timber deck v concrete patio

[klinger]

Putting a new entertainment area against back of new house. 9m by 3.5m and 400mm high. Would concrete patio or timber deck be best? used mainly for bbq etc and north facing.

[OBBob]

Hi There ... that's a pretty open question!

I guess its a preferance thing. Personally I prefer timber decks, they are enjoyable and quick to build, look great, feel good underfoot, don't heat up too much, you can store stuff under them if you add an access door, fairly cheap to construct ...

But hey ... I've seen houses with the whole back garden concreted and painted green, so each to their own ... good luck!

[klinger]

Cheers OBBob. some good tips there. Like the storage idea!

[OBBob]

Yeah, I always had grand plans of building some racking under there to properly store long timbers and some slide out draws from the sides to store garden tools and BBQ equipment ... still a long way down the priority list though! If it appeals, incoorporate it at the start otherwise it will never happen.

[silentC]

You wont be storing much under there if it's only 400mm off the ground. I think this is your main problem, because you really should have at least 400mm between the ground and the bottom of the bearer with a timber deck. Is it 400 all around, or just at one point?

On the other hand, have you seen the price of concrete lately?

[OBBob]

True I was visualising my last deck, which was higher than 400mm.

[MikeT]

Timber of course - for the reasons given above and because it looks so much better - but then this is wood work forums. To get a balanced answer you really need to ask the same question on concreting forums.

Obob - thanks for the idea of storing timbers under there. I have to set up my garage and was wondering what to do with the big timbers.

[silentC]

If the deck is low to the ground there are a couple of things you need to be aware of:

1. Access for termite inspections: If you can't get under there, you can't inspect.
2. Bushfire hazard: Leaf litter and other rubbish will collect and you'll have no way of cleaning it out.
3. As far as I'm aware, bearers need to be a minimum of 400mm from ground level, unless the ground slopes away. If you have a bearer of say 180mm to 200mm deep plus 100mm joists on top, you may be fighting an up hill battle to get it in there.

Just some things to keep in mind.

[joe greiner]

400mm is an awkward height. As said, might be too low for a deck. On the other hand, you'll need at least two steps down from your door(s) to a patio. This works best if you provide a landing instead of placing steps immediately next to the door. Pavers might be a good alternate to CIP concrete.

Joe

[klinger]

yep. the council doesnt like the 400 height which slopes up to 350 (oops), in places. White ants etc. Might do the garden shed in timber! This might lead to another thread

[silentC]

Get a bobcat in and level it all down to 400, then pave it.

[David L]

Because of the lack of height and termite fire dangers I would go for concrete, besides there would be virtually no mantaince. You wouldn't have to be out there every 6mths oiling it