You think the hardest task is over, you have decided you want a patio and now you’re going to get one. But don’t be fooled, there are more tackling decisions to come like, which materials are you going to use, what style are you trying to achieve, what design is going to best suit your home and who are you going to get to build it? Well I am here to answer all of these questions for you.

At Additions Building Company we work with two types of roof sheeting, insulated and single skin. There are benefits to both styles but what it ultimately comes down to is personal preference and how much you are hoping to spend.

Insulated – Insulated roof sheeting comes in two different styles, a ribbed profile and a corrugated profile. I recommend choosing a profile and a colour that suits your existing house roof. Insulated roofing keeps your patio are cool and minimises any noise from rain or storms. The insulation will not just benefit your patio area but will also benefit your house by cooling down the area in which it is attached. I find this is great for people who have a living area that may get belted by the sun.
Insulated roof sheets also span a greater distance therefor minimising the amount of posts needed and allowing more room to entertain. These roof sheets also allow for concealed electrical work meaning you wont see any messy cables for lights and fans.

V-Line Single Skin – V-line single skin roofing is a cost effective way to add a stylish patio roof to your home. It has a high gloss finish giving it a modern appearance.
Single Skin roof sheets come in 2 different thicknesses allowing for excellent spanning capabilities. There are also 20 colours to choose from, so selecting a colour that matches your existing house won’t be a problem.

Style

When it comes to picking a patio you really need to decide on a style you like. Do you like an earthy feel bringing natural elements into your space and home or do you like more of a clean, crisp feel. If you have natural timbers in and around your home or enjoy the outdoors then I always recommend incorporating timber into your patio. Timber beams and posts can really set a patio off and give it that wow factor. If timber does not suit the style of your home, you can always opt for steel beams and posts. Steel beams and posts can make your patio seem more modern and contemporary giving your patio a feeling of elegance.

Design

The design you decide on usually will depend on what best suits your home and your needs. Patios can be designed in a gable style, skillion style, fly over or free standing. When deciding on a design it is always best to talk to a roofing expert to work out the best patio style for you. Contact our team on (07)3396 3884 or view our patio gallery here for ideas for your home.

Choosing a Builder

Often this can be the hardest part. My advice to clients looking for a roofing expert is to look at their client reviews. Ask for the last three client phone numbers of recent work and find out from the client if they were easy to communicate with and whether they were happy with the work. Don’t always go for the cheapest quote as the cheapest quote can sometimes mean a cheap job or an unfinished job. Ask lots of questions like, is my stormwater being connected for this price? Will a certifier come out and give me a final certificate? Often clients can go with a builder without realising they were only doing half the work. Always check their QBCC Licence before signing a contract. If you have any questions phone QBCC. Make sure you can communicate easily with the salesperson and ask if they are a builder themselves. If the salesperson is a builder it generally means they know what they are talking about, they understand the building codes and they are more likely to add any extra touches to make your patio great.

-Gordon Contact us today for an obligation free quote (07) 3396 388

Deck Maintenance – How To Clean and Oil Your Deck

If you live in Queensland then you know the entertaining season is well and truly upon us but if you are an entertainer who has a neglected deck, then you might want to get it into shape.

Getting your deck looking good before your guests arrive doesn’t have to be as difficult or expensive as it sounds and maintaining your deck regularly will not only make your deck look better all year round but it will also prolong the life of your deck saving you money on replacing decking.

Tools required for cleaning and oiling your deck

• Hard bristled broom
• Laundry washing power
• A bucket of warm water
• Hose
• A good quality decking oil that your budget allows
• Lamb’s wool decking applicator
• A decking oil bucket (for easy application)

How to oil a deck in seven easy steps

1. Clear the decks! Before starting your cleaning project, insure all furniture has been removed from your deck.

2. Wash it. With your broom remove any loose material from between the boards, give the deck a really good sweep. Mix your laundry washing powder in a bucket of warm water and scrub the deck with the broom. Rinse thoroughly with a hose.

3. Ensure it’s completely dry. Once you washed the deck, go make yourself a cup of tea and wait for it to completely dry. This is an essential part of oiling your deck as the oil wont be as effective on damp boards.

4. Plan it. When the deck is dry, the next step in your deck maintenance is to map out where you will start and where you will finish applying the oil. This means less waste as you won’t go over areas where oil has already been applied.

5. Apply deck oil in long strokes. After stirring the deck oil, start applying it. A long, continuous application will ensure the best finish so don’t make stabbing thrusts when applying. Leave to dry.

6. Second Coat. The final step involves applying a second coat. Always use less oil on the second coat as excess oil may pool and leave a mess – a real trick for people learning how to oil a deck!

7. Time for a roof! Along with regular maintenance, a deck will always last longer in Queensland if you have a roof over your deck to protect it. Gone are the days of the old corrugated sheeting and timber beams, you can now get stylish, insulated panel which adds an element of luxury to your roof and keeps your guests cool over the warmer months. Have a look at our range of roofing here.

Ready to carry out your deck maintenance?

By maintaining your deck you will have fewer repairs so learning how to clean and oil your deck is a must.
Additions Building offers deck building expertise and advice. Our list of services can be found in our Brisbane Decks section. Get in touch now for quote on your pergola roofing from a trusted local deck builder in Brisbane.

– Gordon

For other roofing options and ideas view our gallery on our patio page or carport page.

Gordon and the Additions Building Company team are excited to announce that we are expanding into a new area of the business.
We will now be working with one of the global leaders in modular aluminium products, Knotwood.
Additions Building Company can now offer our clients a high durability, low maintenance product for wood grain privacy screens, slats, louvres, gates, shutters and more while maintaining the natural beauty of timber.

Screens are becoming a popular addition to patios, carports and decks due to their stylish look and practicality.

About Knotwood

Knotwood is designed, engineered and tested for strength and durability. We can guarantee that Knowoods’s high quality will last for years to come because they have close control over the extrusion, powder coating and sublimation; all of which are produced in Australia. Knotwood is an Australian owned company.

Why choose aluminium for your privacy screens over timber?

Choosing aluminium over timber is an easy choice when you think about the work involved in maintaining timber screens to keep them looking new all year round. Aluminium screens are easier to clean than timber; they can withstand harsh environmental conditions such as extreme UV exposure, salt spray and heavy pollution. Aluminium is also corrosion resistant, strong, lightweight and long lasting, which means you never have to worry about replacing them.

Aluminium privacy screens, slats and louvres cost less than timber screens and are easier to maintain. There is no sanding sanding, oiling, staining or painting involved to keep them looking their best and no oil marks or stains to clean when it rains.

Another great feature of aluminium is that all screens, slats and louvres have a concealed fixing system which hides unsightly screws, rivets and nails which cannot be hidden when building a timber screen.

Choosing aluminium means your screens on your patio look like a new addition everyday.

What colours are there?

All Knotwood colours have been tested to withstand the most extreme environments providing a durable alternative to timber. There are over 26 timber finishes to choose from with the most popular colours being Bush Cherry, Iron Bark, Jarrah, Kwila, Merbau and Western Red Cedar.

Our team have a wide range of colour samples for you to compare and choose from.

Contact Additions Building Company on 3396 3884 for a quote and full range of colour samples.
Why build a screen on your patio, carport or deck?

Adding screens, slats, louvres, or shutters to your patio, carport or deck is a great way to add an element of privacy to your home from passing traffic or neighbours.

Screens are also a great way to provide protection from the elements like the morning and afternoon sun, rain and wind making your outdoor area a more relaxing and practical space to spend time in.

Because we are experts in design, our Additions Building Company designers will create a plan that matches your project and best suits your needs.

Contact Additions Building Company on 3396 3884 to speak to one of our designers.

Here is a screen we recently completed at Macgregor in Western Red Cedar.

Ever wondered what the process is going to be for your project?

Here is an example of a deck we built recently for a client; the following is an explanation of the entire process from start to finish.

Debbie called and asked if we could come over and have a look at a project she had in mind, which was to build a deck over her existing garage. I turned up and met Debbie’s family and we talked about what she would like to do and what was possible, keeping in mind that we were working with an existing structure and of course keeping within the current building regulations. After drilling a few small pilot holes in her wall to see if it could withstand holding up the new deck and checking that we could get a good amount of head room, I worked out a design and a price that Debbie was happy with. After about a week and a half we had all the local authority permits and were ready to put materials and staff on site.

We started the project by pulling the tiles off the existing roof and demolishing the pine rafters, this left us a good clear space to start building. We then put up a pole plate to hold the joists at the house side and proceeded to install the joists and bearer. For this project we decided to go with LOSP treated LVL’s, while I don’t usually use these on a deck due to their poor weather qualities they were chosen as the deck is fully waterproofed for tiles and they are a lot easier to install than a traditional hardwood joist. I also chose to use a larger than necessary joist as this takes out any potential bounce in the deck and will stop tiles from cracking.

As we had limited head room we had to check out the joists over the pole plate, this does cut down on some of the strength of the joist so we also installed a joist hanger on each one to support it. A new bearer was also installed and put up with temporary props until the new hot dipped galvanised posts arrive, which are eventually put in to large concrete footings.

Martin then sealed all the joists in all the appropriate places, such as where a row of noggins are going to support the flooring and also at the ends of the joists where they can potentially get wet during a storm. We then started to lay the flooring, we decided to use a hardies product made out of compressed fibro board, this is both glued and screwed down and also has a 6mm gap between each sheet. This is so we can put a flexible joint in to help stop any tiles from cracking due to movement. Once the floor has been laid we then tape all the edges to get a nice clean line when installing the flexible joint, which is polyester filler.

After the floor has been finished holes need to be cut out to support all of the posts for the roof and handrails, these holes will eventually get the same flexible joint put around them too. To install these solid Kwila posts each one gets two 12mm bolts to connect it to the bearer and also have all their joining surfaces primed and sealed. Once the posts are all up the handrails are installed as well as the roof beam, these are all made from solid hardwood as this stuff lasts forever.

Now it’s time to put the roof up! Debbie went for a fully insulated roof and it couldn’t have been a better choice for the area, since we had such limited room we flashed under the existing roof to gain as much height as possible. After the roof sheeting was up and finished it was time to install the balustrade, which in this case is stainless steel wire. You have to be a bit careful with wire balustrade as there are a lot of regulations you need to be up to date with to be able to do it legally. Each wire is installed and tightened, which can be done in the future too in case they every come loose, and they are also supported at very short intervals. Once this is finished its time to install the flashings, gutters and fascias on to the roof to finish it off. We put a flashing under the tiles on the roof to ensure Debbie had no leaks back in to her house.

The next job is to install a pair of French doors, an opening was enlarged from an existing window and a new header was installed, this supports the house roof. The doors come pre hinged and fitted with all the locks and handles which makes this a very easy job for us. Architraves and beading is put around the edges of the door to finish it off and the installation of the doors is now complete.

The final job for Debbie’s wonderful new deck in Brisbane is the tilling, he arrives and puts down a waterproof membrane on the entire floor area, he starts to lay the tiles and when he’s done he uses a flexible grout and places a flexible joint against the house, as well as a drip line at the front.

The deck is now complete and Debbie and her family can put their new furniture on it!

– Gordon