The poll to divide a universe ... Decking timber ... grooves up or down?

[Sir Stinkalot]

I noted with interest that in the bunnies catalogue that came last night that they showed both the treated pine and merbu decking grooves up in their hand sketched images.

[ozwinner]

What do you expect from Bunnies, they only employ morons, and no!
I dont work there.


Cheers, Allan

[Hugo]

Ah yes but morons with the correct attitude will not remain morons for long.
I was told that when building stairs that grooves should be made under the treads so as they would not buckle.
Using that info I asumed the grooves on decking where for the same reason.
Maybe a lot of assumptions have been made here, maybe if there has to be a winner and loser here then its the decking manufacturers are the winners and the frustrated authors of some of these replies are the loosers.
Lighten up people, up, down, black, white does it really make a difference?
If its your deck then its your decision, I now think there both right.

[Iain]

'Bunnies' grooves down, why? So they don't slip off your arms while you're carrying them out to the car!
As for the gyro problem and tilting the aforementioned receptacle, all one needs is a short length of flexible material that is tubular in construction. Supermarkets carry these devices and are more commonly known as Straws.

[Shane Watson]

Originally posted by Sir Stinkalot
I noted with interest that in the bunnies catalogue that came last night that they showed both the treated pine and merbu decking grooves up in their hand sketched images.

Its called marketing...Quite simply the DIY public (who bunnies market too) are only familiar with decking boards thanks to the ripples. To show the picture with the groves down would give the image that it was just normal dressed timber, people wouldn't come to bunnies to buy the stuff then cause they see the DIY shows on TV using the rippled stuff. Show them what they know and they are happy.

[bob w]

Most of the manufacturers/distributors I have done business with have stated that the reeded side should face down. This is for all the reasons already stated (air circulation around joists and deck, more surface area so less chance of slipping etc) However whilst mediating on a claim due to poor performance of decking screwed to a metal joist system I was amazed that the manufacturer,distributor and the reps from forestry could not agree on which way it should have been laid.

[julianx]

After reading all the previous posts and carefully considering everyone’s opinions and needs I believe I have the perfect solution. Fix the decking to the under side of the joists with the grooves facing up. This would allow air circulation without compromising stinkys aesthetic and tactile needs, it would also hold even more spilt beer and waking up in your own vomit wouldn't be a problem. The joists would also slow the in-laws dash to the beer fridge down. This design would also have the added bonus of pleasing the architects out there as they love completely impractical design solutions (don't laugh I recently did a roof for an architect where the custom orb was screwed to the underside of the battens which were in turn fixed to the underside of the portal frames)
But seriously folks I generally only use ironbark decking, it has no grooves and lasts longer than anything else on the market

julian

[echnidna]

julianx
Wotta great idea. It even stops the grandkids toys from running over the edge into the garden. Now if it has a slope as well we can hang a bucket under the ends to catch all the spilt beer.

[bob w]

Originally posted by ozwinner
What do you expect from Bunnies, they only employ morons, and no!
I dont work there.


Cheers, Allan

I do! Thanks a lot.

Bob.

[jackiew]

This is where i fess up that when me and the boy built our outdoor table at christmas we used reeded decking, grooves up, for the top because everything else of suitable dimensions at bunnings was such poor quality. I do not joke when I say that about 90% of the stuff we pulled out was unsuitable for much more than firewood. Wisely the staff ignored the fact that I was wrecking their nice tidy timber store in my search for good pieces.

Why grooves up .... well all the illustrations of the stuff being used seemed to show the grooves up ( although I will confess I was a bit bemused about this as common sense says that water and dirt would sit in the grooves. As the table doesn't slope ( well not intentionally anyway ) I forsee it won't become a heirloom ... Oh well we can always build another table when it rots away.

It was a useful experience for both of us as we modified the dimensions and then I had to dredge up my 30year old recollections of geometry and he had to see that it does in fact have a practical application.

incidentally ... if you used the bunnings leaflet on making an outdoor table and followed the instructions slavishly you would end up with a table that would be so heavy it would take about four people to move it round the garden.

[silkwood]

Just to add something different, I recently pulled up some old(ish) decking which was in fairly good condition, nailed grooves down. Apparently with a nail gun. I say this because, upon pulling it up, each and every face which had laid against a bearer had been forced flat by the pressure of nailing. No airflow here.

Cheers,

[Marc]

I built a 12m x 3 meter veranda all in treated pine grooves up 3 years ago and it is perfect as the first day, conceded it is all under cover yet it gets wet occasionay with big and windy rain. It is a pain to claen if you want to use a broom. I just use a big noisy blower to the delight of the neighbours.

I also built a cubby house for my daughter some 8 years ago. It is up in a large maulberry tree. The way up is through a ladder that goes on a long winding walkway and suspended bridge all made out of grooved treated pine grooves up. Now that one is not under cover, it is in the open and under the maulberry tree. I don't think there is a place that would get more gunk that that one, the ammount of fruit and bat droppings is collosal and the timber gets black. The rain washes it all after the fruits stop dropping and I have yet to replace one single board. No cupping no nothing.
Must be my luck!

[HappyHammer]

I built a 7m x 4m deck beside my pool and because it was going to get wet from the pool as well as rain I put the grooves up fully aware of all the reasons to put the grooves down. I treated and sealed all the joists and double nailed the ends of all the boards and none of them have cupped or split and it's been down a bit over two years and had two summers worth of salt water on it. I also put down a trim around the border of the deck grooves down to create a contrast which looks good (if I do say so myself), this also covers cuts I made along the fence which is at an angle so nice and tidy. I have a large Jaccaranda in my garden (:eek: I know I'm an idiot putting a pool in a garden that has a Jaccaranda!) which drops loads of leaves and blossom but I also use a blower / vac and it cleans up well.

I reckon if you want it to look good (IMHO) put them up and do what you can during the build process to lengthen it's life but being aware that it probably won't last as long as if you put it down. When people come round and say "You've put them down the wrong way" reply with "I know looks good doesn't it". If they persist just ask them to leave.

HH

[silentC]

Yes but the argument is which way it is intended to go: grooves up (wrong) or grooves down (correct). It's pointless to attempt to introduce logic to the discussion. You can argue the pros and cons all you like. It doesn't matter what it looks like or how long it lasts - the fact remains that you've laid it upside down.

[HappyHammer]

Ok Sir Stinkalot …. So what is this hot question?????

“Decking timber ….. grooves up or grooves down???? That is the question”.

Take your point SC but the question doesn't say anything about which is correct.

HH