Decking

 

Traditionally most decks have been made out of wood.

As with all wood building materials, make sure that the timber is sustainably sourced, or even better, recycled.

There are also a number of non-wood decking materials that are made of composite materials including recycled or reclaimed wood products and recycled plastics.

The advantage of these composite materials is that they require less maintenance than wood with no need for regular sealing and in most cases are UV and termite resistant.

Under the new building standard, depending on the Bushfire Attack Level of your home, verandas and decking may not be made from combustible material.

According to the Building Commission fact sheet "no specific products are specified in the new building standard though a range of new products may be included in the design process and some materials will require a fire test to AS1530.8." Before building check with the supplier to see if their product is suitable for your area.