The Deck

[Spider Webb]

Hi everyone,
After stalking this forum for months we (wife and I) decided to bite the bullet and put plans into council for our 50m2 merbau on T/P deck extension out the back. $1200.00 and 6 weeks later i could strike the first blow. I'm doing most of it myself with the occasional guidance and help by my builder mate(thanks Mick). Have been learning heaps along the way and will surely build the perfect deck next time around.LOL Got a few pics and will post more when i have the time, although all this rain lately i'm sure any outdoor worker has had heaps of it.........one day this thing will be finished.
It has been great reading other people's problems knowing i'm not the only one out there losing my hair over some building work.
Will be back soon.

The worker on the digger got sent off site for not having the right PPE and SWMS

[Dr - 307]

Great effort mate.

Reminds me of my first deck and subsequent pergola over it -

Attachment 66827

Remember the wife egging me on - "You can do it, there's nothing to it". She later told me that she never believed we could do it and only egged me on because she knew that would make me believe that I could do it. And here I am years later doing work for other people.
And I know about the helping hand without the right gear on but our site is an equal opportunity employer so I have two female apprentices.

Just wanted to ask what the black stuff you painted on your porch is?

Keep it up,
Cheers,
Dr - 307.

[Spider Webb]

Thanks Dr.
The wife's egging me on, but it's about getting it finished not "your doing well". They always think things can get done overnight and everything can be kept spotless while your building it.
I started in Nov so i suppose she has a point, at least we can walk on it now.
The black stuff is just paving paint. As you can see by the picture the last owners had a fetish for "pink" (The kitchen cupboards were Hot Pink!!) so after not cleaning the concrete for a few years -it looked better than pink- i just wanted to have a dark colour under the boards so i didn't see this off pink colour staring back up at me every time i looked down.
There doesn't seem to be much concensous regarding the coating around here - My mate has a heap of Cabots merbau oil, so i might give that a go in the next couple of weeks. The weather here has taken a most of the tannins out i think.

Hoo Roo

[debwp]

Hi spider,
just looking at the detailed photos i noticed that the ant caps have not got the 45 degree turndown all the way round. It's the turndown that forces the termites to tunnel out and over so that u can c them. ie: the ant caps merely aid in visual inspection rather than stop the termites. Also hope you put snakeskin under them antcaps to stop them rusting out! good luck anyway

[Spider Webb]

Thanks for the spotting debwp, any help along the way is appreciated !!
Folding down the ant caps are something i just haven't got around to doing. I couldn't find caps big enough to fit over the piers so i joined some 1/2 capping together with termite resistant silastic, i'll get under there one day and bend the other halves over.
Can you tell me more about the snakeskin ?, i can still pull them out if required and fix them up if need be......