When I first went to this Nine Elms project I actually wasn’t sure if Oilcanfinish should bid for it. It was a wonderful area, and the clients gave us a realistic budget to work with, however the obstacles were significant.In total it was 60 Square Meters of decking to be replaced. The project comprised 3 balconies (2 balconies, 1 terrace actually). The flat was on the 9th floor. The parking garage has a 2mt clearance, meaning all materials would be delivered, and all waste had to be moved, not only down 9 stories but also across the rather large underground parking lot and outside the building.

The main two concerns were fire rating and project logistics of materials handling.

A1 Fire Rated Decking

In the post-Grenfell Tower era, Fire Ratings matter. They always should have, but most people ignored them primarily in an effort to reduce costs.Currently, if your project is over a certain height from the ground, it must have an A1 Fire Rating for both the decking, the framing, and the pedastals or supports. The only materials which achieve this rating are Steel, Stone, and Fibre Cement. No timber or composite decking or cladding has an A1 Fire Rating.

The client still wanted a Deck-like appearance, so Porcelain Planks is what we proposed with an Alumimium Subframe. Aluminium decking boards was also a compliant option, however we did not see anything visually appealing, and for this type of property, appearance matters.

Materials Handling and Deliveries/Removals

This was a question of labour. Scaffolding was not an option, and it is too high for cranes, so it meant manually shifting 360 porcelain planks at 15kg each up to the 9th floor in small batches. Same with the much lighter Aluminium Framing all of which was too long to fit into the elevator so each joist had to be cut to fit the elevator, then reconnected into its former length once upstairs. Also, all of the old decking waste had to be bagged and taken down the same way.

Porcelain Decking

We have been watching the market for A1 Fire Rated decking products from different manufacturers of Steel decking but have never found one which looks like it would fit into the properties of our clientele. The appearance of steel decking is industrial, walking on the boards is noisy, and it gets very hot underfoot.

Clients in upper floor flats in Nine Elms, Chelsea, and Battersea and the surrounding areas prefer something a bit more refined and have a certain style expectation, specifically that their interior flooring style is extended outside to their terrace or balcony.

Porcelain is a different story than steel decking as the appearance is consistent with what they already have in their kitchens and bathrooms, but a porcelain decking board, or plank, with a woodgrain finish is the best of both worlds.

Go back to other options for Oilcanfinish Balconies

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This Composite Decking project in West Hampstead NW6 included the installation of Trex Composite Decking. Oilcanfinish also built a custom balcony and staircase using Composite decking in combination with Hardwood Ballustrades and Posts. We also cladded the sides of the staircase, making the area under the stairs a storage shed to to provide usable storage space, always a premium in London gardens.

The Bespoke Hardwood Ballustrades were also manufactured and installed by Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

The client was looking for a low maintenance option which blended over time with its natural surroundings. All timber turns silvers over time due to UV Light from the sun. Matching this silvered timber with a low maintenance composite decking colour is easy with Trex as they have 2-3 board options from their Signature, Transcend Lineage, and Enhance Naturals ranges designed specifically to maych this colour.

Decking Products selected

The client selected Trex Transcend Lineage composite decking in the colour Biscayne for their Upper Balcony and Staircase. 

For the lower level decking, the client selected Trex Enhance Naturals composite decking in the colour Toasted Sand. 

For the Ballustrades, the client selected a tropical hardwood, we installed Sapelle Posts, Handrail and Baserails, and Spindles.

Over time, UV Light will turn the ballustrades silver making them a perfect match with the Trex Lineage Biscayne decking.

Framing & Simpsons Strong Tie

We have a set system for installing balconies based on strict building standards in North West USA which are more specific than the UK. It specifically enhanced the Post and Bearer sections of the build. Our posts do not go into the ground, they go onto a freshly poured concrete footing and are attached with Simpson Strong Tie Post Shoes which elevate the post off the concrete pad to allow water to drain off. This increases the length of service for the post. 

The second element is to rest our double bearers on top of the posts to force the weight transfer down the length of the post to the concrete pad. To do this we notch the top of our posts to slot in our double bearers. Side mounted framing timber (screwed or bolted to the side of the posts) forces the weight onto the screw itself, not down the post. If you screw fails, the whole project fails. No side mounted bearers are permitted.

So no posts installed into the ground, and all posts and bearers are connected to the frame using Simpson Strong Tie steel structural brackets and post shoes.

Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living are TrexPro Platinum level installers, the highest level within the Trex Approved Installer program.

Visit our main Balcony & Terrace Decking Page for more case studies.

Visit Trex UK for more decking ideas

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The brief for this project was the design and installation of a walk out deck which required robust framing to accommodate the severe sloping garden, in some cases the new deck would be nearly 2 mts from the ground level. Decking is the ideal option for Guildford and the Surrey Hills due to the elevation changes in most gardens in the region. Porcelain Paving is always popular however the backfill and retainer walling needed to support the paving is often far too extensive.

There had been an old timber decking wrapping around the house however it was no longer safe so it had been removed prior to our arrival.

The property slopes significantly down from the house.

Composite Decking Boards | Trex Lineage Biscayne WPC

Their are numerous options in the UK for composite decking. It is very important to select your products carefully and choose a brand which has been in business for as long as the warranty they offer, has a significant UK presence in case you ever do need to follow up with them, and manufacture in a way which is ecologically and ethically sound. We always recommend decking manufactured in the USA or Europe to ensure the manufacturing, and not just the product sales and distribution, are protected by policies like the Modern Slavery Act.

Our clients selected Trex Transcend Lineage in Biscayne. This premium decking is made in the USA and is a wood plastic composite which is rot free and will not splinter, warp. It is comes with a Fade and Stain Warranty.

Decking Contractor Substructure | Footings & Bearers

One of the most important aspects for areas like Guildford and the Surrey Hills, where you find sloping gardens like this one, is to ensure the decking is fully supported structurally. This is where employing a professional Decking Contractor becomes more important. Oilcanfinish specialise in this type of extensive structural supports. For this project we installed 15 Concrete footings reinforced with Steel Rebar. Our structural supports sit on top of those footings, lifted off the footing using a Simpson Strong Tie Galvanised Steel Post Shoe. This prevents water from pooling at bottom of the post meaning it doesn’t rot prematurely the way most posts do.

On top of our posts, we notch out an opening for two C24 Structural Bearers bolted together. We have 4 rows of these Bearers supporting the entire structure.

The we built out frame on top of these 3 bearer rows. The frame is also C24 Structurally Rated timber treated to Use Class 4, the strongest rating available for Residential installs. Use Class 4 Timber has the highest rating for Preservative treatment for Residential installs meaning it is highly resistant to Wood Rot and Insect attack.

To further protect the frame we top all of our Joists with Trex Protect Joist Capping Tape. This is a butyl based tape which forms a waterproof seal around the screws, preventing water from travelling down the decking screw into the centre of the timber joist. This is again to prevent wood rot.

Lastly all of our timber cuts are treated with Barretines Cut End Preserver to protect the ends where we have cut the timber to size.

Building a premium deck is expensive and you want it to last as long as possible before having to redo all of the work. A significant amount of planning goes into making sure our decks are both structurally sound, compliant, and will last as long as possible providing the homeowner with the best return on their investment.

Visit our main Balcony & Terrace Decking Page for more case studies.

Visit Trex UK for more decking ideas.

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The client wanted decking which was smooth without any sharp edges. They both are very busy so the idea of spending significant amounts of time cleaning and maintaining the deck was not an option. Also, one of the considerations was the time and disruption a new deck installation entails, specifically as with Balconies everything has to go through the flat

We put down our flooring protection, cut up the old deck, bagged it, and carries it out. The bagging is essential to avoid leaving a trail of dust, dirt, and wood shavings behind.

The new deck frame was measured out, and we cut the timbers prior to bringing through the property. This means a more rapid install but equally important, a quieter one to avoid disruption to the neighbors. We co-ordinated our materials delivery with the property concierge to ensure we stayed well out of the way of the other tenants.

We installed Trex Transcend Lineage decking in their Biscayne colour. This decking is a wood and plastic composite and comes with a 50 year guarantee. It is splinter free, very easy to clean, and features a cooler to the touch capping on the board, making it more friendly for bare feet.

The design was a picture frame with breaker boards separating the sections for a clean, contemporary finish. The colours of these boards shifts and changes slightly as the sun hits them, giving them a very natural appearance, natural with all the benefits of composite.

It was difficult to leave this job, the views across South-West London are superb with the Glass Ballustrades.

Visit our main Balcony & Terrace Decking Page for more case studies.

Visit Trex UK for more decking ideas.

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This is a larger project where we have been contracted to remove the existing decking and frame completely, and build Millboard balcony decking including new footings, posts, bearers, frame as well as installing the Millboard Decking, Frameless Glass Ballustrades, and Staircase to the Garden. The project is in Wimbledon SW20.

Phase 2, Day 10 | Millboard Decking Installation & Picture Frame

Phase 2, Day 5 | Framing

Phase 2, Day 3 | Decking Wall Plates

The run of very good weather is permitting some very strong daily progress on this project.

Phase 2, Day 2 | 15 Aug 2023 | Decking Frame Posts and Bearers

Phase 2, Day 1 | 14 Aug 2023 | Deck Frame Posts and Bearers

Phase 1 Update | Footings

Phase 1 included removal of the old decking, clearing the area, digging our new concrete footings and pouring them.

We did see something rare when removing this deck. 9 of the Joists actually ran inside the back wall of the house and were sitting on/within the wall using the brickwork as supports. So this required some careful removal followed by repairs to the holes they left behind once removed.

Phase 1 Start

This is the original deck we are replacing. It is an unusual layout and as their are now 2 sets of doors leading to it, versus the original single set of doors, the old layout doesn’t work anymore. That and wood rot are the reason we are here.

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