3 Tips to Prevent Rotting in Timber Decks | Westall | Springvale
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3 Tips to Prevent Rotting in Timber Decks | Westall | Springvale
Buildings, Construction, Engineering, News, Timber

3 Tips to Prevent Rotting in Timber Decks | Westall | Springvale

Wood rot is a common enemy of timber decking in Melbourne. It can destroy the wood from the inside, and once the first signs of rot show up, the damage underneath may already be extensive.

If the damage is too much, you may need to replace entire segments of the deck, or worse, the entire deck itself. Repairs like these can set you back up to thousands of dollars.

But with regular maintenance, your deck will not be a victim of wood rot. As the famous saying goes, prevention is better than cure. So here are three tips to prevent wood rot from eating through your timber decks.

1. Keep moisture out

The number one culprit in wood rot is moisture. When it seeps through the timber on your deck, it creates an ideal environment for fungi to thrive. These fungi eat through the wood, eventually destroying it from the inside out.

But if the wood is dry, fungi cannot grow. Knowing this, it’s important to keep the timber on your deck as dry as possible.

Usually, applying a sealer on the deck is a good measure. The sealer forms a protective layer on top of the timber, preventing water and moisture from entering.

Another good thing to do is to clear out puddles that form on the deck. This often happens during rainy days. So after the rain, remove all standing water from the deck as soon as you can.

2. Kill the fungi

Another way to prevent wood rot is to eliminate the fungi that eat through the timber. A popular fungicide is boric acid, which is often used to treat the wood before building a deck.

If your deck is already showing signs of wood rot, you can still apply boric acid to the damaged parts. This will kill off the fungi that are actively growing, but whatever damage that was done will stay. However, if the damage is still small, your deck would still be good to go.

3. Use treated wood

If you’re still in the process of building your deck, consider using treated wood. These are much more resilient to wood rot and similar types of damage.

Also, if there are sections of your deck that need replacement, you may want to use treated wood in place of the damaged planks. That way, you could worry less about damage from wood rot.

Looking for treated wood, boric acid, or other timber supplies in Melbourne? Come to Westall Timber and find what you need. Browse through our website to see our selection of products.

Or Get a Quote here.

5 Important Things To Remember When Renovating Your Home This Lockdown | Home Reno
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5 Important Things To Remember When Renovating Your Home This Lockdown | Home Reno
Buildings, Construction, News, Timber

5 Important Things To Remember When Renovating Your Home This Lockdown | Home Reno

After a family has lived in a home for five years or more, the furniture, walls, floors and other areas may be damaged or worn out. A home renovation is recommended to give it a fresh new look or make it appear brand new. However, for most families, home renovation is both time consuming and expensive. Hence home owners are always interested in getting useful home renovation tips which will help them save time, money and prevent problems at a future date. These tips are particularly useful for those who are renovating their homes for the first time.

1. Find The Right tradespeople

One of the most important factors for a home renovation is finding the right tradespeople like plumber, electrician, carpenter, painter for doing the work. One of the best ways to find the right tradespeople is by asking the suppliers to recommend the best tradespeople who they know for a particular trade. Often the best tradespeople will not be the cheapest, however the quality of their work will usually be better. They will also be more professional and efficient.

2. Source The Materials Near Your Location

Another way a homeowner can reduce the cost and time for renovation is by sourcing all the material and keeping it in stock for the renovation. If the tradespeople are sourcing the material, they will have to spend time and make the effort of finding a suitable supplier, which will usually add to the cost. For example, if you are a homeowner from Springvale who requires the cheapest timber flooring for home renovation, you should search for a supplier of wood timber within Springvale. If you are in Bando Road, Westall timber is the top rated timber flooring supplier in Springvale, offering quality flooring at the lowest price.

3. Detailed planning

During renovation, a large number of products are required in different quantities. Before starting the work, it is necessary to plan the type, size and quantity of the materials which are required, before procuring them. As a homeowner, you should ask your builder to make you a copy of a comprehensive list of flooring, taps, tiles, sinks, bathroom fitting, pipes, painting, cupboards, furniture, hardware, doors, windows, and other items which are necessary for renovation. The builder should also make a list with details of where each item will be installed, the layout preferred, and connection details.

4. Effect of lighting

It is also advisable to consider the lighting in the various rooms of the house, so that the windows are chosen accordingly and the right colors of wall paint, decor items selected. If you wish to use natural lighting, larger windows should be installed. The natural lighting will often affect the colour at different times of day.

5. House flooring

It is also important to consider the house age, before planning a renovation. In older houses, almost everything has to be changed, and this can make renovation more expensive than building a new house. Floor levelling will also have to be done for older houses.

If you are on a budget then floor renovation might seem expensive, and if you cannot find a flooring installation under your budget, you can check out our range our wood floorings that will suit your needs.

The key to renovating your house beautifully and within your budget is to devise a goal for yourself, and have a step-by-step plan so you can renovate each part of your house without running out of budget.

If you are thinking about renovating your home and you don’t know where to begin and what products or building supplies to buy and tradespeople to hire, you can get a free quote from us here at Westall Timber.

Please contact us here and we’ll be happy to serve you!

3 Tips Before You Install Timber Flooring
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3 Tips Before You Install Timber Flooring
Architecture, Buildings, Construction, News, Timber

3 Tips Before You Install Timber Flooring

One of the most important essentials in building your own home or any kind of space you wish to build is to get the FLOORING of the space right. Flooring is the largest and biggest surface you get to invest on which means that is extremely important and crucial to determine and define how you do your flooring techniques not to mention that your flooring sets the tone and impact relating to your style mood and atmosphere.

Timber flooring products are the most sophisticated and durable material you could invest to when it comes to flooring. It adds warmth, sets the ambience and piques interest to any flooring space. They were initially crafted to a modern take on hardwood floors and this trend has become an increasingly popular flooring option whether it is for commercial or resident use.

You will never run out of option since there are many types and colours available according to your taste and need making timber flooring a versatile option. The selection process of which timber colour and style you should choose can be a bit overwhelming but Westall Timber can help you choose the right style and type with your timber flooring problems!

Laying your timber flooring in specific directions or patterns is another essential part of your decision process when it comes to flooring preferences. Some of the flooring options available at Westall Timber can be installed easily or as Do-It-Yourself (DIY) products. This gives you full discretion over flooring installation as well as saving a lot of money which you can spend on other investments in your home.

A simple technique in colour combinations is pairing a lighter shade of timber with a darker wall. This still applies if you choose a dark coloured timber flooring then the surrounding wall or fixture must be a lighter colour like white or cream hues to create the perfect look. Milky shades of grey, whites and light-washes create an aura of softness and freshness in your choice of interior. You can choose lighter colors to have a refreshing and relaxing kind of atmosphere.

Here are some ways where you can incorporate your timber flooring options in your current project:

Keeping your timber flooring from your indoor living space to your outdoor living space is one of the most popular trends and styles in “bringing the indoors out”. This concept creates unity between indoor and outdoor spaces which makes timber flooring the perfect choice to have the look of different designs of flooring combined.
Timber flooring doesn’t have to be constrained in its flooring use as it can also be converted into timber tiling your walls. This is also slowly becoming a trend and it is not just aesthetically pleasing to the eyes but it also has other benefits such as more insulation for your walls, easy child-proof cleaning and durability.
Spice up your place! Whether you go for the rustic, 1980’s style or a modern architecture setup, timber easily enhances your place with this kind of charm.

If you are looking for easier and faster ways to install your timber flooring, you may contact and get in touch with us to discover our full range of timber flooring products. It is also well-priced, affordable and looks really amazing with all the available colours and design. Their product carries both beauty and quality to cater your flooring products needs.

If you need more inspiration, up-to-date trending styles and timber flooring information, you can visit us at Factory 2/30 Bando Rd,
Springvale, VIC 3171 and browse through range of timber products. Happy flooring!

How to: DIY Flooring Installation
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How to: DIY Flooring Installation
Architecture, Buildings, Construction, Engineering, Marketing, News

How to: DIY Flooring Installation

(Missed out on how to choose timber for your house flooring? Click here to read our last article about it.)

So you’ve now chosen a type of timber for your floor. The next step is putting the planks down there. Either you can hire contractors to do the work for you, or you can do it yourself. DIY methods would not only save money, but it’s also a nifty project to do on the side, especially amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

If you’ve decided to go the DIY route, read on for a few things you need to know.

1. Acclimate your flooring

If you have just bought the timber, it isn’t a good idea to stick them onto the floor right away. If it is solid wood, you first need to let it adapt to the environment of the room.

To acclimate the wood, here is some advice our team: Put them inside the room and leave them for several days with the boxes opened and slightly raised above the ground. This way, the moisture content of the timber would adjust to that of the room. In turn, the floor would not shift too much due to humidity changes.

Engineered wood, on the other hand, does not require any acclimation. However, it is advisable that it should still be done regardless.

2. Find out the proper way to install the flooring

Not all types of wood can be installed in the same way. For solid timber, you need to install a wooden ‘subfloor’ first, to which the planks are hammered or stapled. But for engineered wood, you can just glue it or even mount it as a ‘floating floor’ without any adhesives.

As a general rule, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions. That way, you would know the proper installation methods for your chosen flooring.

3. Prepare the room

If the room is new and has not had any flooring yet, first check the subfloor. Make sure it’s dry, clean, and flat. When installing over existing flooring, ensure that doors can still open and close freely. Also, check that appliances and worktops remain level.

The next step is measuring the room. It is recommended to add 5% to the figures as a cutting allowance. Apply chalk lines too as guides for balancing the room. If you will nail the flooring, then mark the positions of the floor joists as well.

4. Install the timber

Before installation, read the manufacturer’s instructions first. Watching a few installation tutorials also helps a lot. We advise caution when using nails or glue. These kinds of hardwood installation take time, precision, and know-how. To make the most out of your investment, be extra careful when installing the planks.

Before laying down the flooring, you may need to roll out some underlayment first. Then, position the planks parallel to the longest wall of the room. Additionally, you may use spacers to give a little allowance in case the wood expands later on.

Also, different bundles of planks may vary slightly in colour. Some may be darker, while others are lighter. Thus, mixing and matching wood from different bundles can help you achieve a consistent colour scheme.

5. Apply the finishing touches

The last few planks may need some modifications. For instance, you may have to trim them lengthwise so that they can fit those smaller gaps beside a wall. After every plank is secured, the final steps are to remove the spacers and add some coving.

These finishing stages are crucial, so you also have to do them carefully. If done well, your floor installation will look as if it was done by a professional.

Do you have a construction project we can help with?

Catering to architects, interior designers, developers, builders, renovators, and DIYers with an extensive range of products and heavily discounted items.

Let us quote you on your next project and see how competitive we are. Contact us at 9546 5622 / 9546 4334 or get a quote here.

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