Decks, Ramps and Outdoor Structures in Rolleston

Outdoor Living That Lasts

Selwyn's sections are bigger than the city's, the summers are hot and dry, and the nor'wester comes across the plains with nothing to slow it down. A deck here has to be built for that: framing that will not twist, fixings that will not rust, boards spaced so they can move, and a structure that is bolted to the house properly rather than hung off the cladding. Hayde Construction builds decks, ramps, verandas and garden structures across Rolleston and Selwyn to be used for years, not admired for a season.

Adam is a carpenter and Licensed Building Practitioner, and outdoor timber work is the trade at its most visible - every joint and every board line is on show. The deck and ramp in our photographs, the balustrade on the block house, the veranda on the cottage and the timber greenhouse were all built by him.

What We Build

• Timber decks. Ground-level and raised, attached to the house or freestanding, in treated pine, hardwood or a composite board, with the framing, piles and bearers sized for the span rather than for the price.
• Access ramps and handrails. A ramp with a gentle gradient, a level landing at the door and a handrail on both sides makes a house usable for someone with a walker or a wheelchair, or simply for a parent who is finding the steps harder. The ramp in our photographs runs from the path to a new deck at the back door.
• Balustrades and steps. Post-and-rail timber balustrades, stairs off a deck, and the handrails that go with them.
• Verandas and covered decks. A roof over part of a deck, or a veranda along the front of an older house, so the outdoor space works in a nor'west wind and a summer sun as well as on a still evening.
• Greenhouses, sheds and garden buildings. The timber-framed greenhouse in our gallery was built from the ground up - framing, polycarbonate cladding, roof vents, a door and tiers of staging inside. Sleepouts, sheds and studios follow the same approach.
• Pet doors, gates and the small things. The jobs that finish a backyard off.

Consents, Heights and Barriers

Whether a deck needs a building consent comes down mostly to its height. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's guide to checking if you need a consent lists decks, platforms and bridges more than 1.5 metres above ground level among the work that needs one, so a low deck off a single-storey house in Rolleston usually does not, while a deck off an upper floor does. Separately, the Building Code's clause F4, safety from falling, requires a barrier wherever people could fall 1 metre or more, which is why a deck that is a metre off the ground gets a balustrade whether or not it needs a consent. Adam will tell you at the first visit which of these applies to your section, and build it accordingly.

A consent is not a reason to shrink a deck. It adds some time and a fee, and it means the structure is inspected and on the council's file, which is worth having when the house is sold. Where one is needed, Adam prepares the application as part of the job.

Timber, Fixings and Finish

Most decks in Selwyn are framed in treated pine and boarded in either treated pine, which is the economical choice and takes a stain well, or a hardwood such as kwila or vitex, which costs more, lasts longer and weathers to silver if it is left. Composite boards need no oiling and are worth considering for a deck in full sun. Fixings are stainless or hot-dip galvanised, never plain steel, and boards are fixed with proper decking screws rather than nails that lift in the first summer. A new deck wants a coat of oil or stain in its first year and a wash and recoat every couple of years after that; Adam will tell you what the timber you have chosen needs.

Contact Us

For a deck, a ramp, a veranda or a garden building anywhere in Rolleston, Lincoln, Prebbleton, West Melton, Darfield, Leeston, south-west Christchurch or Mid Canterbury, ring Adam on 027 444 5657 or send the details and a photo of the site through the form below. If the deck is part of a bigger change - a new door onto it, a wall coming out behind it - have a look at our home renovations and alterations page, and if an existing deck just needs boards, a rail or a rotten joist replaced, that is repairs and maintenance.