If you have a balcony or patio that could do with a facelift, read on. Over the last 30 years the number of Australians living in apartments has grown by over 80%, and if townhouses are included the number is significantly higher. The choice to live in an apartment is sometimes driven by budget, but it is increasingly a life-style choice because apartments offer convenience, the opportunity to live in more vibrant areas, and often cut commuting time. The disadvantages of apartment living include space constraints, less garden and limited areas to enjoy the sun and fresh air.
For those living in apartments, the desire for a bit of green does not diminish, it just gets a bit more creative. A growing trend in recent years has been the balcony garden phenomenon. A quick search of Google or Instagram serves up a host of great ideas. Pot plants and lattices are prominent. For the floor, artificial grass, ceramic, and wooden deck tiles are common choices.
Now there is a new and unique option which really leaves all the other outdoor flooring choices looking decidedly mundane. You could think of it as outdoor parquetry. Called Hexidek, it quickly creates a beautiful and natural canvas upon which to paint your own ideal Garden of Eden. The product is an award-winning Australian innovation from Ecquality Timber Products. The company is currently looking for distribution channels throughout the country.
The inventor of the product conceived it as a way to avoid the terrible waste of wood that irritated him as the owner of a flooring and decking factory. The offcut material normally ends up as boiler fuel, which is a waste of a precious resource. One day while on a long flight he began doodling and came up with the idea for this product. He tested it for 10 years before commercialisation.
The first thing about it is how visually striking it is. There is nothing else that looks remotely like it. That is because it really is a fresh idea. Hexidek is protected by Australian and international patents. It is a DIY product that can be as simple or as complex as you like, depending on the style and arrangement of tiles. Installation is quick and easy, requiring about 10 minutes per square metre of balcony space. There is no need to use a tradesman. It is easy to keep clean because it can be squirted gently with the hose and water can flow away underneath unimpeded to the existing drain. The decking material sits above the concrete on a polypropylene base, so it dries quickly and cannot mould. It can be wiped occasionally with any low-odour, low VOC decking oil to preserve its natural colour, and protect the surface of the wood.
Hexidek sets the new standard in outdoor decking and beautiful balconies. If you want to see the product for yourself, the team will be at Design Show Australia at ICC in Sydney from the 20th to the 22nd of October. Look for Daniel and Kiri at Ecquality Timber Products, Booth No.339.
Visit www.hexidek.com