BetterHomesAndGardensAustraliaDecember2015_

138 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, DECEMBER 2015 bhg.com.au

Gather your supplies

■Deck base frame kit, quantity

to suit (each frame covers

about 1.25m²)

■Support head, legs and feet

■137mm x 23mm Ekodeck

decking boards

You’ll also need

Tape measure; cordless drill;

75mm and 85mm galvanised

batten screws; 30mm galvanised

hex head screws; 40mm pavers,

if necessary (1 per support);

spanner; spirit level; chalk line;

Camo Marksman pro screw

guide, screws and driver bit

Here’s how

STEP 1Demolish any existing

structures in the way (such as

old barbecues or Hills Hoists)

and clear old pavers and plants.

STEP 2Measure size of

proposed deck, including height,

then buy or order components.

Using cordless drill, assemble

base frame by screwing end

joists with predrilled holes to

shorter joists using sixteen

75mm batten screws. Predrill

into end grain of short joists.

STEP 3On 1 frame, attach

a support leg to each corner

using 30mm hex head

screws. Assemble a second

base frame and join to first

using 85mm batten screws.

Attach support legs to outside

corners of second frame

only, not where they join,

as leg attached to first frame

will act as support here.

Continue assembling, joining

and attaching legs to frames

in this way to reach desired

width of your deck.

STEP 4Place base frame

assembly in position. If building

over grass or soft ground, as

here, sit feet on 40mm thick

pavers. Adjust feet to set deck

base at correct height;

determined by height of door sill

less thickness of decking.

STEP 5Use spirit level and

threaded support feet to adjust

height of each leg so base frame

assembly is level. When correct,

use spanner to tighten nuts to

lock feet in place.

STEP 6Assemble further base

frames (see Step 2) and attach

to those already in position.

You don’t need feet on these

frames where they attach to

those already installed, only

where new frame is unsupported.

Adjust feet to make added

frames level with previous ones.

STEP 7Along deck next to

house, use chalk line to mark

a line square to deck frame and

142mm (width of a board and

a gap) from house. Cut decking

to length flush with side of deck.

STEP 8Starting from 1 end,

place Camo Marksman screw

guide on decking board in line

with joist. Load screws into

guide and screw board in place.

Repeat for following joists,

making sure board meets line

chalked in Step 7.

STEP 9Continue laying boards

in this way, letting screw guide

set gap between boards. Every

5 or so boards, measure how

much of deck is still to be laid at

each end of boards. If distances

are different, adjust gap slightly

on subsequent boards to bring

them back into line.

STEP 10Cut boards to sit

vertically along face of deck

frame. At corners make 1 board

23mm longer to cover board on

adjacent side. Make edges flush

with top of decking then predrill

and screw through face of these

boards into deck frame.

STEP 6

STEP 7

Projec t 1

STEP

STEP

STEP 4

STEP 5

steps

New deck

Adjustable

deck supports

do away with

complicated

footings

STEP 8

STEP 9

outdooroverhaul

V

For project details,

see Stockists page