The architects designing the Jade Apartment Building in the cosmopolitan suburb of Albion close to the Brisbane CBD made a feature of the pool and gardens communal space between all 4 of the residential buildings on the site.
The pool would be a real focal point for the community living at the Jade residences and the decking surrounding the pool needed to be safe, long wearing and low maintenance in order to meet the brief. Traditional timber decking could not be considered due to the high cost of maintenance that would be required for this application.
Hutchinson Builders were given some licence to find the right solution and began looking for a quality but cost effective low maintenance decking.
Futurewood was chosen and met the brief using a solid CleverDeck 138mm x 23mm composite timber decking board in the colour Saltbush. Apart from the low maintenance of the composite timber decking, the fact that they are made with 35% recycled plastic means that they have a very low moisture content and are resistant to rotting which is a problem for timber decks that are installed in a high moisture, high humidity environment like the one that the Jade project presented. The plastic content that makes up the composite decking board also reduces the risk of any attack by termites or white ants. Normal installation for the CleverDeck board would be made using the NewTech concealed fix deck clips with stainless steel screws that are part of the Futurewood installation system however in this installation Hutchinson preferred to face fix the boards with regular decking screws which was not a problem as the solid Futurewood boards can be face fixed if required.
The fact that the Futurewood CleverDeck is made from 90% reclaimed or recycled material was a real bonus especially compared to the alternative of using hardwood timber cut from a rainforest environment.
After negotiation between Hutchinson Builders and Futurewood the appropriate value proposition was achieved allowing the right quantity of quality material at a competitive price to be delivered within the required short timeline to the building site.
Installation went ahead according to plan and the entire project is now complete with the apartments selling briskly.
Futurewood wood plastic composite decking, screening and cladding products are environmentally sustainable timber alternatives for both domestic and commercial projects. For more information about Futurewood products visit the Futurewood website or email them at info@futurewood.com.au
