We normally don’t recommend using interlocking deck tiles on steps and stairs, firstly because the tiles are primarily designed as a “floating” system which are not (normally) fixed to the surface with nails or screws and secondly, they are not really designed to be installed in a vertical plane as required to cover the stair riser.

However if you have a set of wood stairs and are using our SwiftDeck wood deck tiles, there is quite a neat solution which you may wish to consider, although it does require a little skill with carpentry.

Firstly you need to attach a facing board to the stair riser. This board must protrude above the level of the stair tread by the height of the plastic base on the wood tiles (5/16”).

Then you measure the distance between the front of the stair riser and the front of facing board. Cut the tiles which will be used for the stair tread so that they will overhang the facing board by about ¼”-3/8”.   Then take one of the cut wood tiles and trim off a section of the plastic base so that when the tile is laid on the stair tread, the mesh base will fit between the front of the riser and the back of facing board. The quickest way to trim off the plastic base if you have a relatively large number of tiles on the stairs is to use a table saw, setting the blade height to marginally higher than the height of the plastic base and making sure to remove any screws that attach the mesh base to the wood slats which could come into contact with the saw blade. Alternatively you could trim off the plastic base with a box cutter, removing all screws that are in the plastic section to be removed.

Now when you place the tile on the stair tread, it will sit on the tread with a slight overhang over the facing board.

Finally, to ensure the tiles cannot move when walked on, you should screw the tiles to the treads. Drill holes through the wood slats with a countersink so the holes can be plugged. Insert screws, then glue plugs into the screw hole to give a neat finish.

The pictures below will explain the procedure in more detail.

One of the more important factors to consider when choosing a wood deck tile is the lumber species to use, as characteristics such as durability and wearability can vary quite significantly between different wood species. With durability however it’s unfortunately not a precise science as durability can vary quite significantly within the same species. In particular, certain species may be natural harvested or others may be plantation grown and harvested at a much younger age.

Iit’s also important to ensure that any wood chosen does not contain any sapwood, or no more than about 10%. The reason is that sapwood of most hard wood species is non-durable and therefore can decay particularly rapidly even though the heartwood may be classified as highly durable. Fortunately, sapwood can be fairly easily distinguished in most cases because it tends to be a much lighter colour than the heartwood

Wood species are typically graded into one of four durability categories:

Highly durable – Class 1

Generally speaking, the denser, harder lumber species will possess the highest durability. Such species are referred to as Class 1 or “Highly durable”. Examples of such species includes Ipe, Cumaru, Tallowwood and Ironbark. Under normal conditions, and not in permanent contact with water, wood of such species can be expected to resist decay and insect attack for at least 25 years and up to 50 years in many cases. HandyDeck’s SwiftDeck range of deck tiles includes Ipe wood.

Durable – Class 2

Lumber species in the “Durable” group also exhibit outstanding durability characteristics with the wood typically having a life of 15 to 25 years or more. Some species in this group closely approach the performance of the Class 1 timbers even under severe conditions of service. In fact all species in this group may be regarded as approximating the service of Class 1 species where conditions are less severe, as in typical decking.

This group includes a large range of species including Teak, Jarrah, Jatoba, Bongossi, Purpleheart, Selangan batu, Western Red Cedar, Merbau, Blackbutt, Spotted Gum, River Red Gum.

Moderately durable – Class 3

Species in the “Moderately Durable” group can be expected to provide good service life without preservative treatment if the wood is kept clear of the ground with only intermittent wetting followed by reasonably rapid drying. Such species could still be used for exterior decking purposes but it would not normally be advisable to use such species wet weather conditions are more severe unless a strict maintenance schedule of coating the deck with a good quality decking oil is followed.

Some species in this group include Cambara, Kempas, Karri, Eucalyptus saligna.

Non Durable – Class 4

Lumber species in the “Non Durable” group should not be used on decking fully exposed to the weather because of their low natural durability.

Termite resistance

Apart from decay due to weather conditions, in many locations the other factor to consider this insect resistance and in particular termites. Unfortunately there is no direct correlation between durability and resistance to insect attack so both decay resistance and insect resistance needs to be taken into account in termite prone areas. Some species with high resistance to termite attack include Ipe, Cumaru, Jatoba, Teak, Jarrah, Selangan batu etc.

Twisting, cupping and bowing

Although not directly related to durability, another important factor to consider when choosing the wood species is that it should not twist, cup or deform in service. Provided the planks are nailed or screwed securely to the bearers, none of these factors should be a concern, but in the case of interlocking decking tiles it is a much more important issue as there is nothing to prevent the wood from moving in service, and some wood species are more prone to twisting than others. Although not a definitive measurement, looking at the ratio between the tangential and radial shrinkage can give some indication of stability.

Even when properly kiln dried, all timber will expand and contract to some extent particularly in humid or very dry conditions. In such conditions, a timber species with a low shrinkage rate would be preferable. Such species would include Ipe, Selangan batu, Merbau and Teak amongst others.

A very commonly asked question is whether interlocking tiles can be used in windy locations. Since each situation is different, it is really not possible to give a definitive answer to this question. But the following guidelines and suggestions may be helpful.

Firstly, in regions subject to hurricanes and tornadoes, there is really nothing that will ensure that any object which is not securely fastened to a fixed surface would not potentially become a flying object, irrespective of whether it was a deck tile or some other article. But since interlocking deck tiles are quite easy to lay down as well is remove, it is quite possible to take up any deck tiles if there is an imminent danger of severe weather conditions, and re-lay the tiles after the danger has passed.

For locations where wind gusts are less severe, there are three features of interlocking deck tiles that will tend to mitigate the possibility of them being lifted by wind gusts.

1. Because they are all locked together by interconnecting tabs on all four sides, is more difficult for wind gusts to lift a completely connected section of deck tiles.

2. With interlocking wood deck tiles or composite wood deck tiles in particular, there are gaps between the individual slats, so it is more difficult for wind to lift individual tiles compared with a sheet of plywood for example.

3. Certain deck tiles such as stone tiles can weigh more than 7lb each so it would take a very strong wind to lift such tiles, especially if they are connected together with interlocking tabs.

What steps can be taken to alleviate concerns about wind gusts lifting tiles?

if the area has a small wall around all sides of the deck, such as might be present on a roof deck, then there is much less chance of any wind gusts lifting the tiles.

For areas such as balconies where there may not be a low wall or lip on the outside edge exposed to the wind, then one suggestion is to purchase lengths of ‘L’ shaped aluminum profile, (preferably anodized to a color which will blend with the tiles) approximately 1″ in width. The profiles should be as long as possible,no less than 8′ for preference. Then depending on the material of the tile, one side of the profile would be screwed to the outside edge of the deck tiles that run along the outside of the covered area. this is easier to achieve with wood deck tiles as with the stone deck tiles, the profile would need to be screwed into the plastic base. So effectively this interconnects the row of tiles more securely and makes it much more difficult for wind to uplift the tiles on the edge of the balcony.

Of course if it was permitted to penetrate the surface on which the tiles are laid, another alternative is to insert at least one screw for each tile on the outside row through the tile and into the surface below.