Millboard Enhanced Grain Decking

The clients selected Millboard Enhanced Grain Antique Oak decking.

The edging detail by the end of the deck and step was done with Millboard Bullnose boards to provide the professional finish.

Millboard Feature Wall

Once completed, rather than replace the Trellis beside the doors, the clients agreed to a Millboard Feature Wall. This was a combination of Millboard Envello Cladding, Bullnose Board for the top, and Fascia Board for the side to hide the framing.

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This garden project was nearly complete redo. The old garden had been designed well, with Decking coming out from the kitchen extention, 2 brick planter beds Framing the Decking steps, and then paving going to the back area where there was a shed on a concrete slab. The main issue was the Bamboo had taken over significant parts of the garden making most of the space unusable, the Decking frame was rotted out and unsafe, and the rendering on the brick Planters was cracked and broken off in sections.

The first part of the project was to remove the old decking, and install their new fencing and rear gate. For the Fencing the clients selected Jacksons Fencing in Featheredge Panels with a matching Jacksons Fencing Gate.

During the fencing build the clients decided to have all of the Bamboo removed, This is a significant task so a specialist company came in to dig this out. The Bamboo had grown under the concrete pad of the shed so the shed and concrete was also removed.Once this was done they also replaced their rear doors with new bi-fold doors, then a rendering specialist came back and did the rear wall and re-rendered the 2 raised beds.Then it was back to us to build the new decking frame.

For the Decking Frame we used Jacksons Fencing Decking Joists with their 25 Year Service Life Guarantee. The frame was supported by 3 rows of Bearers set onto notched composite Posts cemented into the ground. All Joists were taped using Walther Strong Joist Tape to protect the tops of the Joists from excess water damage. Finally we added our Landscaping Fabric and Gravel to prevent weed growth under the deck.

For the Decking the clients chose the always stylish Millboard Enhanced Grain Decking boards with Bullnose Boards for the exterior border and leading edge of the steps. They selected Ashwood, one of Millboard new colours introduced in 2024.

Explore the Jacksons Fencing Range here: www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk

Explore the Millboard Enhanced Grain Decking Range here: https://www.millboard.com/en-gb/composite-decking-collections/enhanced-grain/antique-oak

Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living are premium decking and fencing contractors based in Wimbledon SW19. We are Jacksons Fencing Approved Installers and Millboard Approved Installers. Get in touch to plan your next project at enquiry@oilcanfinish.com

Want to see some of our other projects? Click here.

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There was an old timber deck in position which had seen better days. The plan was to install a low maintenance deck, in almost an identical position to the previous Decking, lowering it by approximately 15cm to incorporate one more row of the paving steps coming down from the back patio.

The main reason the old decking had failed was the frame, it was timber, it had an out of date support method which relied fully on the connecting screws bearing all of the weight, and the joists were too far apart. All timber frames will eventually rot on low level decks in the UK, it is just a question of how long it will take.

To avoid those occurring again, the clients opted for a composite frame which is rot free, This frame was set onto several rows of composite bearers, which were seated on composite posts cemented into the ground.

The decking itself is Millboard Enhanced Grain Decking in their Golden Oak colour. This gives a light, natural looking finish which is easy to clean, has very high slip resistance, and comes with a 25 year warranty,

When you combine Millboard Composite decking Boards with a Millboard composite frame the result is a lasting installation which they will be enjoying for decades,

Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living are Millboard Approved Installers. We have all gone through Millboards training program and our projects are inspected on a regular basis to ensure we continue to meet or exceed Millboard installation techniques.

Visit www.Millboard.co.uk for more information on their Decking and Cladding products and order samples.

View our main decking information here.

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The new deck was raised up so that the deck was level with the garage door drip trays and also extended about 30cm further into the garden. These two changes required an additional step. 

We also added new deck lighting to increase the visibility of the steps on this High traffic area.

Millboard Enhanced Grain Decking in Lastagrip

The clients specified Millboard Decking for its appearance and low maintenance requirements. They Enhanced this by selecting Lastagrip due to its enhanced slip resistance underfoot. 

Timber Decking Joists with a 25 Year Guarantee

The Framing is made from Use Class 4 Timber joists from Jacksons Fencing which come with their own 25 year service life guarantee. This is the only timber available in the UK which comes with a guarantee from the manufacturer, which is why we always recommend it. To enhance this timbers resilience we taped the top of the Joists with Decking Tape.

All materials for this project come with a 25 Year Guarantee right down to the Timber Decking Joists. We always try to extend the life of deck projects as it is very rare when premium Decking Boards fail but very common for timber frames

Millboard PlasPro Composite Posts

The frame is elevated off the ground with Millboard PlasPro 100x100mm Composite Posts. These posts are not susceptible to rot in any way. The deck is a platform, unconnected to the building itself with a small 4mm cavity between the building drip tray and the decking and Frame allowing rain water to pass by the decking Boards and frame preventing water from standing on the decking Joists closest to the building, where they often fail prematurely.

Jacksons Fencing Wheelie Bin Store

For the Recycling Bins, we built two Double Wheelie Bin Stores, also from Jacksons Fencing. These timber storage units have doors which open from the front for removal, and also the top for adding waste into the bins. 

Explore the Millboard range

Explore the Oilcanfinish Decking Range

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The previous wood plastic composite decking had been installed without any expansion gaps and was made using low quality decking. When low quality decking is manufactured it has the incorrect balance between wood and plastic and also low quality wood and plastic, meaning it shrinks and expands as seasonal temperatures change.

The client selected Millboard Smoked Oak for their flooring. Millboard Decking has one of the lowest expansion rates available in the UK, meaning it maintains its dimensions regardless of the weather.

We added lighting and boxed in the Olive Tree to ensure the soil stays in place.

Millboard Enhanced Grain Smoked Oak Decking

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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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The alternatives to timber decking frames, such as composite decking frames or aluminium decking frames, will always outlast softwood timber, however composite frames can warp over time in with high temperature fluctuations, and aluminium is expensive.

So let’s say the project you are working on has a Timber Decking Frame budget, but you keep hearing about how they all rot after 10 years, or you have seen this first hand in your own back yard. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can build a Timber Decking Frame which will last over 20 years for a small increase in price, not nearly as much as upgrading the whole decking frame to composite or plastic joists, or aluminium.

The main difference is in the materials which are used and how they are installed. This is also what makes an Oilcanfinish Timber Decking Frames different from others.

If any of the 6 key items listed below are substituted for inferior products, they can result in the entire frame needing to be replaced within 20 years of installation, in some cases within 10 years of installation. If the recommendations we follow in our Best Practice for building Timber Decking Frames is followed, you can greatly extend the life and strength of your decking project.

If some aspect of the decking frame fails, it means the entire cost of the decking has to be paid twice over the course of 20 years (waste removal, installation charges, framing timber, structural screws, and possibly some or all of the decking).

Above example based on a 6mt wide x 3mt deep (18 Square Metre) decking installation onto the back of a Terraced House using 50×150 Decking Joists and Trex Enhance Naturals Decking Boards with hidden fixings) maximising Decking Board usage without complex patterns. Prices correct as of February 2023.

Top 6 Reasons why an Oilcanfinish Timber Decking Frame is better

1. We only use Use Class 4 Timber
2. We tape our Decking Joists
3. We only use Exterior Rated Structural Screws and Bolts and End Grain Preservative.
4. We ensure our Joists off the ground
5. We pour our own concrete post footings and use Post Stand Offs.
6. We use Stainless Steel Wall Bolts with Resin Fixings

Why do we only use Use Class 4 Timber for our Decking Frames?

All timber has a Use Class Rating, from 1-5, as per British Standard EN 355-1:2006 which outlines Durability of wood and wood-based products.

Use Class 1 & Use Class 2: Internal use which is kept dry. Use Class 2 for slight risk of moisture or insect attack.

Use Class 3 : External use which is kept above ground and is coated or uncoated, such as Cladding or Fence Rails

Use Class 4: External use which has direct soil or water contact, such as fence posts or decking which is sunk into the ground.

Use Class 5: External use which will be in regular or constant contact with the ground or water, such as marine piling.

Pressure Treated Timber for sale in most Builders and Timber Merchants is Use Class 3. Use Class 4 Timber is very uncommon. In my area of South West London I have 1 local independent supplier who stocks Use Class 4 Framing Timber, in 1 size (150mm x 50mm x 4.8mt), which is Champion Timber. Our other 2 suppliers of Use Class 4 Timber are based outside of London. This is how rare it is to find it. If the merchant does not know if their Timber is Use Class 3 or 4, always consider it Use Class 3. Use Class 4 Timber is always clearly advertised as it commands a premium price.

Due to the nature of how decking is built, a void is created between the decking and the ground with limited airflow and circulation. Moisture rises from the ground into this void and creates a humid environment, especially in the UK. Oilcanfinish treat the humid void underneath decking as a Use Class 4 environment.

There are a lot of installers who will use Use Class 3 Timber, and that’s fine for them, but not for us. We want your Decking to be protected and last as long as we possibly can and if we can squeeze out an extra 5-7 years usable life span it is a significant cost savings over time.

Note this is completely different from Structural Timber Ratings (C16 or C24 or unrated) and also separate from Durability Ratings, also classed 1-5 confusingly.

Why do we use Decking Joist Tape on our Decking Frames?

Water Beading on Joist Tape

Decking Joist Tape provides 2 main advantages:

1. Water which does not run down the sides of the joists beads on the tape (as in the photo). Then it evaporates naturally. What it doesnt do is absorb into the top of the wood.
2. As the screws go down through the tape into the timber decking joist, the tape seals around the screw preventing water from travelling down the screw thread into the centre of the wood.

The tops of the joists, specifically between the decking boards, and the centre of the joists are two places where most decking frames start to initially rot and deteriorate.

We use Trex Protect Joist Tape or Walther Strong Joist Tape.

Why do we only use Exterior Rated Structural Screws and Bolts on our Decking Frames?

We regularly remove old decking frames prior to starting our work. The points where the old decking has failed are always the same, the timber joists have rotted out in all the same places. Sometimes the frames are so weak we do not even need a pry bar to take them apart, we can pull them apart with our hands.

The Bolts used to assemble your decking frame matter. If they are not rated for exterior use and also classed as structural, several problems can occur.

The screws will break. There is a big difference between structural screws and standard screws, there is also a big difference between nails and screws. Nails will bend but rarely break. Screws will break if they are not fit for purpose. Structural Screws will not break provided they have been installed at the correct frequency and in the correct locations. What you are looking for is screws which conform to BS EN 14592:2008+A1:2012 for fixings intended for load bearing structures and in the UK you can start with Carpenters Mate.

The screws will rust. If the screws rust prematurely, the rust will negatively affect the wood it is supposed to be holding in place and instead weaken the wood around the screw, resulting in the exact opposite result which was intended.

At a minimum, your structural screws should have either a Hex Head or Washer Head to pull the two pieces of timber together. Standard Countersunk screws will not do the job. The structural screws we use are either 6.7mm width or 8mm width.

Why do we ensure our Decking Joists and Frames are off the ground

Elevated Decking Frame to allow Airflow & prevent Wood Rot

There are several reasons why your decking frame needs to be off the ground.

Airflow. Your decking frame will get wet, from both rain and humidity. It does need time to occassionally dry, as much as is possible in the UK. Airflow under the decking and through the frame allows the timber to fully dry. You do not want it turning into a sauna down there as moisture will keep coming out of the ground.

Wood Rot. You want some separation between damp soil and earth and your timber decking frame. Soil is always damp and will cause the timber to rot prematurely, regardless of what Use Class rating the Timber has. Use Class 4 timber will last longer, but will still eventually rot, just not as quickly as other timbers.

Why do we pour our own new Decking Post footings?

When we pour our own footings we know exactly how deep they are, what mix has been used of Cement and Ballast, and what the footing pours are sitting on. We have removed footings which are only a few cm thickness and we have seen posts set into concrete or postcrete. Often these posts are going through the cement and sitting onto the soil or clay underneath meaning they can move over time. We set our posts onto the tops of the footings we pour, using Post Shoes to keep the bottoms of the posts off the ground. Posts in contact with the ground and soil are a weak point in a decking frame.

Posts should always be separated from the ground and should be installed using a Post Stand Off, which is a Galvanised Steel Shoe which keeps the post a few cm off the ground to allow water to run off the post, down the shoe to the ground, preventing water from gathering at the base of your post and causiong premature rot. See Simpson Strong-Tie Post Stand-Off for examples of these.

Why do we only use Stainless Steel Wall Bolts with Resin Fixings for our Decking Frames?

Stainless Steel Wall Bolts do not rust. We combine these with Stainless Steel Washers and Nuts. The alternative materials available, such as BZP Steel or Zinc Passivated, will rust over time in an exterior environment, regardless of what it says on the packaging.

There are numerous types of bolts which are faster to install, or supposedly stronger, such as Concrete Bolts which are threaded and bite into the material they are being installed into. Other options include Wall Plugs, Steel Threaded screws which have a plastic insert and Shield Anchors with steel wall inserts. All of these items require the fixing to expand into the material around it and bite into, or grab into the material. As we are working in the UK, most of the time we are attaching the Decking Wall Plates, or Ledger Boards, onto Brick walls.

We do not want to expand into either soft bricks or into Engineering bricks, as the bricks will, over time, crack and break apart. We use Resin as it forms a bond with the brickwork without the need for anything to bite into the brick work. The Resin also seals around the hole to prevent water ingress through the sides of the screw or anchor into your home.

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Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living are Millboard Approved Installers. We install Millboard Decking, Cladding, PlasPro Composite Decking Frames, and Duospan Aluminium Decking Frames.

How we build Decking Frames

The frame had began to rot and after 12 years was no longer supporting the Decking. On removal we found it was primarily made of Use Class 3 Timber Joists and Supports made up of 50x100mm Softwood. Use Class 3 Timber is not designed for contact with the ground. Most Decking frames we remove are made of this and they rot and become instable somewhere between 8-12 years after installation.

The new Frame was made with 50×150 Use Class 4 Joists with a C24 Structural Rating. Use Class 4 means the wood has been treated for constant contact with the ground, which is why it is the minimum material we install for Decking Frames.

As always, our frames are built with Spax Washer Head 8mm x 100mm screws for maximum strength.

The Decking frame was then taped with Joist Protection tape to ensure 1. water resting on the joists evaporates versus soaking into the wood and 2. The tape seals around the Decking Screws as they pass out of the bottom of the Decking Boards into the Joists specifically to prevent water from entering the screw holes and damaging the joists prematurely.

Decking Bearers & Support Posts: C24 50×150 Softwood Timber treated to Use Class 4 

We also added 5 rows of C24 Taped Bearers to fully support the Decking. Two of these bearers are bolted to the side of the house using M12 Stainless Steel Threaded Rod sections Resin Bonded into the brick work. Resin bonds prevent water from accessing the holes into the brickwork and form a very strong bond with the bricks versus using concrete screws which crack into the brick, especially engineering bricks, or sleeved bolts which have a habit of working themselves free over time. The Stainless Steel Threaded Rods are finished with Stainless Steel Washers and Nuts.

Lastly, the support posts for the frame are Jacksons Fencing 92x92mm Square Posts which are trimmed down into the shape of a chair. The joists rest on the seat of the chair. This fully supports the weight of the Decking onto a material which is also Use Class 4 and comes with a 25 Year Service Life Guarantee. These Joist Supports are also taped for the same reasons mentioned above.

Decking: Millboard Enhanced Grain Coppered Oak

The client selected Millboard Enhanced Grain decking boards in Coppered Oak colour. Enhanced Grain Decking boards are a bit wider than most available Decking boards at 176mm width making them look more like interior timber flooring.

Millboard Decking is a wood free product, and, due to its unique construction it can be installed closer together than most Hardwood or Composite Decking boards as it expands and contracts less. This means smaller gaps between the boards and closer fitting mitred corners.

The colour selection was heavily related to the flooring in the house. The level of the Decking is a perfect match with the house flooring meaning seamless inside / outside flooring.

Recessed Decking Lighting, sockets, and water supply 

There were two  60mm wide recessed lights on either side of the Upper Level of Decking, five recessed lights on the step fascias, 1 Electrical Outlet on the step Fascia, 1 Water Supply hose and Tap on the lower Fascia, and 3 access panels built on the Upper Deck for wiring and socket access. As always, we did the hole recesses and let the electrician handle the wiring.

Get in touch if you are looking at Millboard Decking in our area. We generally cover a radius of 7 km from Kingston Upon Thames which includes Wimbledon, Surbiton, Teddington, Hampton, Twickenham, and Richmond

Explore the Millboard Range here at https://millboard.co.uk/ Contact Oilcanfinsh Outdoor Living today to schedule your site visit and free quote here.

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