🖼️
The project:
A hole was left where a spa used to be and I didn't want to fill it in so we decked over the hole and installed a screen to hide the backyard shed.
- Materials:
The decking joists were jarrah roofing joists sourced free from a neighbour who was building a second story on their house. Joist hangers and screws were purchased from Bunnings.
I had lengths of 140 X 45mm treated pine framing left over from the previous spa decking which I used to create the decking frame and also extra stumps for the joists. I purchased dyna bolts and treated pine screws from Bunnings to attach the treated pine framing to the existing brick walls of the hole and to attach the stumps to the joists.
We purchased Ekodeck decking boards as they are made up from reclaimed and recycled materials.
A border of rainbow stones was placed around the deck area. These were sourced free from facebook marketplace. We used a clear varnish from Bunnings to give the rainbow stones the wet look and used Landscape Lock from Bunnings to set the stones in place.
The screens were Jack Matrix lattice given to us by friends and the poles used for the screen structure were the aluminium rails from our old roof solar installation when we had a new solar array installed. We purchased self tapping screws from Bunnings to build the structure and cement from Bunnings to secure the posts for the screen structure in place.
Finally we purchased a solar rope light from Bunnings as a feature on the lattice and solar lights from Bunnings along the rainbow stone border under the lattice screen.
- Tools:
Ear muffs for hearing protection, protective glasses and leather work gloves.
Saw horses.
Circular saw.
125mm Angle grinder with steel cutting and grinding discs,
Drill with drill bits and screw bit.
Clamps.
9 inch Angle grinder with diamond disc for cutting pavers around poles.
Spirit level.
Wheelbarrow and shovel for mixing concrete
Post hole shovel for digging post holes.
Sash clamps for pulling decking boards in place whilst affixing hidden decking brackets
Brickie trowles and string line for building an extra brick wall in the hole.
- Step 1:
I built a second brick wall 20cm from the existing brick wall along the pool fence to create a consistent border around 3 side of the new deck for the rainbow stones. I then attached the 140X45mm treated pine to the brick walls using dyna bolts. This frame was then used to attach the joist hangers in place for the reclaimed jarrah joists. All joists were installed and then stumps added to the joists with brick footings.
- Step 2:
The Ekodeck boards were installed using the hidden brackets and then trimmed to an even end with a circular saw. Gravel was put in the border and solar lights added whilst we planned the next stage.
- Step 3:
We wanted to hide the shed and we built the screen using the aluminium rails from the replaced solar system and the donated Jack Matrix plastic lattice.
I pulled up the pavers and dug 9 holes to a depth of 700mm and used the gravel from the border to create a 100mm gravel base at the bottom of the holes. I then installed the poles and screening in a progressive step to ensure each pole and lattice section was perfectly vertical. The lattice sections were 2400mm long and 600mm wide and as we only wanted to go 1800 high I cut 3 of the panels down to 1800mm.
The end panels were 1800mm vertical and the middle panels were laid 2400 horizontally to give a height of 1800mm. Two returns of a panel each were added to the ends to give the structure a bit more rigidity and stability. The return panel near the fence was created from the 3 600 X 600mm offcuts.
Poles were cemented in as the screen was built to provide rigidity before the next section was started. Cement was purchased from Bunnings and the gravel from the previous border used to mix concrete. I already had yellow sand from previous projects.
- Step 4:
The holes were filled in and compacted and then the pavers relaid. Pavers needed to be cut to fit around the poles. After the paving was finished I made up a mix of sand and cement and black oxide color to match the color of the paving as a close as possible then filled in the gaps around the poles to lock them in.
- Step 5:
I didn't want to waste the remaining jarrah timber and the Ekodeck offcuts so I made two coffee tables for our outdoor areas. The frames were made from the jarrah timber and I used the Ekodeck for the tops which were recessed into the jarrah frames to hide the Ekodeck ends. The Ekodeck tops were installed using liquid nails and then screwed from underneath using treated pine screws so that no nail/screw holes were visible on top.
The oblong one was stained to show off the jarrah and the square one was painted white to match the outdoor setting purchased for the decking.
- Step 6:
Finally the solar lights were added to the screening and plants and furniture added to the decking. There is also a cantilever umbrella that will be used in the summer months. After removing all the remaining gravel I placed the rainbow stones in place and compacted them. I then sprayed them with clear varnish to highlight the colours and then sprayed them with rock glue.
