Working with the Spantec System

Project: Elevated Timber Deck and Subframe Replacement

Builder: 23K (Greg Jones, Builder)

Location: McCrae, Mornington Peninsula

23K is a Melbourne-based building company with more than 30 years of industry experience, specialising in home extensions, complete home renovations, and Plunge pool installations. Based in Melbourne’s southeast suburbs, the company is led by registered builder Greg Jones.

Greg Jones from 23k.

The Project

Situated in McCrae on the Mornington Peninsula, Greg and his team needed to replace an existing elevated deck that had deteriorated due to rot and environmental exposure. The homeowner engaged 23K to replace the structure with a durable, long-lasting solution suited to the local coastal conditions.

Finding a Suitable Subframe Solution

23K’s Bowens Account Manager, Caitlin Williams, assisted Greg and his team throughout this project. With the deck subframe needed to withstand the coastal environment, Caitlin suggested a few options. But with many steel frame solutions on the market, one stood out.

“We decided to have a look at the Spantec system,” Greg said.

The 23K team decided to go with the Spantec system, powder-coated in Monument, as it was the best solution to suit the elevated structural requirements.

Underside of the Spantec system with spotted gum decking boards.

Key benefits of Spantec:

Engineered for elevated deck applications
Quick and easy sub-floor system
Powder-coated finish
Innovative solution for custom designs
Can dramatically reduce the number of piers required, meaning less concrete and faster sub-floor installation
Suitable for bushfire zones
Sloping sites
Offers high load capacity and long spans.

The timber selection came easily. The team regularly works with spotted gum, and it’s their preferred decking material due to performance and appearance.

“The clients wanted a natural product to resemble the natural environment,” Greg said. “Spotted gum is a really hard-wearing timber and has some beautiful characteristics.”

However, to fix the 135mm spotted gum decking to the Spantec system, a decking screw that can withstand the conditions and screw hardwood timber into a steel subframe was required.

“We had to have a screw that could cater for all of those environments,” Greg said.

Fortunately, Simpson Strong-Tie had just the product: timber to steel decking screw, bi-metal with 316 stainless steel finish.

“Simpson Strong-Tie came on site, presented the screw to us, and showed us how it could cater for all those requirements.”

Bi-metal screw features:

316 stainless steel body (corrosion resistance)
Metal drill-point wing tip (drills into steel)
Suitable for hardwood-to-steel applications
Designed for coastal and salt-exposed environments
Flat, countersunk head

Close up shot of timber to steel decking screw, bi-metal with 316 stainless steel finish by Simpson Strong Tie.

Bowens Online Support

The 23K team utilised the Bowens app for onsite ordering.

“We always order our stuff online through the app. It’s so easy to use,” Greg said.

With a simple, intuitive online ordering system, the ability to order from site and with a reduced wait time, the team can get on with the job with no downtime. And it just so happened the team needed Bowens Uber delivery service at that job.

“We ran out of screws, so we got online to the Bowens app,” Greg said. “They were here within the hour. It was amazing.”

The Result

23K delivered a beautiful, elevated deck using Spantec in Monument, Simpson Strong-Tie screws and 135mm spotted gum decking for their client in McCrae on the stunning Mornington Peninsula. The products did as promised, and the client was happy with the end result.

Spantec Case Study: McCrae Elevated Deck Replacement

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