Page 25 - HW November 2020

landscaping, decking & outdoor structures
Deck screws for demanding
The ease of use and security of fixing that come with Simpson Strong-Tie’s new DSD self-drilling decking screw range is designed to be enjoyed by both the builder and the homeowner alike. The DSD range is available in 5.5mm (12g) and 6.5mm (14g) diameter, with lengths from 50mm to 100mm, collated
for Quik Drive, as well as loose. Deck-Drive screws are designed with the most demanding deck builders using timber, premium composite, or exotic hardwood. DSD is available loose for hand driving, and also collated for Quik Drive systems, with free bits in every pack!
www.strongtie.co.nz
users
turf or synthetic lawn products may not be for everyone (and are not all created equal), they are still seeing increased uptake among our landscape architects and contractors.
Aspen Landscapes’ Stuart Baines for one acknowledges that “things have come a long way. We do that many synthetic lawns now it’s not funny. Synthetic lawns now look so realistic and they’re quite commonplace.”
Craig Wilson agrees these days “It doesn’t look like the green tinsel we used to see. So, it’s come a long way and people are choosing it because of the maintenance. It looks fantastic all year round.
“And also, from a sustainability point of view, some people would say the benefits are that it’s not using any water, you’re not using any sprays on it, and you’re not using any fertiliser.”
SUPPLY SIDE CONSTRAINTS
As in other categories, my pundits have reservations about landscaping products coming from abroad that are already facing delays and restrictions.
Tom Evans of Inside-Out Design, for example, says that some shortages of particular timbers and pavers look set to develop further, he says, but it’s lack of volume availability in terms
of plants which may well force landscape designers and their contractors to alter a plan or stage planting.
The big DIY retailers being so good at snapping up greenstuff has been one factor, alongside more than a few smaller specialist nurseries exiting the business, preferring in these uncertain times to make hay through the sale of their land rather than their plants.
Even with his own nursery, Robert Luijten of Luijten Landscaping bemoans the fact that many nurseries have been “depleted”. “People keep on buying, buying [and] the plants are becoming smaller and smaller, smaller.”
Emma Johnston agrees that shortages of mature trees are a concern, saying: “You can’t grow a tree in a week.”
Stuart Baines: “You can’t just go out and buy three, four or five-year-old varieties of certain plants right now. So that makes it more challenging for us with developments and their big lists of plants.”
Do up and do good with staining kit
With every kit purchased supporting the Cancer Society, a handy new kit of specialist CQ deck products from Almax makes it easy to spruce up your deck ahead of the busy party season.The Deck It Out kit has (almost) everything you need, just add stain or paint: a strong 5-piece 1.2m pole; a large dual angle med/fine grit sanding sponge; a 63mm cutting edge brush; Swish lambswool applicator; and a 330mm long tray.
www.almax.co.nz
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NOVEMBER 2020 | NZHJ 23