Carpentry, Deck & Timber Maintenance Across Canberra
Timber repairs, deck maintenance, door and frame carpentry, and general timber work done to last through Canberra's climate.
- Fixed price before we start
- 10+ years experience
- Fully insured & police cleared
The carpentry & timber problems we get called about most
Deck gone grey and rough underfoot
Sun-facing merbau and treated pine lose their oil within 12 to 18 months in Canberra. We sand back the lifted fibres and recoat before splinters and water damage set in.
A fence post or bearer that has gone soft
Rot spreads quietly until a post gives way. We probe it, splice sound timber where we can, and tell you honestly when a full replacement is the safer call.
A door that only sticks in winter
Timber swells with the cold and shrinks back in summer, so planing in July leaves a gap by January. We pack the hinge or adjust the strike plate instead of cutting the door.
Timber moves twice a year in Canberra
Hard frosts swell it, dry summers shrink it back. Do that thirty times and the strain shows up in the same places: decks that have gone grey and lifted, fence posts soft at ground level, doors that bind every winter and clear every summer, skirtings that have pulled away from the wall.
We repair and maintain the timber that takes that strain. Deck sanding, oiling and re-staining. Wood rot splicing. Sticking door repairs. Fence post and panel work. Skirtings, architraves and general timber carpentry.
What we look at first
Before anything gets cut, we probe. A screwdriver pushed into the suspect area tells you more than a photo does: soft and sinking means the timber is gone, firm resistance means it is sound and only the surface has weathered. That five-minute check is the difference between a sand-and-oil job and a replacement quote, and it is why we do it before pricing rather than after.
The same goes for structure. On a deck we look at the joists and bearers underneath, not just the boards you walk on. On a fence we check where the post meets the ground, because that is where water sits. Merbau decking and treated pine behave differently, and we account for that in both the repair and the finish.
Deck maintenance
A Canberra deck in full sun needs oiling every 12 to 18 months. Left longer, the grain lifts, water starts soaking in instead of beading off, and the boards go silver-grey. Sanding back removes the lifted fibres and opens the timber up so the oil actually penetrates. Two coats of a decking oil or timber stain rated for UV (Cabot’s, Feast Watson or Intergrain, depending on the timber) takes it from there.
Rot repair and splicing
Where rot is localised and the surrounding structure is sound, cutting it out and splicing in new timber is the sensible repair. It costs a fraction of a rebuild and holds just as well. Where rot has travelled, we say so. Wet rot stays near its moisture source; dry rot spreads through drier timber and needs a wider cut-back. Fence posts get set on a galvanised post stirrup so the new timber never sits in wet ground.
Doors, trim and general carpentry
A dragging door is usually a 90-minute fix: a packed hinge, a longer screw, a strike plate a few millimetres out. Planing the door is the last resort, not the first, because a door planed in winter leaves a gap all summer. Fascia and bargeboard repairs, skirtings and architraves round out the general timber work, all quoted at a fixed price before we start.
How much does carpentry & timber cost in Canberra?
Standard carpentry and timber jobs run $150–$180. Larger deck sanding and oiling work is quoted by area, always at a fixed price agreed upfront.
Small timber repair
A sticking door, a split paling, a loose piece of trim.
- Sticking and dragging door repair
- Paling and rail replacement
- Skirting and architrave refitting
- Diagnosis before anything gets cut
Deck maintenance
Sand back, oil and re-stain so the deck survives another winter.
- Sanding back lifted grain and grey timber
- Decking oil or stain: Cabot's, Feast Watson or Intergrain
- Loose board and popped fixing repair
- Joist and bearer check while we are under there
Rot repair & fencing
Structural timber that has started to give way.
- Wood rot splicing where the structure is sound
- Fence post replacement with post stirrup
- Fascia and bargeboard repair
- Honest call on repair versus replace
Prices depend on scope, access and materials. Bundling several jobs into one visit lowers the per-job cost. Ask for a free fixed quote.
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Get my estimateWhy choose us for carpentry & timber?
We diagnose before we cut
Half of what looks like rot is surface weathering. We probe first so you are not paying to replace timber that only needed a sand and an oil.
Built for Canberra timber
Hard frosts swell timber and dry summers shrink it back. We pick fixings and finishes that cope with that annual movement.
Splice where it makes sense
Cutting out a rotted section and splicing in sound timber is often a fraction of a full replacement, and lasts just as long.
One booking for the lot
Deck, fence, doors and trim in the same visit, quoted together at a fixed price.
How does carpentry & timber work?
Photos and a poke
Send photos of the timber. On site we probe suspect areas with a screwdriver before quoting, so nothing gets missed.
Repair or replace
You get an honest call. Localised rot in sound structure gets spliced; timber that is past it gets replaced, and we say which is which.
Cut and fit
Treated pine or merbau to match, fixed properly with the right hardware for the exposure.
Finish and protect
The right oil or stain for the exposure, so the repair weathers with the rest of the timber instead of standing out.
Timber repair with us vs a full replacement quote
Most rot and movement is repairable. Here is how a repair-first approach compares with a builder quoting a rebuild.
| Canberra Handyman Services | Rebuild or replacement quote | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting assumption | Probe first, repair where the structure is sound | Replace the run or the structure |
| Typical cost | A spliced post or board is a fraction of a rebuild | Full material and labour for the whole structure |
| Disruption | Localised, usually one visit | Demolition, waste and multiple days |
| Honest scope | We say when replacement genuinely is the answer | Rarely quotes the smaller option |
| Suits | Localised rot, loose boards, a leaning post | Structures that have failed throughout |
Not sure if it is worth a call for carpentry & timber?
Send a photo and your suburb. We will tell you straight, and quote a fixed price before anything starts.
Recent carpentry & timber jobs
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See the difference
Carpentry & Timber, the same spot before and after.
What customers say about our carpentry & timber
5.0 average across 57+ Google reviews
"Deck was grey and lifting. Sanded, oiled and two dodgy boards replaced. Looks like a new deck and cost far less than the quote I had to rebuild it."
"Two fence posts had rotted at the base. He spliced one and replaced the other, explained exactly why, and the fence is dead straight again."
"Back door had been dragging every winter for three years. Sorted in under an hour and it's shut cleanly ever since."
Carpentry & Timber FAQs
How do I know if my deck needs sanding or replacing?
Push a screwdriver into a few boards, especially near the ends and where they meet the joists. If it sinks in easily the timber is gone; if it stops firm, the deck is sound and a sand plus two coats of oil will bring it back. Grey colour on its own is UV weathering, not rot.
How often should a Canberra deck be oiled?
Every 12 to 18 months for a deck in full sun, and up to two years for a shaded one. Canberra's frost-and-UV combination strips a coat faster than a coastal climate does. If water stops beading on the surface, it is due.
What is the difference between wet rot and dry rot?
Both destroy timber. Wet rot needs a constant moisture source and stays local to the damp area, which makes it easier to cut out and splice. Dry rot travels through drier timber and needs a wider cut-back. We identify which one you have before quoting the repair.
Can a rotted fence post be repaired instead of replaced?
Sometimes. If the rot is confined to the section at ground level and the post above is sound, we can cut it back and splice in new treated pine on a galvanised post stirrup, which keeps the timber off the wet ground. If the rot has travelled up the post, replacement is the honest answer.
Which decking oil do you use?
Cabot's, Feast Watson or Intergrain depending on the timber and the exposure. Merbau and treated pine take finishes differently, and a west-facing deck needs a higher UV rating than a covered one.
My door sticks every winter but is fine in summer. Why?
Timber swells with moisture and contracts when it dries. Canberra swings hard between the two, so a door fitted with a tight tolerance will bind in the cold months. Usually the fix is packing a hinge, a longer screw or a small adjustment to the strike plate, not planing the door, which leaves a gap all summer.
Do you do fascia and bargeboard repairs?
Yes, where the work is at a safe working height and within handyman scope. Rotted fascia is often the first sign a gutter has been overflowing, so we check the gutter line at the same time.
Still not sure?
Call and ask. We would rather tell you it is a ten-minute fix than sell you a job you do not need.
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Ready to book carpentry & timber?
Send your suburb and a couple of photos. You get a fixed price for carpentry & timber maintenance before any work starts.
- Fixed price before we start
- Fully insured & police cleared
- Callback within the hour, Mon–Fri