As the weather heats up and we head back outdoors, many homeowners are finding ways to upgrade their outdoor entertainment areas to make the most of long summer days and balmy nights. Our QwickBuild framing system and ResortDeck composite decking make light work of an outdoor upgrade, as demonstrated recently on The Block Australia. Here, we break down how two teams – Kirsty and Jesse from House 5 and Josh and Luke from House 4 – used ResortDeck to create two very different outdoor spaces that boast sizzling summer style.

International travel isn’t on the cards any time soon, but couple Kirsty and Jesse turned their wanderlust into design inspiration for their outdoor space. Says their landscaper, Jayson from Cutting Landscapes: “Kirsty and Jesse were looking for a tropical Hamptons theme and the decked alfresco was going to be a perfect entertaining space to step onto and overlook the pool surround and feature seating firepit area.”

With some 20 years’ experience under his belt, Jayson is well-versed in the art of creating outdoor spaces with balance; knowing that the right combination of textures and colours can transform tired, al fresco areas into tranquil escapes that truly feel a world away.

Like all room and space transformations on The Block, time posed the biggest challenge for the couple, so the Outdure QwickBuild system and nail-free ResortDeck made decking installation quick and easy. “We lost some time with all the cuts under the bench, but setting up the subframe was fast – it all goes together like kids Meccano pieces – and the full-length boards went down even quicker,” Jayson explains. “We got really good support from the Outdure team, who sent out custom-made diagrams demonstrating the construction, which was very helpful for us.”

Kirsty and Jesse went for ResortDeck composite flooring in ‘Sea Salt’, a lighter hue that evokes coastal vibes and brightens up the main covered deck, home to a dining area and barbecue and woodfired pizza oven. Not only is ResortDeck termite- and moisture-proof, making it a long-lasting choice for an outdoor space, it’s also eco-friendly, something Jayson says is a huge selling point. “The ResortDeck boards are made from recycled and recyclable materials, making them much more sustainable than using natural hardwood timber, and they wear better as well,” he explains.

Long afternoon barbecues (or pizza parties) easily move into relaxed social evenings thanks to the firepit area, which sits adjacent to the inground pool. ResortDeck’s flexible design means that it can be customised for different settings as Kirsty and Jesse have demonstrated, repurposing the decking for bench seating that surrounds the firepit, which ties both entertainment spaces together. Here, summer entertaining is well and truly sorted.

Meanwhile, in House 4, the same ResortDeck hue elevated Josh and Luke’s urban-chic outdoor space. The twins – with no prior renovation experience – chose the decking to match their living room, creating a seamless flow from the airy indoor space onto the enclosed back entertainment area and adjacent inground pool.

While Josh and Luke favoured a timber frame over QwuickBuild for their space, the ResortDeck boards were installed just as easily, using the QwickClips that lock each board in place. ResortDeck boards are ideal for completely exposed outdoor areas such as this, as they come with UltraShield technology, which protects the boards from moisture and weather damage – an ideal choice to frame the pool. ResortDeck is also impervious to termite damage and is UV resistant, which means that even over a wooden frame, the decking should hold its colour and strength for years to come.

A sleek outdoor dining setting and wall-to-wall BBQ area completes the space, and no doubt it will be the most used room in the house right through the summer months.