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The Decksmith

Deck Builders Double Bay

The old timber deck on this Carlotta Street job had boards lifting and daylight through to the dirt underneath. It came out completely — deck, stairs and all — and the ground was excavated before anything new went down. What replaced it is a LowDeck H4 frame carrying WoodEvo Advanced composite, with the deck edge scribed board by board around the round log poles of the existing retaining wall, and a herringbone step run with a symmetrical breaker down the middle.

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Specifications

DeckingWoodEvo Advanced composite
FramingLowDeck H4 framing, coated dark grey
Site prepFull strip out of old timber deck and stairs, ground excavated
Curved edgeBoards scribed individually to the existing round log retaining wall
StepsHerringbone-style angle steps and borders over the existing concrete stair core
Stair lineSymmetrical breaker board
LicenceNSW Builder 272840C

Greg's Contractor Take

The curve was set before I got there. The back of this block is a round log retaining wall that bends the whole way along, and the deck had to meet it. You can’t cut a straight board into a curve and fill the gap — every board that lands on that wall gets scribed to the pole it meets, one at a time. Get one wrong and the whole arc looks crooked.

The steps run the same idea. Angled treads with a border, and a symmetrical breaker down the stair line so both sides mirror each other. The old concrete stairs were sound, so I clad them rather than knock them out — new cleats screwed to the existing core, then decked over.

Frame’s LowDeck H4. Comes coated dark grey, doesn’t rot, and it lets the deck sit low without trapping moisture underneath. Which matters here, because the ground had to come out to get the levels right in the first place.

The Before

Old timber deck in Double Bay before replacement, boards lifting and gaps through to the dirt
Old deck, boards lifting and gaps through to the dirt
Original timber stair run before the Double Bay deck rebuild
The old timber stair run
Double Bay rear terrace before the deck replacement
The whole terrace before we started

Strip Out and Excavation

Old deck and excavated spoil removed from the Double Bay site
Old deck and spoil going out
Treated pine bearers set on packers over excavated ground, Double Bay deck build
Clean slate — bearers set on packers over excavated ground
Curved log pole retaining wall exposed after the old Double Bay deck was removed
End of day. The curve of the retaining wall, now the deck's gone

The Frame

LowDeck H4 subframe being installed on the Double Bay deck
LowDeck H4 frame going down
LowDeck H4 deck frame following the curve of the retaining wall in Double Bay
The frame following the curve
Completed LowDeck aluminium frame before decking, Double Bay
Frame complete
Breaker board marked out on site for the Double Bay stair line
Marking out the breaker

Decking

First WoodEvo Advanced composite boards laid on the Double Bay deck
First boards down, step framing set

Scribing the Curve

Every board meeting the retaining wall was scribed to the pole it lands on, one at a time, so the curve reads as one clean arc.

Composite deck boards scribed around round log poles of the retaining wall, Double Bay
Two poles, two scribed boards
Scribed curve of the Double Bay deck running along the log retaining wall
The curve running along the wall

The Steps

Angled treads with a border, and a symmetrical breaker down the stair line. The existing concrete stairs were sound, so they were clad rather than removed.

New timber cleats fixed to the existing concrete stairs, Double Bay deck build
New cleats on the existing concrete stairs
Mitred composite step corner detail on the Double Bay deck
The mitred step corner from above
Finished herringbone composite steps with symmetrical breaker, Double Bay
Finished, symmetrical, breaker down the middle
Completed Double Bay deck steps viewed from ground level
Steps from ground level

The Result

Completed Double Bay composite deck showing the curved edge and herringbone steps
The finished deck
Curved edge of the finished Double Bay deck against the log pole retaining wall
Picture says a 1000 words
Curved Double Bay composite deck viewed from above
The curve from above
Wide view of the finished curved composite deck in Double Bay
Finished curve, wide
WoodEvo Advanced composite board detail on the Double Bay deck
WoodEvo board detail
Completed Double Bay deck terrace with the pool below
The terrace and pool together

Why Choose The Decksmith for Your Double Bay Project?

Every Decksmith project is designed and built by me — Greg Weinbren, licensed builder, NSW 272840C. I build every project myself, no subcontracted decking crews. On the Carlotta Street build that meant every scribe around those poles was cut by the person who designed the curve.

  • Local expertise — 13+ years across Double Bay, Bellevue Hill, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, Bondi and Bronte
  • Problem solvers — curved edges, scribed detailing and level changes are the work most builders quote around
  • Owner-builder — every job designed and built by me, no subcontracting

Prefer real timber? View my Ironbark or Merbau hardwood projects.

Ready to plan your Double Bay deck?

If you’ve got a tired deck to replace, a shape that isn’t a rectangle, or a low-clearance site that needs the right frame — let’s talk. Free on-site consultation, no obligation.

Book a consultation

Call Greg: 0468 486 290