New timber deck for front porch

[RosieD]

Front concrete porch transformed into beautiful timber deck and garden area.

Materials

Decking: Ironbark (recycled power line poles)

Timber screen: Merbau battens

https://www.bunnings.com.au/42-x-28mm-2-7m-fj-pre-oiled-merbau-screening_p0177439?store=2433&gclid=C...

Strip drain: Ezydrain & channel

https://www.bunnings.com.au/everhard-3m-easydrain-polymer-grate-and-prejoined-channel_p4770175

Soakwell: Reln Rapidflow Soakwell

https://www.bunnings.com.au/reln-soakwell-rapid-flow_p4770021

Pergola framing: Treated pine from Bunnings.

Hooks and hanging baskets: Bunnings

Concrete paver as soak well lid: Bunnings

Light: Beacon lighting and custom 3D printed cover plate with number done by us!

Tools

Ryobi drill from Bunnings

Paint brushes from Bunnings

Nail gun: Dewalt

Steps

Step 1

Installing a soak well, building the subframe, and installing a concrete footing for the pergola post.

Step 2

Decking is made from old recycled powerlines poles. We cut the decking in a circle around an existing rosemary bush, and installed a merbau timber screen for privacy and a place to hang plants. Since people have trouble finding our front door, we 3D printed a cover for an outdoor light to aid wayfinding at night. A stainless steel angle was curved and set into the timber decking, so the front door mat is flush with the inside and outside floor level.

The deck has taken a small unusable concrete space and made it a pleasant outdoor area.

[EricL]

Hello @RosieD 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's marvellous to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your timber deck project. 

What a fabulous transformation, I personally prefer timber decking as it is so much more comfortable on the feet rather than walking on bare concrete. Can you please tell me what timber size you used for your decking frame? They look quite large on the photo, but are they standard 90x45 in size?

Your front porch looks so much more inviting now and your mini pergola adds a nice touch to the overall look of the area. Did you assemble it on the weekends, or did you just do it over several days?

Again, thank you for sharing such a wonderful decking project.

Eric

[RosieD]

Hi @EricL,

Yes that's right, we used 90 x 45 pine for the subframing. Some peices are cut on an angle to deal with the concrete which slopes down towards the front door. Not so good for drainage but we fixed that by installing the strip drain and soakwell. 

With two of us, we completed the project over 2 weekends. Then stained the timber the following week. 

Cheers, Rosie