Is there anything better than sipping a chilled white wine on a deck in the evening? Yeah, OK. There’s more worthy things to do with your time – doorknock for Oxfam, perhaps?
There is something about a deck that just, well, works. Especially for those outdoor, relaxed-at-home, this-is-my- sanctuary kinda thing we crave at the end of a busy day.
Is it the timber beneath the feet? The trees rustling in the distance? (Or simply the wine in your hand?) Whatever it is, decks rule.
And there’s a few rules of “doing” a deck well, especially if you’re one of those DIY types that thinks a deck is a weekend of mates, hammers, decking material and beer. It ain’t. A good deck can be built like that. But a GREAT deck takes a bit of planning, a bit of design ingenuity and some thoughts about materials. You can read about that guff in this story here.
The one thing that makes a deck is this: timber. And timber is one of the most durable, gorgeously evening-enhancing materials you can drink wine upon. It’s even better if your stilettos don’t fall through the cracks.
There are a few hints to choosing timber, and the most advised tip is this: hardwood is best. OK, OK, we all know that treated pine is cost-conscious and will withstand the termites, but there is nothing more sumptuous than an oiled and well-maintained hardwood deck. They will silver with age – just like George Clooney – and then come up looking all shiny and new with a light sand and some new oil. Hardwood will outlast treated pine by years and possibly even decades. Not sure about stilettos, though.
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Pictures: Domain
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