Joist Shield™ is priced at 12.50 per 10-meter roll.
Sun Decking boards will last for decades. It makes perfect sense to ensure your joists and deck structure will do the same.
Installing or improving your deck structure with hardwood or treated timber joists is a major investment. Using Joist Shield™ joist sealing tape before laying your decking is a judicious and easy way to secure that investment.
When you are around decks a lot, as we are, it is quite common to see water ingress down into screw fixings and ultimately causing the boards to become loose. It is also quite typical to see where water has infiltrated into the top of joists over the years with the resulting degradation, ultimately softening and weakening them in places.
This is a common problem that is easily avoidable and on a typical 50M² deck using joist protection such as Joist Shield™ might involve only $160 on your total budget.
If you are laying your composite deck, then the small and inexpensive task of guarding the top edge of joists from water ingress will eliminate the chances of failure in the future. After all the deck you lay will likely be sat for the next 20 years, do you want to lift the composite again in five years to refix screws? Or replace weak joists in ten? Or have a surveyor note initial rotting in your supporting joists if you decide to sell?
Sun Decking Composite Joists
- This is a high-quality black solid composite joist.
- It is a recycled composite product with 55% recycled timber, 35% recycled plastic.
- Is entirely resistent to termites.
- Is highly resistent to immersion and damp environments, it will not rot down or degrade with constant damp typical of open and pool installations.
- Is UV stable and treated.
- Designed to be bolted to concrete or tile substrates with pre drilling of product.
- Can be used vertically to support cladding and screening installations.
- Supplied in 2900mm length, 40mmx24mm, we can provide uniques sizes on special order.
Frequently asked questions
What are decking joists?
Decking joists are the subframe that supports the decking, usually constructed in harwood, treated timber, treated LVL, steel box or steel C section, Our decking can be installed on any combination of joists, and each needs some consideration in terms of set out, preparation and fixing options. Given the decking will last at least fifteen years the major planning for joist and subframe is to ensure it lasts just as long. Our joist Shield is effective in ensuring this on timber joist installations.
How far should joists be apart on a deck?
Sun Decking products are designed and specified to be installed on a maximum of 450mm joist centers in domestic use. If you are using your decking for heavy traffic, it may be worth considering making this less.
How do I know if my deck joists are bad?
Replacing a deck is a challenge to assess in cost and time, since you can visually see the timber decking boards are rotting and budget for their replacement accurately, yet it is not so easy to see the state of the joists. It is one of the unknowns in a deck replacement and damage your budget plans if joists are found to be rotten. One small sign is if your current screws or nails are lifting, at that point you know at least the local area around the screw is softened. If you attempt to force or tap a screwdriver into parts of the joist nearby this will help you to understand the extent of the problem. All is not lost though, even if a joist is damaged in parts, then it can be secured with patching or blocking and as long as the joists are level then you can fix the composite decking to these joists, perhaps using longer screws to drive deeper into solid timber. As you consider this rot, then imagine if the original installer had used a Joist Shield? The joists would be in perfect condition still.
What is the average life expectancy of a timber deck?
A timber deck may have a lifespan of around 10 to 15 years, and from experience can be much less if left untreated. If the timber used was of a low quality, it may be as little as four or five years before the deck is failing. Timber is not generally warranted in any significant way, since the quality is variable and there are many factors that can create early failure. Sun Decking composite decking is warranted at 15 years and not dependent upon treatment and is expected to last much longer.
