The goal was to expand the upper area to provide a more functional outdoor seating area for this foodie family. It quickly grew arms and legs with a vastly superior staircase, glass and stainless steel ballustrade, refinishing their exterior Larch cladding, doors, and windows, installing Jacksons Fencing in the front garden fencing, and that’s just from us. Another great group of landscapers redid the rest of the lower garden with a new path, rotivating and returfing, a new shed, and more.

Decking Frame & Bearers

We extended the existing decking outwards into the garden. This Yellow Balau Hardwood Decking Installation required adding new joists, bearers, and a new run of posts to support the leading edge. For this job we used 6 Millboard Composite Posts and Jacksons Fencing Decking Joists and Bearers.

Hardwood Decking and Staircase Installation

We used smooth Yellow Balau Hardwood Decking to match the existing decking. In a short amount of time the colours of the old and the new will match perfectly. We created a herringbone pattern where the old and the new decking boards met to make the transition a feature versus trying to hide the joint.

The Staircase was custom built with three bespoke stringers made on site. The previous staircase was running parallel to the rear of the house, we extended it directly out into the side of the garden.

Glass Ballustrade Installation with Stainless Steel Posts and Handrail

The Glass Ballustrade and Stainless Steel posts and Handrail are from Q-Railing, supplied by oue good friends at Arbordeck. The Glass Ballustrade is the main feature of this deck project now as it provides a continuous view from the Kitchen and Dining Area out to the rear of this garden. It no longer feels like several separate areas, which was always the goal. More information on Arbordeck Railings is available here https://www.arbordeck.co.uk/railing/

Get in touch

Please email enquiry@oilcanfinish.com to schedule a visit to discuss your project.

The post Hardwood Decking Installation in Kingston Upon Thames KT2 appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

As a consumer, one of the main issues is a lack of information of which product to use combined with a lack of clarity on product packaging regarding levels of corrosion resistance, suitable installation use, and usable life.

Issues using incorrect fixings

Corredere (latin) Corrosion, for Fixings the oxidisation of iron causes rusting.

These are the 4 main types you will need to be aware of when planning your garden construction, whether it is a Garden Building, Decking, Pergola, Fencing, Seating or Garden Furniture, or whatever else it is you are building.

1. Armosperic Corrosion, the main causes are when the iron in metal is exposed to too much moisture (water) or oxygen Metal corrodes when it reacts with another substance such as oxygen, hydrogen, an electrical current or even dirt and bacteria.
2. Chemical (Dry) Corrosion occurs on a location where a given metal is under stress or isolated from air circulation. It occurs whenever a gas or liquid chemically attacks an exposed surface, often a metal, and is accelerated by warm temperatures and by acids and salts. This includes Galvanic (Bimettalic) Corrosion, when 2 dissimilar metals are immersed in conductive solution together. Avoid by separating materials, use the same materials, coating both materials, installing a sacrificial anode.
3. Contact corrosion, metals of different types are in contact with eachother (A2 and Galvanised for example)
4. Extranneous Rust comes when objects that rust coming into contact with stainless steel. This includes using tools which have previously been used with Carbon Steel which are then used on stainless steel leaving some carbon behind (such as Impact Driver Bits), sparks when using an angle grinder, or water containing rust dripping onto stainless steel.

So, what products are out there? Which products should you buy?

Stainless Steel A2 and A4

• A2 304 Stainless Steel – interior and exterior uses, kitchens and bathrooms, humid areas, high chrome content
• A4 316 Stainless Steel, marine grade, – interior and exterior use near salt water in coastal areas, high chrome content
• Recommendation: There are very situations where A4 is required, unless you live near the sea (or near a chemical factory)

Hot Dipped Galvanised vs Electroplated Galvanised

• Galvanised via Hot Dipped treatment (zinc with galvanised coating) exterior use
• Galvanised via electeoplating (bright, shiny, zinc yellow passivated) bad for Redwoods, Spruce, Treated Timber leaving black marks around screw head leading to rust. These are recommended for interior use, not in bathrooms or kitchens.
• Recommendation: Do not use Electroplated screws for exterior installations. They will rust very quickly.

Ruspert/Silverised vs Painted/Plastic Coated

• Ruspert (trademarked brand), Silverised exterior use
• Painted or Plastic Coated Carbon Steel (!) Carbon steel does not have enough chromium to form a chromium oxide layer. This allows oxygen to bond with the iron in carbon, resulting in iron oxide, or rust.
  • The impact driver bit you use to install them will scratch off the exterior paint or plastic coating and the carbon will be exposed seconds after install them… Just don’t use them. 
  • You will find boxes of 2500 Coated Carbon Steel Decking Screws for £20.00, keep shopping. Note this is a popular screw choice due to its price, it results in lower decking installation quotes. The rust formed on these screws will increase the breakdown of the wood at the cut ends, we see this weekly. Generally the screws are Green or Brown. When removed the entire thread is covered in rust which destroyed the wood around it, specifically Redwood Decking.
• Recommendation: For tasks such as wood to wood structural fixings look for treatments such as Ruspert, Silverised, C2 (Timco), or Wirox (Spax).

Applications & Head Types: Choosing the correct screws for decking and outdoor projects

Here are the screws we use for Cladding & Fencing & Decking projects:

• Nails
  • Cladding & Slat Fencing – Lost head nails
  • Featheredge Fencing – Clipped head or Round head nails
    • The issue with lost head is also its advantage. Lost heads are tapped down so they are almost invisible while clipped or round head have a small round circle which is visible. The round head pulls the cladding towards the support batten, the lost head does not. Style-wise the increased demand for hidden fixings does slightly reduce the force holding the cladding in place
  • Nail Shank – ring shank for added holding ability, less nail movement
  • Nail Material – stainless steel or hot dipped galvanised, we use stainless steel wherever possible

• Screws
  • Cladding – Spax Stainless Steel Fassade installed with a Wera Stainless Steel driver bit
  • Fencing – Jacksons Fencing Screws for Timber Fencing
  • Decking projects – Trex Decking and Millboard decking have their own screws which we use. We also use these screws for Hardwood Decking Projects

Here are the screws we use for Structural Projects such as Pergolas, Carports, Decking Projects:

This is where load bearing is the most important aspect for safety and durability reasons. We use Spax High Force Washer Head or TIMco A4 Stainless Index Screws depending on how exposed the screw head will be to water (TIMco A4 for high, direct exposure, Spax for indirect exposure). We find the Spax screws visibly pull the materials together.

Installation Notes

• SS is Non-hardened so easier to strip the heads, go slow, do it once, then leave it. Especially with Pan Head screws.  Removing and reinstalling the screws is a mistake.
• Don’t use impact drivers unless on very low vibration settings with brand new, clean bits which are made of the same materials being installed. High vibration tools make small cuts in the  protective coating on the screw or bolt right at the head which is especially damaging on applications which are horizontal (decking) where the screw head will “catch and hold” water.
• Extranneous Rust – We use Stainless Steel driver bits to prevent extranneous rust getting onto our Screws. This is when a small amount of rust on the bit gets onto the screw when installed. It also comes from wrenches, pliers, sockets, and spanners. Use stainless tools for stainless fixings.

Other Treatments to be aware of:

Re-galvanising Spray 

If you are cutting galvanised brackets, door latches, etc… First remember this gives off poisonous fumes so wear the correct mask, do it outdoors, and use a hand saw vs an angle grinder or cut off saw. Second, file down the burrs and then respray the cut end with re-galvanising spray. You can get this is a small spray can from most tool and material suppliers, I got mine from Screwfix. Watch your overspray and let it dry before installing.

Lithium Grease

Spraying exterior metal with a Lithium Grease, such as WD-40 White Lithium Grease will not only keep moving parts lubricated but also protect it against rust. Handy for garden tools as well. Again, a small spray can with nozzle from Screwfix will last you a long time.

Powdercoating

This is something you cant do at home. Powdercoating is a method of painting which results in a consistent, strong, protective finish to metal. You often find this used as a finish for Car Parts  or in our case, Exterior Brackets for Fencing, Pergolas, Sleeper Beds and it provides an additional layer of protection to the Galvanised product underneath. You can find specialist companies which will Powder Coat your steel products. Powdercoating is not an alternative to galvanising, but an enhancement to it.

Painting

There are several paints which are specifically designed for steel. Zinnser, Andura, and Hammerite being some examples. Automotive and Marine Grade paints are ideal. These do not last as long as they used to, probably with the removal of hardful ingredients we used to all ignore. Ensure what you are painting is as clean as it can be, free of any flakes or peeling. Use a sander/polisher to fully clean out any pitted areas and paint your object in a clean dry area free from dust. Remember the work area has to remain clean, dry, and free of dust until the paint has set. Car Bodyshops used to spray water on the floor prior to painting to keep dust down, not sure if they still do, but thats what I do.

Resources and Links

British Stainless Steel Association https://bssa.org.uk/

Exterior Screws, Bolts, and Nails

Spax https://www.spax.com/uk/

Timco https://timco.co.uk/

Jacksons Fencing https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/

Stainless Steel Tools & Exterior Brackets

Wera https://www-de.wera.de/en/

S3i https://www.s3i.co.uk/

Simpson Strong Tie https://www.strongtie.co.uk/

The post How to choose the correct screws for decking and outdoor projects appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

The clients decided on a double picture frame layout with one wide step across the entire width.

The frame was build with Use Class 4 treated softwood timber, with Walther Strong Decking Tape to protext the top of the timber. The decking tape resolves a typical weakpoint on softwood decking frames. Water drips down from the decking and sits in the shade, on the joists between the decking boards. This moisture build up in a shaded area leads to moss and algea growth and is the first point of deterioration on a deck frame. So we taped it, so the water sits on the decking tape, then evaporates naturally without sitting on the timber at all. The tape is designed to seal around the screws to prevent moisture getting in through those holes.

The bearers under the timber frame was a combination of aluminium and composite bearers and posts. There is no wood in contact with the ground as this is another weak point in the majority of decking installations. The wood in contact with the ground gets dirty and wet. This leads to wood rot which travels upo the supports to the decking itself.. Without any wood in contact with the ground this does not occur.

For screws we used Stainless Steel decking screws, all with a corresponding pilot hole drilled to avoid the wood splitting or cracking.

Quality Garden Decking lasts longer and looks superior

Whereas budget garden decking lasts a very short amount of time and looks inferior. Unlodess you have firm plans to replace the decking area in the next 10 years, choose your materials carefully and remember replacing the decking twice over 20 years means paying for waste removal twice and installation twice as well as the material cost.

In the end, this decking frame will last 25 Years without maintenance. The Yellow Balau Decking Boards will last in excess of 40 years provided they are oiled to prevent the wood cracking. Yellow Balau is naturally resistant to wood rot and wood boring insects, as are most hardwoods, so that will not be an issue.

The investment in quality materials and planning is a larger upfront cost, however almost any softwood decking would need to be replaced 2-3 times to last as long, and no softwood decking will ever look as good as this does.

Yellow Balau Decking from Champion Timber

Decking Frame Composite and Aluminium Bearers from Millboard

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