola – Installing Beams
  Structurally, building a pergola is pretty much suspending beams and rafters atop some posts. Installing beams are especially important because these define the boundaries of the pergola and are sort of the “foundation” of the its canopy. The rafters are eventually set on top of them so it’s important that the beams be installed correctly and securely. The video above shows how Peter our expert builder installs the pergola beams while building an attached pergola. If you want step-by-step instructions, you can visit our earlier blog posts on installing... Read more...
Build A Pergola – Installing Box Gutters
  When building a pergola (or any other roofed structure, for that matter) draining rain and excess water is a valid concern. That’s why installing box gutters is an absolute must. Box gutters are easy to prepare and install, as you’ll see in the video below. Of course it helps that Peter, the guy installing these things in the video, is an expert builder with many years of experience and many builds to his credit, so he makes things look very easy. They are also easy to maintain and repair,... Read more...
Build A Pergola – Installing Fascia Brackets
  When building a pergola that is attached to your house there is the danger of the additional load of your pergola being borne by the house fascia, thus resulting in a disproportionate load being carried by your home’s eaves. Fascia brackets are designed to prevent this from happening. When installed correctly they provide sufficient structural support for both the main house and the attached pergola. In this video we demonstrate how to install fascia brackets. For more detailed information and step-by-step instructions, visit an earlier blog post on how... Read more...
Build A Pergola – Installing A Gable Infill
  Here’s a video showing how to install a gable infill when you build a pergola. A gable-roofed configuration is one of the most popular pergola choices due in part to the following advantages it offers to homeowners. The design is very stable and attractive. The pitched configuration lets the roof easily shed water and avoid water-logging. The elevated roof structure provides much more space within the structure, providing better ventilation, among other benefits. An infill essentially dresses up the gable. It’s optional but it does contribute to the structure’s... Read more...
Build A Pergola – Gutter and Downpipe
    The accompanying video demonstrates how to install gutters and downpipes when you build a pergola. The gutter and downpipe are essential components of pergola roofing as they redirect rainwater away from the house. This prevents water from building up and causing damage to the structure. Without them, water could fall and collect in random places around the house and the pergola and the ground around these structures could get waterlogged. This can then threaten the integrity of the structures’ foundations. The video will take you through the following... Read more...
Deck and Pergola Design Tips
A deck may look simply like a bunch of timber boards laid out side by side. A pergola may seem to simply be a roof on four posts. These may be true to a limited extent but there’s more to these outdoor living extensions than meets the eye. Here are some important things to consider for your deck and pergola design. What Do You Want? Good designers have a purpose for each element incorporated in their design. The finished product is a sum of the users’ requirements coupled with the... Read more...
Building A Pergola For Shade
During the summer building a pergola is almost a must to protect yourself from the unforgiving heat of the sun. Summer is the season for enjoying the great outdoors. But without shade from trees and overhead structures, this season would not be as bearable nor as fun. Trees may not always be available, but building a pergola is always a feasible option regardless of where you live. All you need is some available space and a commitment to having a great summer experience every year from here on in! The... Read more...
What Makes The Perfect Pergola?
Is there such a thing as a perfect pergola? Absolutely! But before you object, allow us to clarify. Yes, the perfect pergola exists — in your mind! Our job here at Softwoods is to transform your idea of perfection into reality. The perfect pergola, of course, is one that gives you everything you want and everything you need from your outdoor living extension. It’s one that has the right set of features that deliver all the functionality and comfort you seek to enjoy. The trick, then, is to make sure... Read more...
The Functional Pergola
The pergola, handed down to us from way back during the Renaissance period, is a relatively simple structure. But it’s surprisingly multifaceted and versatile, as you’ll see from this sampling of projects we have done for our customers. Attached or Detached? A pergola may be built attached to the main house, as in the following example. An attached pergola is often an extension of the home and therefore will often feature the same design elements as that found in the main house. It serves as a gentle interface between the... Read more...
Build a Deck For the Summer
Summer is the season for savouring the outdoors. It’s also the most popular time to build a deck if you haven’t got one yet. There are many reasons you may want to build a deck for the summer. Extend your living space. A deck is essentially an extension of your home, built so that it gives you access to the surrounding outdoor area. Imagine yourself enjoying summer and the outdoors right from the comfort of your own home. This is what a timber deck lets you do. Provide space for... Read more...
5 Favourite Composite Decking Colours
Composite decking is getting to be a popular alternative to timber. Here are the five top Trex composite deck colours Softwoods offer. Once considered a low quality substitute for timber, composite decks have evolved and developed into a viable alternative. Trex have been at the forefront of this emergence, developing technology that allows them to manufacture products that are durable, require very little maintenance and have no negative impact on the environment. Composite boards were also once considered inferior to timber because of their synthetic appearance, which tended to get... Read more...
Taming The Summer With A Pergola
Summer will be here soon and so will the heat. A pergola comes in handy to cope with the soaring temperatures and helps you truly enjoy the outdoors during this time of the year. The heat of summer can be incredibly unforgiving. It can be uncomfortable (at the very least) even while you stay indoors away from the sun. And this may quickly escalate to unbearable if you plan on staying outdoors directly underneath it. And as if that’s not troublesome enough, staying directly underneath the sun for extended periods... Read more...
Deck Designs We Love
Softwoods have been building timber decks for over thirty years and during this time we have come to appreciate many of the deck designs we have produced for our customers. Many of these designs are simply aesthetic expressions that complement a landscape or backyard that is already naturally beautiful. The deck design provides the appropriate setting from which the surrounding beauty may be experienced and enjoyed. The following deck designs emphasise the view and give the homeowners and their guests front row seats from which to take it in. A few... Read more...
Build A Deck Full Of Useful Features
Build a deck with the features you need to relax effortlessly and to entertain graciously. Every timber deck that’s built is essentially the same as any other one: it consists of decking boards laid out atop a supporting substructure. But that’s where the similarities end and the possibilities begin. Every deck is as individually unique as the needs and preferences of the people who build them and this uniqueness is usually expressed in the design of the structure. Let’s take a look at some of these design features you can... Read more...
The 4 Seasons In A Pergola
Each season possesses its own particular charm and each one prescribes its own way of relating to and enjoying the outdoors. But there is a way you can experience all four seasons comfortably and enjoyably underneath your pergola. Although a pergola may sometimes be nothing more than barely a roof over your head, with no walls, no doors, no windows — with nothing else, in fact — it does quite effectively serve to filter what can sometimes be the harshness of the outdoors. And with a bit of imagination and... Read more...
Wrong Ideas About Composite Decking
You may be walking around with some incorrect notions about composite decking. That’s okay because composites are comparatively new to the outdoor living extension scene and as such not too much about them is known or understood. Consequently, what little we hear or learn about this generally wonderful material tends to be shrouded in misconception, misunderstanding and myth. So let’s go about debunking some of the glaring ones, shall we? Composite Decks Do Not Look Like Timber There was a time when composite decking boards were so shoddily made that... Read more...
The Versatile Timber Deck
Timber decks are amazingly versatile and can be adapted to suit a variety of purposes and functionalities. This is why they are much sought after and why they add so much value to your property. Of course a decks usefulness can be limited by its size and structure. But if you have a robust imagination (and the budget to match) you could build a deck that can function any way you need it to. Here are a few ways decks can be absolutely — and even unexpectedly — useful and... Read more...
Get Your Timber Deck Ready For Winter
Wind, rain and cold are not exactly the most ideal conditions for chilling (pun alert!) on your timber deck. What can you do to make your deck more comfortable during the winter months? Winter should not prevent you from enjoying time outdoors, especially when you already own a deck. A few additions to your outdoor living extension will let you winter-proof it. Let’s take a look at some of the things you can add to your deck to get it ready for winter. Install a Roof Over the Deck It’s... Read more...
Ways To Decorate A Pergola
A pergola can do wonders to your property’s visual appeal. But how do you make this attraction even more attractive? Here are a few ways to decorate a pergola. Put a Roof Over the Pergola Not only does a roof provide sun protection, it also acts as a decorative element that unifies the structure and gives the pergola its characteristic form. Coloured roofing provides allows you to complement or contrast the appearance with the other elements within your property. Complementary colours enhance harmony while a contrasting colour draws attention and... Read more...
Build A Deck Or A Pergola, Avoid Winter Mud
Winter is coming. Now this isn’t some plug for “Game of Thrones,” winter really is coming in a couple of months. And if you have some considerable unused backyard space the coming cold season may mean something quite unpleasant for you: mud. Now is the time to consider building a deck or a pergola atop that empty yard space and avoid winter mud. When soil and water mix the result may be fun for kids, but it’s a total nightmare for homeowners like yourself. Unless you intend to manufacture bricks... Read more...
Functional Timber Deck Balustrade Ideas
At first glance there doesn’t seem to be much about balustrades and handrails for your timber deck. They’re essentially barriers that protect you from stepping over the edge of the deck. But apply some imagination and construction smarts and the humble railing can transform into something more. Here are some delightful timber deck balustrade ideas. The Transparent Deck Balustrade If you have a raised deck such as the one in the photo above then it makes perfect sense to place railings around the deck’s perimeter so you don’t end up... Read more...
Build a Timber Deck During Easter Weekend
Easter Weekend provides an incredible opportunity to go ahead with that timber decking project you’ve had in mind for so long but haven’t gotten started on yet, for whatever reason. The long weekend officially starts on Good Friday for most of the country, perhaps even earlier for some. Then it stretches through Saturday and Easter Sunday all the way until Monday of the following week. Now you may ask, is that enough time to build something? It depends, of course, on a number of factors including how large the structure... Read more...
Start Your Decking Project On Adelaide Cup Weekend
(Photo courtesy of pxhere.com) Everyone looks forward to Adelaide Cup Day, at least everyone in South Australia, that is. After all, it’s a long weekend that ends in a busy day of festivities at the Morphetville race track. But here’s an idea: why not spend the time getting started on that project you’ve been thinking of doing? Start your decking project on Adelaide Cup weekend and have your outdoor area ready by the time it’s footy season. A deck is the perfect place to hang out with your mates while... Read more...
The Value of Trex Composite Decking’s 25-Year Warranty
Image courtesy of Trex What’s the value of an assurance? For a homeowner like you, an ironclad assurance (such as the 25-year warranty Trex offers on its composite decking boards) is the difference between anxious sleepless nights and worry-free confidence that your deck, patio or other outdoor living extension will serve you well for years to come. Trex is the undisputed market leader when it comes to composite decking products. In fact, they invented composite decking. Driven by the twin threats of dwindling forest resources and skyrocketing production of plastic... Read more...
Lines And Timber Deck Architectural Style
The architectural style of your timber deck or pergola affects how you and other people feel and think about it. There are many factors that contribute to this, among them is how you line up your timber. Why do you sometimes feel calm and at peace the moment you set foot on your deck? Or perhaps you feel energised after a long hard day at work? As it turns out, the way your timber boards are laid out in your outdoor living extension has a big influence on the way... Read more...
Why We Like Blackbutt Timber for Decking
Blackbutt is among our favourite materials for building decks, pergolas and other outdoor living extensions. Here are the reasons we like Blackbutt timber for decking. Characteristics of Blackbutt Timber Eucalyptus pilularis, commonly known as Blackbutt, is a timber species that grows along the coastal areas of New South Wales and southern Queensland. These trees stand tall and straight, reaching up to 50 metres in height. Blackbutt timber is quite versatile and highly resistant to fire. The species name, in fact, is because of its reaction to fire. When burned, the... Read more...
Timber Deck Feng Shui For Balance and Harmony
Feng Shui is an age-old Chinese art used by builders to govern the balance of energy in a given given space, assuring good fortune for people inhabiting it. Could Feng Shui be used to improve balance and harmony on your timber deck? The Secrets of Feng Shui Shrouded in complexity and mysticism, Feng Shui can nevertheless be simplified into a single concept: energy flow. The ancient Chinese believed (as modern people still do) that the flow of energy determines how favourable or unfavourable an area can be for health, love,... Read more...
Is Treated Timber The Best Decking Material?
With an abundance of decking material available out there, why build your deck or pergola using treated timber? Why Not? There are many who argue that building outdoor living extensions with timber is more disadvantageous and results in more issues emerging over the long term. This may have been true in the past, given our scant knowledge of it and the less sophisticated timber treatments that were available. Among the disadvantages sometimes associated with timber are: Timber expands and shrinks with the weather. This movement makes the structure unstable, tends... Read more...
Keeping Rot Away From Timber Posts
Timber posts are essential components of decks, pergolas and fences. What can you do to keep them from rotting away? Rot is simply caused by fungi that see your timber structure as food. These fungi attach themselves to the timber and proceed to make a meal out of it. It gets even worse when the timber is damaged or cracked, as these hostile organisms find their way into the structure and cause more damage. Very soon the timber decays as it is consumed by the fungi. Posts also bear a... Read more...
Timber Deck Fixing Checklist
This brief checklist will help you make sure that your decking boards are fixed properly so that you get the maximum benefit out of your timber deck. Bearer Width and Post Spacing Your timber deck will be supporting a lot of weight so it is important that you correctly calculate the width between the bearers and the placement of the posts. This requires knowledge and understanding of many different factors that affect the decks ability to carry its load. These include the flexibility and strength of the timber you select.... Read more...
How Outdoor Extensions Add Value To Your Property
We’ve mentioned quite often how building a timber outdoor extension enhances the value of your property. These examples demonstrate exactly how. Of course it’s quite obvious that if you add value into your property, that value-add will simply find its way into the property’s price tag. But why does adding in value by way of a timber deck or pergola or some other outdoor structure cause an exponential increase in your property’s price tag? The outdoor extension secures the perimeter of your property. A simple paling fence keeps unwanted things... Read more...
The Appeal Of Large Timber Decks
Bigger may not always be better, but don’t ever talk that way to property owners who want monster-sized decks. Tiny houses may be the rage these days, but big decks win out for many property owners. And there’s nothing Freudian about this preference. Market data demonstrate that having an outdoor living extension, even a small one, significantly raises the value of a property. Just imagine how a huge deck influences a buyer’s perception of a property’s value. Many buyers are willing to consider purchasing a property even if the house... Read more...
Up On the Rooftop Deck
Photo courtesy of Brian Johnson and Dane Kanter. The yard may be the traditional site for decking projects. But in urban areas there may be a new place where a timber deck makes sense — up on the roof. The rooftop is the new frontier for decking projects, especially in urban areas where the population density, competition for suitable land areas and the cost of these land areas are all high. One can argue that balconies can just as easily serve the same purpose, and may be more cost effective... Read more...
Railway Sleepers Are Amazingly Versatile
Sleepers are a familiar sight, especially on railroads. But you’ll also find them in gardens and yards. Railway sleepers, or railway ties as they are sometimes called, are rectangular pieces of timber that support the railroad system. You’re probably most familiar with transverse sleepers — timber laid across the railway track. There are also longitudinal sleepers laid parallel to the tracks. Sleepers distribute the weight and ease up the pressure on the tracks. They also keep the tracks from shifting and help maintain the right spacing. But this venerable icon... Read more...
Building a Deck for the Disabled
Disabled members of the family and friends have a tough time getting around, as it is. How can you build a timber deck that’s easily accessible for the physically handicapped? WUSA-9, a television station based in Washington DC, USA, recently featured a story about some teens who had built a timber deck for a disabled man trapped in his home for the last 15 years. The man could not leave the house to see his doctor and consequently this caused his health to deteriorate. But now the mere knowledge of... Read more...
Concerns When Building Ground-Level Timber Decks
Building your timber deck close to or right atop ground level offers a number of attractive advantages. The structure will be quicker to build than elevated decks, require less preparation and support and over the course of the project be a lot more economical. There are, however, a few concerns that you need to address should you opt to go this route. Here’s how to maximise the advantages of building a deck at ground level. Low level decks do not require deep footings. You can use bolt on post shoes... Read more...
What Determines Kapur Timber’s Durability?
Kapur timber is highly suitable for decking because of its inherent durability. Not only does it provide an attractive finish with its complex grain, but it is also prized because it withstands the effects of weather much better than many other timber species. But just how durable the timber turns out to be is determined by what part of the tree it comes from. If you take a cross-section of a mature Kapur tree trunk, you will notice two distinct areas. There is usually a darker coloured core and a... Read more...
Build a Timber Pergola and Enjoy These Advantages
Your property definitely gets a makeover when you build a timber pergola. But the advantages you get go beyond mere curb appeal. Curb Appeal Well, let’s start with how a timber pergola enhances your property’s visual appeal. It is, after all, the most obvious benefit. At the very least a pergola provides a point of interest that draws people’s attention. Even beyond that the outdoor structure can be a statement that speaks to people about you. Functionality A timber pergola enhances the functionality of your home. At the very least... Read more...