The Power of Spacers

Decking spacers are a small yet essential tool that ensures your boards are evenly spaced, allowing for proper ventilation, drainage, and expansion. Without consistent gaps, your decking could trap moisture, leading to rot, or expand unevenly, causing warping over time.

At Southgate Timber, we stock the game-changing Spax Decking Spacers for achieving consistent and professional results in your decking projects. These are plastic spacers with four sides consisting of 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 7mm, available in a pack of twelve. Designed with precision in mind, these durable spacers ensure uniform gaps between boards, allowing for proper ventilation and drainage to prevent moisture buildup and rot. With multiple sizes available on this four-sided spacer, it’s suitable for a variety of timber types and expansion needs, making them a versatile choice for any decking installation. Their ergonomic design makes them easy to insert and remove, saving time during the build process while guaranteeing perfect alignment across the entire deck. Whether you’re a professional builder or a DIY enthusiast, Spax decking spacers simplify the job and ensure your deck not only looks great but also stands the test of time.

Hardwood Wrench

The hardwood wrench is a tool designed to simplify and speed up the installation of hardwood decking. Its primary purpose is to straighten boards during installation, ensuring a tight and uniform fit. The tool features a powerful locking mechanism that holds boards in place, freeing up your hands to secure screws or fasteners.

At Southgate Timber, we stock the DeckWise Hardwood Wrench, a professional-grade tool available to hire or purchase. It works on single, double, and even metal joists, making it versatile for a wide range of decking projects. With its reversible handle and adjustable arm, the wrench provides leverage to easily place boards into position, ensuring a professional finish with perfectly aligned boards.

How to Use the Hardwood Wrench & Spacers Effectively

1. After laying your first board, place spacers between snugly next to your board where the neighbouring board will be placed.
2. Slide the next board snugly against the spacers. This will automatically create a uniform gap.
3. Repeat the process until your boards are placed loosely on the joists, ensuring they are all aligned and ready to be secured.
4. Position the hardwood wrench, hooking the wrench onto the joist securely.
5. Engage the wrench by rotating the hardwood wrench’s handle to apply pressure and straighten the boards into alignment. The wrench will lock in place, holding the boards tightly against the spacers and joists.
6. Once the boards are properly aligned and spaced, secure the boards with the appropriate fixings.
7. Now your boards are secured, release the wrench, move it to the next section of the board (or the next board), and repeat the process.

Pro Tips

• For longer boards, use at least 3-4 spacers along the length to prevent uneven gaps.
• When installing your boards, you should account for wood movement. Different woods expand and contract at varying rates. For our hardwood decking materials, we usually recommend a 4-5mm gap.
• In certain timber species, such as Yellow Balau, the width of the boards may vary slightly. If you’re planning a continuous run along the length, it’s important to select boards that match in width as closely as possible. Any minor differences in width can be adjusted by varying the spacing between boards slightly. This approach helps maintain a square and uniform appearance as you lay the decking.
• For a professional finish, align Spax stainless steel decking screws evenly on hardwood decking. Save time by using a decking offcut as a guide: cut two V-shaped notches about 25mm from the edges with a jigsaw. Place the offcut on the board you’re installing and use the notches to mark your drilling points with the Spax step drill.

Using spacers along with a hardwood wrench is an easy and effective way to achieve a professional, durable decking installation. By ensuring consistent gaps, you’ll not only enhance the visual appeal of your deck but also improve its longevity and performance.