Melbourne · Victoria
Independent editorial journal
Volume I · Outdoor rooms
Decking MelbourneAn independent journal of timber, weather and outdoor rooms
Two hardwoods dominate Melbourne decks. One arrives from the tropics already oily; the other is an Australian eucalypt that moves less and weathers to a quieter silver. Here is how they actually behave in Victorian weather.
Priya Menon · 11 February 2025
Read Merbau vs spotted gum for Melbourne decksStructure
Joists, footings, waterproofing, slopes, trees, handrails and the drainage that keeps water off the house.
Browse Building & constructionAfter the build
Oiling, mould, grey boards, failed structure and how to choose a contractor who will still answer the phone.
Browse Care & restorationBefore you build
Council permits, orientation, cost, bushfire ratings, privacy and the paper that decides whether a deck can exist.
Browse Design & planningHow the deck is used
Pools, kitchens, lighting, pergolas and low-maintenance platforms for houses that sit empty through the week.
Browse Outdoor livingSpecies and boards
Hardwoods, treated pine, composites and coatings that survive Melbourne's wet winters and hard summers.
Browse Timber & materials
Weekenders and rentals cannot oil themselves. How to specify a Peninsula deck that survives salt, tea-tree litter and three months between visits.
James Calder · 2 December 2025
Read Low-maintenance decking for Mornington Peninsula houses
Questions that separate a carpenter who builds dry, lawful decks from a quote that is only a number and a colour swatch.
Eleanor Hart · 3 November 2025
Read Choosing a decking contractor in Melbourne
Soft spots, a dancing stair and a ledger that has stained the weatherboard — a field guide to knowing whether you are in for new boards or a new structure.
Tom Nguyen · 7 October 2025
Read When to replace a Melbourne deck and when to repair it
August leaves a black film on south-facing boards. What that film is, how to lift it without destroying the grain, and how to make next winter less slimy.
Priya Menon · 16 September 2025
Read Cleaning black mould off a Melbourne deck after winter
On the urban edge a deck is part of the house's fire armour. What BAL ratings mean for timber, composite and the gap under the boards in Victoria.
James Calder · 2 September 2025
Read Bushfire-prone decking and BAL ratings on Melbourne's fringe
The tree was there first. How to build a deck that does not girdle roots, drown a trunk, or turn a living elm into a post.
James Calder · 30 August 2025
Read Decking around established treesWeekenders and rentals cannot oil themselves. How to specify a Peninsula deck that survives salt, tea-tree litter and three months between visits.
Questions that separate a carpenter who builds dry, lawful decks from a quote that is only a number and a colour swatch.
Soft spots, a dancing stair and a ledger that has stained the weatherboard — a field guide to knowing whether you are in for new boards or a new structure.
August leaves a black film on south-facing boards. What that film is, how to lift it without destroying the grain, and how to make next winter less slimy.
On the urban edge a deck is part of the house's fire armour. What BAL ratings mean for timber, composite and the gap under the boards in Victoria.
The tree was there first. How to build a deck that does not girdle roots, drown a trunk, or turn a living elm into a post.
2026 price bands for timber and composite decks in Melbourne, what pushes a job from a simple platform into a small building project, and the line items people forget to budget.
A roof turns a deck into a room and a planning object. How to add shade and winter shelter without cooking the house or collecting a pond.
Water has to leave the boards, the house and the neighbour's yard. How to detail falls, gaps and stormwater so a Victorian winter does not sit under the door.
Colour is a maintenance contract. Oil, stain and bare silver all work in Victoria if you pick one and keep the water moving. Mixing them is how decks go blotchy.