Thinking About Building Your Own Deck?
This page isn't designed to scare you — it's designed to inform you. A deck built right will last decades. A deck built wrong can fail in years.
We've replaced decks that weren't even five years old. One client spent a full year of Saturdays building his own deck — and it had to come down. It wasn't safe, it didn't meet the Australian Standard, and it didn't last. That's a year of weekends and thousands of dollars gone.
We've also seen decks built by other licensed carpenters that have failed — because they used the wrong materials, the wrong spans, or cut corners on footings. Getting it wrong isn't just a DIY problem. It's an information problem.
Wrong Spans & Beam Sizing
Using undersized joists or incorrect bearer spans is one of the most common DIY errors. It looks fine at first — but over time the deck deflects, bounces, and can fail catastrophically.
Wrong Materials
Not all timber is created equal. Using non-structural grades, untreated pine, or the wrong H-rating for ground contact leads to rot, termite damage, and structural failure within a few years.
Inadequate Footings
Footings that are too shallow or too small can't support the load. We've seen decks pull away from the house and posts sink into soft ground — both safety hazards.
Wrong Bolts & Fastenings
Using the wrong fixings — undersized bolts, non-structural screws, or untreated hardware — is a silent killer. Over time they corrode, loosen, or pull out entirely. The right fastenings are what keep a structure standing safely for decades.