Council Approvals – Do I need council approval?

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In Queensland, undertaking outdoor renovation projects like adding a carport, patio or sunroom to your home requires a clear understanding of council approval processes.
It can be a tedious task for many homeowners, but with the right guidance and expertise, this process can be seamless and straightforward.

At Additions Building Company, we specialise in transforming outdoor spaces into beautiful, functional extensions of your home. Our approach is simple — we provide one comprehensive quote that covers everything, leaving no room for surprises.

This guide will walk you through the essentials of obtaining council approval in Queensland, ensuring a smooth process for your dream project.

The importance of a council approval in Queensland

Getting council approval is indispensable for homeowners aiming to renovate their outdoor living spaces within Queensland’s regulations. This authorisation serves as a guarantee that your patio enclosure, carport or deck building aligns with local safety, zoning and environmental directives, safeguarding the integrity of your project.

Achieving compliance through council approval is essential, not just for adhering to legal standards, but also for ensuring the longevity and functionality of your investment. Initiating your project with this approval in hand sets the foundation for a seamless and successful enhancement project.

Streamlining your council approval journey

Navigating the council approval process for your outdoor project in Queensland doesn’t have to be a challenge. With Additions, the journey of securing council approval for patio enhancements and carport constructions is simplified and made stress-free.

Our dedicated approach guarantees your project aligns perfectly with local regulations, letting you focus on the exciting aspects of your outdoor upgrade. Here’s how we streamline the approval process for you:

Specialised expertise in outdoor enhancements

Our team’s sole focus on outdoor living spaces, including patios, carports and sunrooms, provides us with a deep understanding of the specific requirements for council approval in QLD. This specialisation ensures that we have a grasp of the broader scope of building codes and regulations.

Whether you’re envisioning a brand-new patio, a custom-built carport, or a sunroom that meets the latest council regulations, we’re equipped to make your dream a reality with an unwavering commitment to quality and compliance.

Proactive management of council approval processes

We take a proactive stance in managing council approval for patios in Brisbane, QLD. By anticipating potential challenges and addressing them head-on, we ensure a seamless approval process.

Our deep knowledge of local regulations, especially recent updates affecting patio enclosures, positions us to efficiently navigate the complexities of council approval, keeping your enhancement on track and within budget.

Comprehensive planning for every project

We start with thorough project planning, considering every detail that could influence your council approval. This includes conducting site assessments, refining design proposals and considering environmental impacts to ensure your application meets all the criteria for approval without any delays.

Direct liaison with councils for enclosing a patio council approval

Our service extends to acting as your direct liaison with local councils. We manage all communications and paperwork, streamlining the process and making sure every application is filled out accurately and comprehensively, improving the likelihood of approval.

Continuous and transparent communication

Keeping you informed is part of our commitment to a stress-free process. We provide regular updates on the status of your patio council approval, guaranteeing you’re never in the dark about any progress. Our commitment to open and transparent communication fosters a collaborative partnership from start to finish.

Start your project with confidence today

Partnering with Additions Building Company means choosing a team dedicated to realising your outdoor project with minimal fuss and maximum satisfaction. From navigating council approvals to the final construction phase, we’re committed to excellence at every step.

Are you ready to enhance your outdoor living space without all the stress of tedious paperwork? Reach out to us to get started. Let’s work together to make your dream outdoor space a reality — hassle-free!

FAQs

Do I need council approval?

In most cases all class 10a structures whether it is a patio, carport or deck will require a council approval. The only instances where you may not require a council approval is if your structure meets all of the following criteria.

  • is no more than 10m2
  • is no more than 2.4m high
  • no side is greater than 5m
  • deck is no more than 1m off the ground

Why do I need council approval?

All class 10a structures must meet the standards of the Building Code of Australia. By getting a council approval it means the relevant building surveyor has approved all the plans and documentation to say your new patio or carport Brisbane is being built to the legal standard.

Aside from knowing your new structure is being built legally, it also cancels out any unlicensed builders quoting for your work. Having council approval will ensure your job is built safe and properly.

It is also important to understand the laws when selling your property with a structure that may not have a council approval as you can find yourself liable even 10 years or more after the sale.

 

If I have applied for council approval does this mean I have a final certificate?

We get asked this question frequently, as you may think your patio, deck or carport has council approval. There is a difference between “applying” for council approval and actually having council approval.

You may have applied for council approval and received a Form 15 but you do not have council approval until the building certifier who issued the approval, has visited your property and carried out the mandatory inspections on your structure.

Once a certifier has been out to carry out the various inspections, you will be issued with a Final certificate (Form 21), you require a final to avoid unnecessary future consequences and to ensure your job is complete. Without a Form 21 your approval has not been finalised.

Do Additions Building Company do council approvals?

Yes, Additions Building Company does council approvals which include a final certificate. At the beginning of your job, we submit all relevant documentation to our certifiers for approval. At the end of your job we call our certifiers to carry out the necessary inspections, who will then issue you with a Final Certificate.

How will I know if my job has council approval?

There are a few easy checks to find out if your structure has council approval

  • is the stormwater connected
  • did you receive a Form 21

If your stormwater has not been connected and you do not have a Form 21, then it is possible you do not have council approval. Gordon encourages you to contact your local council if you have any concerns about your patio designs Brisbane or are unsure about your carport designs in Brisbane, as the council keeps a record of all approvals.

What can I build without council approval in QLD?

Minor modifications and repairs typically fall outside the purview of council oversight. However, when it comes to constructing new structures or significantly altering existing ones, such as building a patio without council approval, the situation changes.

It is important to note that recent regulations, especially concerning sunrooms, dictate that these enhancements are for the purpose of weather protection rather than as a means to extend living spaces. Understanding these guidelines is crucial in planning your project. Here are some projects that are typically exempted from council approval:

  • Minor landscaping works not altering property drainage.
  • Small tool sheds with a footprint below a certain size.
  • Fences below a certain height, not facing a street.

When the projects involve council approval, such as a carport, patios or enclosing spaces, it’s essential to consult with professionals to ensure compliance with all local regulations in QLD.

What are the procedures for getting council approval?

Navigating the council approval process can seem challenging. But with our expert guidance, obtaining approval is a streamlined and stress-free experience. Here’s a simplified overview of how to achieve council approval for your project:

  • Initial consultation — Begin with a free consultation with our team to discuss your project’s vision and requirements.
  • Design and documentation — We will help design your project and prepare all necessary documentation, including detailed plans and drawings.
  • Application submission — Our team will submit the application on your behalf, ensuring all paperwork is accurate and complete.
  • Liaison with council — We handle all communication with the council, addressing any queries or concerns they may have.
  • Approval — Once approved, we will inform you immediately, allowing the project to proceed to the next phase.

Patio Screens

Exciting New Product – Aluminium Wood Grain Screens

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Gordon and the Additions Building Company team are excited to announce that we are expanding into a new area of the business.
We will now be working with one of the global leaders in modular aluminium products, Knotwood.
Additions Building Company can now offer our clients a high durability, low maintenance product for wood grain privacy screens, slats, louvres, gates, shutters and more while maintaining the natural beauty of timber.

Screens are becoming a popular addition to patios, carports and decks due to their stylish look and practicality.

About Knotwood

Knotwood is designed, engineered and tested for strength and durability. We can guarantee that Knowoods’s high quality will last for years to come because they have close control over the extrusion, powder coating and sublimation; all of which are produced in Australia. Knotwood is an Australian owned company.

Why choose aluminium for your privacy screens over timber?

Choosing aluminium over timber is an easy choice when you think about the work involved in maintaining timber screens to keep them looking new all year round. Aluminium screens are easier to clean than timber; they can withstand harsh environmental conditions such as extreme UV exposure, salt spray and heavy pollution. Aluminium is also corrosion resistant, strong, lightweight and long lasting, which means you never have to worry about replacing them.

Aluminium privacy screens, slats and louvres cost less than timber screens and are easier to maintain. There is no sanding sanding, oiling, staining or painting involved to keep them looking their best and no oil marks or stains to clean when it rains.

Another great feature of aluminium is that all screens, slats and louvres have a concealed fixing system which hides unsightly screws, rivets and nails which cannot be hidden when building a timber screen.

Choosing aluminium means your screens on your patio look like a new addition everyday.

What colours are there?

All Knotwood colours have been tested to withstand the most extreme environments providing a durable alternative to timber. There are over 26 timber finishes to choose from with the most popular colours being Bush Cherry, Iron Bark, Jarrah, Kwila, Merbau and Western Red Cedar.

Our team have a wide range of colour samples for you to compare and choose from.

Contact Additions Building Company on 3396 3884 for a quote and full range of colour samples.
Why build a screen on your patio, carport or deck?

Adding screens, slats, louvres, or shutters to your patio, carport or deck is a great way to add an element of privacy to your home from passing traffic or neighbours.

Screens are also a great way to provide protection from the elements like the morning and afternoon sun, rain and wind making your outdoor area a more relaxing and practical space to spend time in.

Because we are experts in design, our Additions Building Company designers will create a plan that matches your project and best suits your needs.

Contact Additions Building Company on 3396 3884 to speak to one of our designers.

Here is a screen we recently completed at Macgregor in Western Red Cedar.

 

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Features of an Insulated Patio

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If you are looking at creating the perfect entertaining area this season with a custom designed patio but want something that is going to be cool in summer, minimise noise from rain and storms and is going to look sleek and stylish then an insulated patio is the way to go.

Insulated roof sheets are available in an extensive range of colours to match your home and are available in either corrugated or ribbed profiles. The sheet itself has a polystyrene core allowing for practically zero heat transfer and a flat white metal ceiling to give the maximum amount of light reflection under your patio.

An insulated patio has a greater span, which means fewer posts and beams, allowing for a more open entertaining area. Insulated roofing has the added bonus of a hidden section in the joins where electrical cables can be run providing a cleaner finish when installing ceiling fans, lights or even speaker wiring.

Due to these properties we always highly recommend an insulated roof to all of our roofs over decks, custom designed patios and in some application’s even carports in Brisbane.

Queenslander stairs

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Any tradesman can buy a set of premade stringers and install a set of stairs for you if you’re after something basic, but it really takes a skilled tradesman to design and build a set of stairs that’s a bit outside of the realm of normal. I started learning to build stairs and landings in 1973 while I was an apprentice for a 63 year old stair maker tradesman; he taught me how to build all different types of stairs such as external deck stairs. Due to this I design all of our stairs and over the years I’ve moved us over to specialising in old fashioned Queenslander stairs and stairs to suit older folk, which are a great alternative to wheelchair ramps, however we are still very proficient in modern stairs.

Stairs to suit Queenslanders

Almost all genuine Queenslander stairs were hand crafted from hardwood with hardwood stringers and hardwood treads. Unfortunately these days more and more Queenslander stairs are being replaced with steel stringers with a range of different treads, like concrete or aluminium, which really detract from the character of the house. The main reason for this move is nothing more than a lack of training in the building industry, which has left an enormous gap in old fashioned stair replacement and means a lot of the builders coming out of their apprenticeships have a lack of hand skills. At Additions Building Company I teach all of my staff how to build stairs the old way, if we build you a set of stairs to suit your Queenslander everything will be constructed from hardwood, primed in all the cuts with only galvanised fixings, this way they’ll last a lifetime.

Stairs for older folk

If you live in a high set house you’ll notice as you get older your exterior stairs to get to the back door get harder and harder to climb up, this is a big reason for older folk selling up and moving in to a new lowset home somewhere in a suburb they can afford far away from family and friends. Due to this problem I started building specialised stairs for the older folk. There are a lot of regulations around the positioning, height and length of stairs and landings but we’re able to work within these regulations to build you a set of stairs with wide steps and a low rise, the distance between one step and another. This gives you a great even and stable platform with an easy lift of the foot and if possible we’ll even build a landing midway with a resting seat. We put big stable handrails down both sides of these kinds of stairs for total balance and only build in strong hardwoods; everything is primed in all the joints with an oil based primer and fixed with galvanised nails to guarantee that the handrail will be there when you need it most. This type of stair is a lot easier to walk up than a disability ramp, as a ramp getting up to your back step will become incredibly long and take an age to walk up. While these stairs are technically a lot more difficult to design and build a trained stair maker should always be able to accommodate the home owner and help to keep you in your house for longer.

– Gordon

Leaks in patios

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We’ve finally seen a break in this terrible weather and I’m sure if you’ve got a leaky patio in Brisbane you’ve certainly had enough with it by now!

Why do patios leak?

Patios can generally be bought down to one of four categories, and not all of them are due to bad tradmanship. The first thing you need to realise is that your new patio was more than likely an afterthought, you’ve decided to take advantage of Brisbane’s beautiful weather or create an entertaining area well after you’ve bought or built the house, a lot of the time it’s because your family is growing and your needs are changing. Due to this it can be very difficult finding a high spot on the house to attach the patio to so it can get a decent amount of fall to get that water away from the house and down in to the gutter.

Secondly, if a great Brisbane patio builder has finished their job and you have other trades come to your house to perform work this can potentially cause you problems. At Additions Building Company we find our leak problems come from clients that have had solar panels installed or electrical work done a few months after we’ve finished our job. You always hear the same story of it was fine for the first few months and then it started leaking and after talking with the client some more you realise they’ve had another trade on our roof. While we’ve only had two leaks in the past year or so they have been directly caused by other trades not sealing up their work after they have finished, it is generally pretty obvious where they’ve gone wrong.

The next problem I generally encounter are patios that have been built by people that just don’t specialise in this type of work and don’t understand how to use the materials properly. The biggest mistakes they make are; not folding the back of the sheet up to stop water running in to the back channel, not installing foam in the back channel to create a seal around the sheet end, not cleaning the fascia down properly before sealing the back channel to it or simply not knowing how to seal a back channel properly in the first place. Most of these things can be fixed after the patio has been built but why would you want to come back and do a job twice when you can do it right the first time! But a lot of the time it really just comes down to poor design by tradesman with a complete lack of understanding of the materials and in these cases my advice is always the same, employ someone who does this for a full time job and has a lot of experience in it, not someone who is a house framer or local handy man that is experiencing a downturn in their usual work and is looking to fill their gaps. You wouldn’t employ a jetski mechanic to fix an aircraft engine just because both jobs require a mechanic! Patio builders need to be specialised, also I would run a licence check on anyone you employ on the BSA website so see if they have any blemishes on their record as this will give you a good indication of if they’ll come back and fix any problems.

The last problem you’ll really experience for a leak in your patio roof in Brisbane is wind. Your patio has been designed to have a really low fall in it and normally has just foam and the sheet turned up against the house, however under certain wind conditions, like the ones we’ve seen recently, the wind can blow and push the water up and over the turn up and come through on to you underneath. When we’ve got really low roofs like this or you’ve got a dominant wind against the house we put a flashing over the back channel and cut it into the same shape as the roof profile to completely seal this off so you don’t get wet.

Building it yourself?

My final piece of advice for this week is, if you’re building your own patio you really need to pay attention to the fall and the joint to the house, if you get these two things wrong your patio is going to cause you all sorts of headaches. I spend and enormous amount of time and effort training all my new staff in these two aspects and because of this we have very very few leaks.

Decks1

Building a deck – From start to finish

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Ever wondered what the process is going to be for your project?

Here is an example of a deck we built recently for a client; the following is an explanation of the entire process from start to finish.

Debbie called and asked if we could come over and have a look at a project she had in mind, which was to build a deck over her existing garage. I turned up and met Debbie’s family and we talked about what she would like to do and what was possible, keeping in mind that we were working with an existing structure and of course keeping within the current building regulations. After drilling a few small pilot holes in her wall to see if it could withstand holding up the new deck and checking that we could get a good amount of head room, I worked out a design and a price that Debbie was happy with. After about a week and a half we had all the local authority permits and were ready to put materials and staff on site.

We started the project by pulling the tiles off the existing roof and demolishing the pine rafters, this left us a good clear space to start building. We then put up a pole plate to hold the joists at the house side and proceeded to install the joists and bearer. For this project we decided to go with LOSP treated LVL’s, while I don’t usually use these on a deck due to their poor weather qualities they were chosen as the deck is fully waterproofed for tiles and they are a lot easier to install than a traditional hardwood joist. I also chose to use a larger than necessary joist as this takes out any potential bounce in the deck and will stop tiles from cracking.

As we had limited head room we had to check out the joists over the pole plate, this does cut down on some of the strength of the joist so we also installed a joist hanger on each one to support it. A new bearer was also installed and put up with temporary props until the new hot dipped galvanised posts arrive, which are eventually put in to large concrete footings.

Martin then sealed all the joists in all the appropriate places, such as where a row of noggins are going to support the flooring and also at the ends of the joists where they can potentially get wet during a storm. We then started to lay the flooring, we decided to use a hardies product made out of compressed fibro board, this is both glued and screwed down and also has a 6mm gap between each sheet. This is so we can put a flexible joint in to help stop any tiles from cracking due to movement. Once the floor has been laid we then tape all the edges to get a nice clean line when installing the flexible joint, which is polyester filler.

After the floor has been finished holes need to be cut out to support all of the posts for the roof and handrails, these holes will eventually get the same flexible joint put around them too. To install these solid Kwila posts each one gets two 12mm bolts to connect it to the bearer and also have all their joining surfaces primed and sealed. Once the posts are all up the handrails are installed as well as the roof beam, these are all made from solid hardwood as this stuff lasts forever.

Now it’s time to put the roof up! Debbie went for a fully insulated roof and it couldn’t have been a better choice for the area, since we had such limited room we flashed under the existing roof to gain as much height as possible. After the roof sheeting was up and finished it was time to install the balustrade, which in this case is stainless steel wire. You have to be a bit careful with wire balustrade as there are a lot of regulations you need to be up to date with to be able to do it legally. Each wire is installed and tightened, which can be done in the future too in case they every come loose, and they are also supported at very short intervals. Once this is finished its time to install the flashings, gutters and fascias on to the roof to finish it off. We put a flashing under the tiles on the roof to ensure Debbie had no leaks back in to her house.

The next job is to install a pair of French doors, an opening was enlarged from an existing window and a new header was installed, this supports the house roof. The doors come pre hinged and fitted with all the locks and handles which makes this a very easy job for us. Architraves and beading is put around the edges of the door to finish it off and the installation of the doors is now complete.

The final job for Debbie’s wonderful new deck in Brisbane is the tilling, he arrives and puts down a waterproof membrane on the entire floor area, he starts to lay the tiles and when he’s done he uses a flexible grout and places a flexible joint against the house, as well as a drip line at the front.

The deck is now complete and Debbie and her family can put their new furniture on it!

– Gordon

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Positioning your patio

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How to position your new patio

One of the biggest challenges in designing your new patio in Brisbane is getting optimal daytime use out of it in regards to heat, light and ventilation.

Heat

As all us Brisbanites know, we cop a lot sun, especially during the summer months. The sun rises in the east, goes overhead and sets in the west. The morning sun isn’t too much of an issue for us but come midday we all know it can get a bit horrendous. If you choose to go down the road of an insulated patio this will block the midday sun from transferring the heat directly under the patio, where as a single skin patio heats up and will transfer it directly to you and your friends and family sitting underneath it. There are a few companies who will make outlandish claims to you about having special heat reflective single skin roofs, while they may be a degree or two cooler underneath than a standard single skin roof this is only enough for them to make this claim and not get in to trouble. Having had over 20 years experience in building this type of roof I can guarantee you that an insulated roof, and only an insulated roof, will stop the transfer of heat to you and your family underneath. While you will still get sun coming in from the sides we can overcome this for as long as possible by using what we call an overhang, where we extend the roof further than your patio areas foot print, this is just one of the tactics we can use to make sure you’re as cool as possible under your new patio. I make sure I train all my staff in these tactics, other examples of ways to battle the sun is; if your patio faces west we can lower the front as much as possible so we can give you more shade, If it faces north or south we’ll put in extra overhang on the roof or more often than not we’ll put a timber slat wall on the sides for extra shade protection.

Something that I find most patios designers fail to take in to account is what effect the sun will have on your patio during winter time. In the winter the sun is a lot lower in the sky which puts sun into the patio, in winter this isn’t a bad thing as we all know it’s far, far cooler sun and it will help to lighten up the whole area. If this is going to be an issue for your particular house we can leave the north face open as this will let the sun in as it travels through the day or in some circumstances we can even fall the patio back on to your house, this will let in loads of light and winter sun. There is always a way to make your new patio as useful and effective as possible all its take is a bit of thought. All of my staff are highly trained in patio positing and design, I do this to make sure when we come to quote you we are optimising your patio.

Light

Getting light in to a patio is really important for two reasons. Firstly, you want to be protected from the heat without the cost of creating a dark space that you don’t enjoy sitting under and secondly you want light in your new patio because this will put light in to your house instead of blocking it out. The most common misconception I’ve come across when people are trying to get light in to their new patio in Brisbane is that a skylight is their best option. While this will put light in to the patio it puts virtually none in to the house, they also draw an enormous amount of heat in the summer which makes them not very practical. The best way we can get light to your patio, and your house, is by using a flat white ceiling and as much height as we can, as the more height the more light. At Additions Building Company we build a lot of insulated flyover roofs , all with the appropriate overhangs to stop the sun coming in too much in summer. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of patios designed by our competition with no overhangs to save you money, while this is great because it’s cheaper for you and will let as much light as possible in to the patio, this is a false economy because you’re really limiting the time throughout the day where you can actually use it. A badly designed patio can really only be used about 30 percent of the daylight hours where as a well designed one should be able to be used 100 percent of the time.

Ventilation

Summer in Queensland is incredibly hot, especially the summer we are going through right now, even if you have an insulated patio without proper ventilation it can be unpleasant. I teach my staff to make the most of the opportunities your house and your yard can present us with. For example the ultimate patio that I would build is one that faces the prevailing winds in summer, with a pool in front of it using an insulated flyover roof. We’ve built a lot of patios along these lines and you really get to see how they work, the house roof heats up and creates a draft from the coolest spot, which is the patio, this in turn pulls air across the pool and on a hot day the pool will cool down the air flow, pulling cold air up and through your patio. This is exactly the type of patio I have planned to build on my next house, although the pool will actually be a large fishpond with lilies and native fish as my days of pool maintenance are over. I have seen this concept so many times now and every time we build this style everyone is extremely pleased with the results.

If you’ve decided you need a patio positioning expert to come out and give you the best option possible why not visit out patios in Brisbane website or call me directly on 0438648689

– Gordon

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Decking material choices – continued

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As a follow on from my previous blog entry I thought we should cover some of the flooring types readably available to the Australian consumer.

Soft or hardwood?

Choosing the right kind of timber decking for your job really depends on the climate that you live in.

Softwood

Softwoods are a CCA treated pine and tend to work really well in a colder climate, this is because they don’t rot and are very stable at lower temperatures. However they do need a specific nail type to hold them down because the warmer it gets the more they tend to twist and move around, so they need a larger nail with a twist shank to keep them nice and tight in place. In saying this thoughs oftwoods don’t work well in Brisbane decks, this is because we have such high temperatures, so even with a good nail they tend to lift off the joists. I’ve also found over the years that due to the low grade of timber that softwoods are generally supplied in you get a lot of expansion and contraction cracks and knot failure, because of this I try to avoid using them at all costs, not to mention the fact that you as the deck owner will need to give the deck a lot of ongoing service and maintenance to keep it safe and in good condition. While softwoods don’t work in decks built in Brisbane they are great in other application, I recently built a deck in New Zealand out of softwood and its standing up really well.

Hardwood

Hardwoods come in a multitude of species. There are a lot of great Australian decking materials on the market at the moment. One of my favourite to use is spotted gum, it’s really common and you can get it in all sorts of varieties like mixed packs or specific colours such as red or white. I’ve always found mixed gum to be really good quality if you can get it from a reputable source, like a high quality timber yard. It is sometimes available in the auction houses but this is always seconds, or sometimes even thirds! and are very poor quality. The one thing I’ve always found with Australian hardwood decks is the flooring varies dramatically, even within the same pack, so you need a carpenter with really good skills to get a dramatic colourful deck. I always try and build our decks in such a way that we can really show off the beautiful Australian timbers that we have on offer

The other main hardwoods that we get in Australia are Indonesian hardwoods such as; Kwila, Merbau and Balau. These are all an exception hardwood for your new timber deck in Brisbane, they come in really long lengths, are always exception quality and are reasonably priced. This means that they do the job really well, however I feel like these floors are exactly that, just a floor, you just don’t get the same character out of a Kwila floor like you would with an Australian mixed gum.

How to keep it in place

For a very long time we used I used to insist that my staff use an old traditional method for laying our flooring, which was using a 2 inch bulled head galvanised nail, predrilled, offset, skewed and punched in. I always preferred this way because while there were plenty of nail guns and nails on the market, none of them could do the job as well as I would have liked them to. While we can still offer this if it’s the look you are going for, We’ve now moved over to using a nail gun because there is finally a nail on the market that will do the job as well as I would like it to. Using a stainless steel ringshank nail we can hold down your decking incredibly well, in fact much, much better than the older traditional method.

– Gordon

Think you’ve got enough information to move ahead with your decking choice? Why not visit us at our Brisbane decking website or call me directly on 0438648689.

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Decking material choices

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When it comes to joists and bearers there are 3 main types to choose from. One being hardwood and all of its species, two being softwood and three being steel.

Hardwoods

Hardwoods come in a variety of types and grades for all different applications however, most timber yards will supply the lowest grade of f14 for decks in Brisbane, they do this purely to be the lowest price but in doing this they are doing you no favours. F14 hardwood is a rough hardwood and very hard to work, it often isn’t very straight which makes the laying of a floor of your new deck very awkward. As a company we only buy F17 appearance grade timber, this is because it is always straight, clean and easy to work with and we always buy, when possible, treated hardwoods as I prefer the extra protection and it also means your new deck will last a lifetime.

Softwoods

Softwoods are being specified by a lot of draftsmen now days specifically in laminated materials called LVL (laminated veneer lumber). These are pine ply with an LOSP treatment; however they are not designed to be used as external joists as the preserving treatment washes out over time in the weather, this leaves a pine joist to rot out over the next year or two if it’s not retreated.

A deck built in Brisbane out of LVL’s will last a very short time unless it is built by an excellent tradesman with an in depth knowledge of this timber type and the owner does an enormous amount of ongoing maintenance, which is not something I would like to have to do to my new deck. I think this is not a good choice at all and it just goes to show the lack of experience and knowledge of drafts people and builders who use it as an external joist.

The other softwood readably available is CCA treated F7, which is pine. It can last extremely well outside but it has some inherent problems, as its low grade and you need to use large timber members to span short distances, also you have to use the correct hardware on it as nails from decking will want to lift out unless they have a twist or ring shank, however if they are installed correctly it can and will last a long time.

Steel

Steel being the final choice has never been my preference, I have repaired too many steel sections on decks from rust to be a fan and I find they are ugly, but in saying that there are some very good systems out there in steel, Duragal is one of them as it is electroplated not galvanised. Built correctly they will last a long time but one of their biggest drawbacks is decking has to be screwed down which takes a fair amount of time and they tend to be bouncy, but they are relatively inexpensive way for someone to build a deck.

We built, as a company, a few steel decks supplied and marketed by one of the larger patio companies but unfortunately we found them to be very poor quality and have decided not to build them anymore as we just can’t do them to the standard we would prefer.

How to choose

All of the above materials have their place in the market, but the problem I see is a lot of inexperience in their use. This causes the client a lot of problems down the track. We always prefer to build a deck with a roof as it will last a lot longer than one without. Any deck built by a deck specialist in Brisbane will normally outlast something built by the local carpenter or handyman, a deck built by a skilled tradesman should last a lifetime.

– Gordon

Types of patio roofs – the technical stuff!

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Roof sheeting for patios

When you are selecting which roof type for your new patio in Brisbane there are really only three options that you should consider

1) W Pan which looks like a large w shape
2) V line which looks like a VJ board underneath
3) Insulated which have a colourbond™ profile roof, a polystyrene core and a flat ceiling

The following is a list of benefits and drawbacks of each product for your new patio roof

W pan

W pan is a very old style and system of roof sheeting, its main benefit is that it is relatively strong and being an older style of roofing it is also cheaper than most of the other roofs available for your patio in Brisbane. It is generally a colourbond™ product however due to the profile its reflective qualities for light underneath aren’t that good and its heat reflection is negligible as it reflects a little and absorbs a lot. Some manufacturers do offer this product in aluminium however in our experience aluminium has all the same problems as steel with the added problems of its paint oxidising very quickly, leaving you with a terrible finish, a high amount of heat transfer due to the metals properties, this is why high quality pots and pans tend to be made from aluminium as it can transfer heat to the inside, or to you under the patio, incredibly efficiently, and it tends to catch a lot of condensation under it causing mildew to grow.

Vline

Vline is the latest product out in single skin roof sheeting and it is made from high tensile colourbond™ steel. This product isn’t quite as strong as W pan however it does do its job incredibly well and you won’t regret having it as your new patio cover.

Vline has a flat surface underneath which reflects a reasonable amount of light around, this makes the patio feel light, bright and spacious rather than cold and closed in like some products. The only drawback to this product is that being single skin it tends to be a bit warmer than you would like underneath, there are some single skin products on the market that claim to have insulating and heat reflecting properties however in our experience this appears to be marketing hype

Insulated

Insulated roofs have been out on the market for a fair while now and an insulated patio in Brisbane is the best you can build for our climate, however it does come at a cost.
The roof has a profile on top, available in either corrugated or ribbed, a polystyrene core allowing for practically zero heat transfer and a flat white metal ceiling to give the maximum amount of light reflection under your patio. An insulated roof is the only patio roof available that is safe to walk on and it has the added bonus of a hidden section in the joins where wiring can be run so you can install anything from a ceiling fan to speakers up on the roof and out of the way. Due to these properties we always highly recommend an insulated roof to all of our roofs over decks, custom designed patios and in some application’s even carports in Brisbane. We have noticed there are some patio companies on the market offering wall panelling, which has two flat surfaces, as a roofing option. This is a product that was never designed to be a roof and while it may be cheaper in the long run it will cause you more headaches than the savings were worth. This is because it has no water runoff, joints which will leak due to not having an overlap and no strength to span distances needed by most roofs. As there are a lot of very reputable manufactures supplying purpose made insulated roofing at a reasonable price we recommend you avoid this panel at all costs.

– Gordon

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