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A wooden deck is an investment which should enhance your property and lifestyle but must be functional and well constructed. We have seen too many decks under designed and sagging, making the purchaser’s investment a liability. All our decks are built to stringent NBSA regulations and all elevated decks are endorsed by a structural engineer. The structure (underside) of the deck can be hardwood or Tanalized@ SA Pine. The choice is one of costs, visibility and aesthetics. The support posts can range from simple turned Tanapoles to double timber to brick & plaster to ornate precast pillars.
The wide range of timbers available to the market allows you to create exactly the colour, feel and atmosphere you wish to achieve. Master Decks has access to materials ranging from the exotics to the sustainable, form polymer to timber fibre & polymer composites. Suitable deck materials available In Cape Town includes:- Balau, Chamfuta, Cumaru, Ekki,Garapa, Ipe, Iroko, Jarrah, Macaranduba, Purple Heart, Zambian Teak, Zimbabwe Teak and more. Many composite materials has become available in South Africa the last couple of years and it is a minefield as very few of them have been tested under South African UV conditions. The only one Master Decks can endorse is Enviro Deck, www.envirodeck.co.za , a composite tested at the Polymer Institute in Stellenbosch for South African conditions.
Fixing of decking planks to the structure varies from visible screws to plugged screws to different hidden fixing systems. When working with an extremely hard and stubborn timber like Balau it is advisable to fixed each plank with 2 stainless steel screws to each joist. As timber wants to expand in the wet months and shrink in the dry months, hidden or secret fixings are not suitable for all types of timber. Composite decking is very well suited for secret fixing.
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