The Key Considerations: 

Planning a new deck is an exciting part of creating an outdoor space, but with so many options available, knowing where to start can be tricky. From the look you’re after to how much maintenance you’re prepared to take on, there are a few things worth considering before choosing your decking.

1. Find the Right Look

The type of material you choose can make a big difference to the overall look and feel of your outdoor space. Timber is a popular choice for its natural appearance and warmth, while composite decking offers a more consistent finish with a range of colours and styles available. Fibre cement  is another option to consider, particularly for projects where specific building requirements need to be met. Think about how you want the finished space to look and how it will complement the rest of your home or project. This can help narrow down the options and make choosing the right material a little easier.

2. Consider How Much Maintenance Is Involved

Some decking options need more ongoing care than others, so it’s worth thinking about how much time you want to spend maintaining your deck. Timber generally requires regular maintenance to keep it looking its best, while composite typically needs less upkeep. Fibre cement also has its own maintenance requirements, depending on the product and finish.There’s no right or wrong choice. It comes down to what works best for your project and how you want to look after the space over time.

3. Think About Your Project Requirements

Before settling on a specific product, consider where the deck will be built and the conditions it will need to handle.Exposure to sun, rain and moisture can all influence your choice of materials. You may also need to consider specific building requirements, including bushfire regulations, depending on your location. Your budget is another important factor. Along with the cost of the materials itself, remember to account for the supporting structure, fixings and installation. Taking these factors into consideration early can help you choose an option that suits both your project and your budget.

Ready to Choose Your Decking?

Choosing the right decking comes down to finding the right balance between appearance, maintenance, budget and the requirements of your project.

Big River Group offers a wide range of options to suit any style and requirements. Want to learn more? contact us today and our team will help you find the right solution for your project.

Installing a Pre Hung Door System

Don’t Be Hung-Up –On Doors. It’s time-consuming and often frustrating when nothing is plumb or level but essential to hanging a door correctly. Hinges, warped framework, sanding edge… the list goes on forever. It can often be a major part of the building job installing doors properly.

Big River provides the expertise for you making door installation a straightforward task. Except for door choice there is the decision of left or right opening that means checking clearances from furniture placement, electrical and light switches and other obstacles. To make the job easy, check out the video on how to install a pre-hung door system from single to a 4-door system.

With Big River’s expertise all the hard work is done and you’ll complete the job in no time at all. Installation instructions are comprehensive and allow high productivity, low stress and no hang-ups.

Hume How To Install Pivot Door System

Want a great street impression for your home? Install a pivot door. They are modern, fashionable and practical and can often fill an entrance better than a set of traditional double doors. Pivot doors do not have hinges but pivot on an internal pin allowing wider spacing to be covered while controlling the flow of traffic and weather conditions. Hume pivot doors come with door seals all round and offer excellent weather protection.

Use the Hume virtual showroom to assist your selection of doors and following the installation video for detailed instructions and helpful advice. All tools and supplies are listed for the project. Big River is always ready to give assistance if needed and can deliver to your door when you require.

Why Install a Cavity Door?

When you’re stuck for space and privacy is required, or if noise suppression and discretion are an issue, what are you going to do? Install a cavity door! They are hidden in the wall and open and glide easily into position. They can be locked at different opening widths making them a smart use of limited room and leaving space where it is often most needed such as laundries, pantries, toilets and bathrooms.

How to Install a Cavity Door

Cavity door installation is best done during the building phase of the home but retro-fitting is not difficult. Big River provides the know-how, supplies and suggests the video is the best place to start and for your reference at any time during construction. Make Big River your next stop when you need supplies and expertise for your next building project.

Big River: Stop Termites & Fungus in your Timber Framing – Find out How

What do they have in common you may ask? Answer: they ALL love wood. The twist is that Big River wishes to make sure you’re next building project lasts and does not turn to dust. In the past, chemical toxicity and leaching into the surrounding area has been as large a problem for treated timber as the termites and fungus themselves. Research and understanding termite and fungus conditions are paramount to Big River and to their supplier Hyne who developed and manufacture T3 Green.

T3 Green carries an assurance of 25 years and has explicitly been developed to overcome these complications. The treatment is nontoxic and is approved for outdoor projects requiring bearers, rafters, battens and joists for decks, patios and any other external structural timber framing such as outdoor buildings. Importantly, T3 can be used for outdoor furniture, public facilities, playground apparatus and other applications where CCA1 treated timber are restricted for use in unprotected above ground applications. (1 copper, chrome & arsenic treated).

The safety of workers across Australia’s construction, hospitality and healthcare sectors is set to improve significantly with the arrival of timber specialist Big River’s Anti-Slip Plywood, a new plywood product featuring a highly slip resistant coating designed to protect against injury on both indoor and outdoor workplace platforms, ramps, walkways and floors.

This innovative Australian-made solution was created to significantly improve the safety of both temporary and permanent flooring and ramps. It features a textured paint finish with crushed glass for maximum wear and slip resistance. The reverse side of the panel has a phenolic film for moisture protection in damp, wet and external areas.

Big River’s Anti-Slip Plywood has been tested for slip resistance in both wet and dry scenarios. The wet test results should always be used to assess the real risk of slip. Both wet and dry testing delivered results at the highest slip resistance classification.

It has been specifically designed for use in construction sites or building areas, permanent ramps and flooring in hospitality (kitchen) or age care facilities, hospitals and medical environments.

According to a report released by Safe Work Australia the economic cost of work related injury and illness in Australia is estimated to be costing AUD $60 billion a year in lost productivity or just under 5% of Gross Domestic Production (GDP). Both small and big businesses across these sectors are proactively looking at new and groundbreaking ways to reduce injuries and make the workplace a safer environment.

In the construction industry, Lend Lease, one of the world’s leading project management and construction companies is using Big River’s Anti-Slip Plywood on the AUD$6 Billion Barangaroo urban transformation project on the western edge of the Sydney CBD.

In the hospitality sector, namely kitchens and food preparation facilities, slips are the most common cause of injury and also the easiest to prevent according to WorkSafe Victoria. In the café and restaurant industry, floors with oil or water spills are the greatest cause of slip, trip and fall injuries. Anti-Slip Plywood is ideal for high-risk areas including cool rooms/freezers, dishwashing areas, cooking areas and doors leading to and from the kitchen where changes in floor surfaces occur.

The product is also making a significant difference in the healthcare sector where Perth based manufacturer of safety products, Grafton General Products, has seen an enthusiastic uptake by their clients for both commercial and domestic applications. Grafton General Products supplies wheelchair ramps and various home modification products to hospitals, the Department of Housing and the Department of Veteran Affairs, all where safety is paramount. Joe Galipo, Director, Grafton General Products says, “We are delighted to be one of the first to embrace this brand new product from Big River, it is far superior to anything else on the market, and we are not seeing any slippage even in wet conditions.