Moving into a new home with your family or by yourself is always an exciting time. The new space you have allows you to incorporate decorations or map out a design to go with your style. As bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms become the focal areas of design planning, floor selections for these rooms take on high priority. Choosing the right floor for your home can't be taken lightly; flooring enhances your living space and improves your living conditions.

One of the most popular flooring types is hardwood, an easy to clean and aesthetically pleasing material with a great resale value. You can choose to have it installed in the living room for a more classic, warm feel. Timber hardwood can be left bare with or without the adornments of rugs or mats on the floor. Stains, spills, and dirt can also be removed easily from timber-made floor by simply using a mop or a vacuum cleaner, making it an ideal flooring option for those who are too busy to clean or those suffering from dust-related allergies.

If you're moving into a new home in Perth and are still undecided about the right floor option, timber flooring is a safe choice, however you look at it. By choosing timber hardwood, you not only increase the value of your home, you also create a warmer and more liveable space for yourself and your family to last you for many years to come.

Your home’s deck or patio doesn’t have to be wide and spacious for it to become a stand-out installation. Even when you only have limited space to build decking, you can still pull it off with the help of smart and efficient decorating techniques. Here are some tips that can turn your small deck into the “big apple” of your family’s eye, as well as that of your guests:

Vegetation

Sure, decks can be too small to have a table or grill efficiently set up, but there’s almost always room to let in a little bit of nature. Use potted plants or flowers and set them up to become the focal point in your deck. Tall or large plants should be excellent means of decorating the corners, while your deck’s floor could be lined with smaller pots with colorful flowers.

Seating

No, you don’t have to sacrifice seating just because your home’s deck doesn’t have a lot of space to accommodate it. Use two or three small lawn chairs and prop them up around a small outdoors table or a tall enough coffee table. This way, you can relax and even socialize without getting smothered with too much furniture than the space allows.

Benches

Another good option for seating are benches. You can simply set them up against walls, and you have an instant seating option without sacrificing the center of your deck. The downside of placing only benches, though, is you probably won’t be able to find a practical place for a table.

The flooring complements the overall look of a room or house. The flooring also provides a stable walking surface for the home's occupants and guests. Families need to select the flooring that suits their budget and lifestyle. They'll also have to take into account that different types of flooring have different maintenance needs.

Timber flooring is slowly gaining popularity in Perth and other cities in Australia for various reasons, some of which are listed below:

1. It’s healthy: Unlike synthetic flooring, timber does not contain any chemicals. Neither does timber provide a breeding ground for dust mites, which might trigger attacks in those who are suffering from bronchial asthma.
2. Financially viable: Wood is a poor conductor of heat, so timber flooring can help keep a house warm during the cold months, which in turn can help households reduce their energy bills. Timber flooring is also easier to clean and maintain than other kinds of flooring, like carpet.
3. Easy on the eyes and soul: Aside from making rooms look more attractive, timber flooring is also very pleasing and can help homeowners relax. Well-installed timber flooring can also add value to the home.

Timber flooring can improve the health and well-being of the home's occupants, and can help homeowners reduce their expenses. These and other advantages have made timber flooring very popular with homeowners. 

As most decks are made of solid wood, the risk of combustion must always be taken into account during the design and construction process. Fortunately, the risk of combustion can be minimized if builders follow fire safety measures when designing and constructing wooden decks.

Many Australians understand the importance of following fire safety measures, given that the country's weather conditions can quickly turn from pleasant to tempestuous relatively quickly. The risk of fires increases around December to February in Perth, where temperatures can easily reach 32 degrees centigrade.

While no material is impervious to fire, fire-resistant deck materials and building solutions can prevent fires from spreading. Decks can be isolated from fires with the construction of defensible zones like patios and walls. Low surface-to-volume ratio and regular cleaning—among other strategies—can slow the burn rate. Heavy timber decking six inches thick, for example, will take a longer time to burn up.

If a fire cannot be prevented, a deck that has been constructed with fire-rated building materials can buy you some time if you need to put the fire out or call the fire department. Wooden decks are in high demand because homeowners appreciate their timeless beauty and great appeal. However, fire prevention and safety should always be observed.