NORTHERN BEACHES of Sydney & parts of North Shore

The pictures and links below show photos of specific areas of expertise to demonstrate our well honed skills. On this page we discuss the pros and cons of different types of decks then showcase a number of decks Handy Work has built.

Handy Work is multi-skilled in virtually all areas of property, building & carpentry improvements.
No matter whether it is new work, modifications or repairs. Get us to fix everything you need done in one go. You don’t have to hang around day after day, waiting for multiple trades, who may or may not turn up.

Call Bruce on 0418-264 649 or click 'Contact' to ask your question
and we’ll call you.

Taking the hassle out of your property improvements.

Handy Work - Just one call for all your property work… Done !

Several recent 'Before and After' pictorial displays for different types of new and replaced decks are below.

New and replacement decks

In Australia we seem to have a love affair with decks.  In many cases the additional height off the ground seems to enhance the human experience. Patios, while lovely don't always seem to inspire the same feeling of being in command of your special place in your own "castle" like emotional environment.

What our decks are made from is a real issue for debate.  Timber decks look great, have the most natural look and are a fantastically warming place to sit and relax or entertain on.  Composite or plastic decking is easier to maintain. In the past only the most expensive composite varieties looked at all real , although I have recently installed several composite decks which were not too expensive and the faster installation means it would be a cheaper installation all round.  Some are solid right through. Others are extruded hollow.  Not all do look good.  The cheaper ones look, well...... plastic. And the ones which perform the worst seem to be the hollow forms.  Composite Decks will gain greater and greater market share as the look improves.  the prime and real benefit is the lack of maintenance. The downside is not everyone will like the look, many will, it tends to retain more heat from the sun and the boards cannot be end drilled if the hollow type.

For those who prefer the warmer, natural look of timber, there is then the question of which timber species to select.

Treated Pine resists rot and termite damage but the surface cracks very quickly. For this reason it is rarely used in new decks these days.

Merbau is an imported hardwood with a rich red/brown colour and is relatively cheap to buy but it is rich in tannin which leaches out.  So you need to be careful where you put it, in case it permanently stains nearby concrete or lighter materials in the path of rain run off.

Local hardwoods like spotted gum, brushbox and tallowood to name a few, also leach tannin but a little less than merbau.  They come in either fairly uniform colours for some species, or with other species the colour naturally varies from one piece you pick up and is different on the next.

Call Bruce on 0418 26 46 49 or use the Form at 'Contact' in the menu above, to get his advice as to what options are best for your specific needs and the architectural environment you live in.

Recent Decking Projects:

New Bridge & Pool Deck with handrails all round - Frenchs Forest

This is an extremely steep site up in the trees. The only thing that made the property livable outside was the large deck built over 20 years ago. Of course the handrails were now floppy and unsafe. Not a great prospect when almost 10m above the rocky ground below and made more critical as a disabled stroke victim lived and loved the deck environment. Handy Work sent in two of its best carpenters to replace all handrails, to demolish a substandard bridge deck, build a new bridge deck and to build a feature deck and wall feature at the side of the pool.

Deck repairs and rejuvenating decks

Natural timber decks look wonderful when new and keep much of their luxurious appeal if maintained regularly.  The ideal time span between coats of decking protection oils and the like varies, depending on what is used, the harshness of the sun, the direction it faces and the intensity of the wet weather it experiences.

Being human, many of us eventually leave decks un-coated so long that the brown tones almost completely disappear to be replaced by a grey weathered look.  For some people this is an ideal colour and in fact there are now coatings designed to protect the timber while keeping the grey look.  You simply have to be careful that the timbers do not deteriorate to the point that wood rot sets in or splinters threaten children's bare feet.

In the photos above, that is precisely what happened.  Grand children had to be kept off the deck until the splintered pieces were replaced.  This is a common repair.  Although replacing rotted decking pieces, in an attempt to stave off replacing the whole thing is a more frequent request.

You can see from the photos above taken in the Lower North Shore of Sydney, the distinct difference between new decking and weathered decking.  It makes the old stuff look pale in comparison.

WORRY NOT! Your deck can be rejuvenated and brought back to roughly 75% of its original look (if it is not too old, maybe 90% of its original look could be possible).  Handy Work can apply special rejuvenation chemicals and pressure clean it to restore much of the look and then, either you or Handy Work can apply a couple of deck protection coats to keep it looking that way for quite a while.  Of course eventually another coat will be necessary or it will return to grey, splintered or rotting again.

Composite (plastic blend) deck - Wahroonga

The decking timbers were too rotten to do anything economic, so the decking planks needed replacement. The client wanted a coloured finish but it had to be low maintenance. I recommended they look at composite decking. After selecting a double sided finish in charcoal from one manufacturer they also decided to give it a modern feel by adding architectural accent boards running at 90 degrees to the rest in two locations. Handy Work added additional joists to allow for it, replaced balustrading posts and laid the new decking using the clips supplied. Where it was a quicker installation the materials were slightly more expensive but with zero re-oiling necessary they saved money within about 4 years.

Complete Pool Deck Rebuild - Clareville

Despite it being in an idealic location, this pool deck was badly constructed in the first place. The concrete pool was used for structural support but the previous builder used galvanised bolts which rusted away in a salty environment and other footings had sunk. Unfortunately the old deck had to be demolished and a brand new structure and deck was built using stainless steel bolts and screws, without having to redo the brushwood fence.

Urban Deck - Waverton

The old deck formed the main outdoor haven for the children, dog, family and visitors in this urban semi-detached home.  However it had deteriorated from rot to such an extent that it was unsafe for everyone.

Deck in the trees - Narraweena

This deck was a storey and a half up and rotting very badly. What was a dangerous eye-sore became a peaceful place for quiet contemplation, up amongst the trees in the leafy Northern Beaches location.

Before

After

Apartment Display Centre Composite Deck - Glebe

Handy Work was commissioned to lay a Composite Deck by Decker Decking in a display apartment which will be used to sell many, many apartments currently under construction.  The Decker Decking Composite product selected by the designers was picked as it matched well with the furniture and the timber floor used in these modern apartments.

The Decker Decking boards proved very quick to lay.  I had initially thought I would still be there on the second day but had it finished by 5:45pm, despite having to dismantle a large light box and demolish all the timber decking, which had been rejected by the designers.  All in all, the product is only slightly more expensive than natural timber decking, is probably close to twice as fast to lay (adding up to massive savings) and requires virtually no maintenance, unlike natural timber decking.  That said, it is a more modern looking material, in keeping with engineered floating floors with a lime wash look, rather than the warm look of timber.  So it really is "horses for courses"

Just so you know.  The view was provided by backlit photographic sheets (light boxes) representing the final view of the apartments.  There were no windows in this area.  It is, after all a display centre, not a real apartment.

Entry Deck - Crows Nest

A classic Federation Style home needed a rotted deck replaced. It was the main entry to this gorgeous original pre-Federation cottage. So a subtle deck style reflecting the quaint, understated demeanour of the building was constructed.

Before

Roof was supported while new bracketing for the post was installed

After

Bridge Decking - North Sydney

A steel structured pedestrian bridge had rotting planks was the main access from these modern Strata Units to the pool area. Something elegant yet long lasting was needed for this contemporary environment.  Handy Work was commissioned to replace rotted timber by the Strata Managers. 

Before

After

The work included demolishing the old planks, cutting new CCA Treated Pine planks to length, using a magnetic broach drill to drill new holes in the steel structure for the plank fixings, coating the bare steel with zinc rich primer, fixing the planks with new hot dipped galvanised steel coach screws, then coating the planks with DWD Ebony, a long lasting deck varnish.

Deck & Pergola with polycarbonate roofing - Enmore

This deck and torn awning was the main entry to an upper-storey medium density apartment and was to double for entertaining and as a cat enclosure.

Photos during construction