Diamond Essence can be used on any solid, even surface e.g. courtyards, balconies, patios, porches, roof tops, hot tub surrounds, pool surrounds, garden paths, boat decks, garages, gazebos, sun rooms, basements, campgrounds…anywhere you would like a beautiful wood deck or floor.  

The tiles have built-in tabs on all sides, which lock securely to the adjacent tiles so they do not move once laid. The grid of the carriage is designed to distribute the weight of the lumber and anything on top of it.  

The wood is unaffected by snow although you may notice some minor cupping of the wood slats just after the snow has melted and the wood surface is still wet. This cupping will disappear once the snow completely melts and the wood surface dries.

While the carriage becomes increasingly brittle at sub zero temperatures, this will not cause any problems once the tiles are laid. However, we don't recommend laying tiles in sub zero conditions as the interlocking tabs could become brittle and break during installation.

The carriage, as well as the wood, can withstand temperatures up to 60 degrees C (140 f) without any problem.  

Due to the gaps between the slats of wood and the specially designed mesh carriage, any water drains away quickly and freely. No water remains trapped or in extended contact with the wood, eliminating any water problems.    

Hot and humid conditions do not affect the wood.  The small gaps designed and left between the slats of wood allow the wood to naturally expand and contract as needed. Under some conditions, a slight cupping of the wood slats may occur after heavy rainfall, but this will disappear as the surface dries.  

No. Each wood slat is secured to the plastic base by at least two corrosion resistant screws.

Since you can install the Diamond Essence products yourself, the difference in installation cost is huge. Also, if you compare the cost of building a hardwood deck the traditional way, the materials costs alone would be far higher. Typically, you can expect that a Diamond Essence deck tile installation will be less than half the cost of building a conventional hardwood deck. Diamond Essence Outdoor Flooring also offers more possibilities in terms of design, and can easily be taken up and reinstalled in another location if needed. If you are installing the tiles over an existing concrete patio, consider the massive savings in time, cost and the backbreaking work of digging up and re-laying the concrete pad.  

Diamond Essence is guaranteed against faulty workmanship for a period of ten years from the date of purchase. This does not cover natural imperfections or variations in timber, misuse or failure to maintain the timber, or being laid on a surface that is not well drained.  

  Although the warranty period extends for 10 years from the date of purchase, the wood used in the tiles has a rated durability in excess of 15 to 30 years under normal exterior conditions.   " id='Resp[1]' style='width:654px !important;width:650px; height:150px;' > Although the warranty period extends for 10 years from the date of purchase, the wood used in the tiles has a rated durability in excess of 15 to 30 years under normal exterior conditions.  

Since Diamond Essence are solid woods and attached to a plastic base, you need to take the same care as you would with any wood related product. Diamond Essence can, however, be used around barbeque areas provided normal precautions are observed against hot coals or burning embers falling on the product.  

While the plastic bases can support a car being driven over the tiles, we do not recommend their use for vehicular traffic.  

While covering drab concrete surfaces is an ideal use for the tiles, they can equally well be laid over ceramic tiles, pavers, existing wood decks, and other hard surfaces.  

We normally recommend that Diamond Essence be laid on well-compacted gravel rather than bare earth. If you wish to lay the product directly on bare ground or grass, we recommend covering the area to be laid with weed control mat before laying the tiles. In all cases, the ground should be firm, level and with a slight slope for drainage.  

Diamond Essence Products are not designed to be laid on bearers. They must be laid on a solid surface.  A contractor should generally be able to find a solution for your installation.  

Certainly. However, you should take care that if any crumbs or other food particles fall in the gaps between the wood slats, they should be vacuumed away promptly.

Provided the surface and supporting framework are structurally sound and the surface is even, the tiles are an ideal and cost effective way to bring an existing deck back to its former glory, and perhaps a better looking custom design deck with the various colors & wood species offered by Diamond Essence.  

The pressure on the tile base is normally distributed in such a way that no damage will occur. However, if you wish to take additional precautions, we suggest laying down a suitable geotextile mat before the tiles are laid.  

If the slope is not so great that you can actually walk on it, then the tiles could satisfactorily be laid. Some slope is ideal as it allows water to drain freely away.  

No. Installation of the tiles requires no adhesives, nails, screws or any other fixing devices.  However if you prefer to have the product glued, use “Concrete Glue” which will secure the product even further, although it is not necessary.  

Diamond Essence products can be installed in one to two hours, depending on the size and complexity. Decks with curved edges or fitting around pipes etc. may take longer due to the extra carriage cutting required.  

The only tools required are a tape measure, carpenter's square, handsaw; jig saw (if there are any curved areas) screwdriver, utility knife and sandpaper (for smoothing any cut edges).  

If you played with Lego ® as a child, then you will find laying Diamond Essence products just as easy. The carriage locks securely and precisely in place with just a gentle push. Alignment of the carriage is automatic so you just extend the Outdoor Flooring in whichever direction you want without any alignment problems. You only need to be able to use a handsaw or jigsaw if it is necessary to cut any carriages to fit around pipes or to fit a final row of tiles against a retaining wall or the outside deck edge.  

No. Only if the carriages are installed directly on the ground, then a weed control film should be laid first.  

You can just simply cut the carriage with a handsaw or jigsaw. You may however need to insert additional screws via the existing screw holes in the plastic base to ensure that each wood slat is still secured with a least two screws.  

Matching edge pieces and corner edger pieces are available that simply snap into place on the outer edge of a row of tiles.  

Tiles can only be used for steps or stairs if they are screwed securely to the base of the stairway or if you glue them with “Concrete Glue”.  Additionally, end capping should be fixed to the edge of the tile to hide the plastic base. For the vertical edges transitioning down to the next step or to ground level, we recommend detaching the wood from the plastic base and affixing it to the surface with a quality adhesive designed for wood, and also designed for the surface you are attaching it to. You can also cover the edge of the carriage on the step above with this piece of wood. If you have a radius or curved edge that you need to cover, we recommend using bender board (available at hardware or lumber stores) that closely matches the color of the wood tile.  A contractor should fix any extremely hard installations.  

The carriages can "bridge" about 3/8 in. of vertical mismatch in a concrete sub-surface as long as any such cracking doesn't lie directly below the tile joins. Excessive unevenness in a concrete surface will need to be repaired with a patching compound or resurfaced prior to installation.  

You can use your new deck immediately.

In normal conditions, the gaps between the wood slats and the special mesh carriage ensure good airflow and quick drying which inhibits mold and mildew growth on the wood. If installed in exterior areas, which remain, damp and out of direct sunlight, then some growth of mold or mildew may occur as with any conventional wood.  

Light debris or dirt that may collect between the wood slats can be removed with a stiff broom, leaf blower, vacuum cleaner, or you can use a garden hose or pressure washer.  

Any hardwood deck will eventually fade and turn grey if not treated with preservative oil at regular intervals. Although the tiles are pre-finished with preservative oil containing UV absorbing properties, the oil will not provide a permanent protection against fading or graying of the timber. To assist in preserving the original wood color as long as possible, we recommended that a good quality decking oil be applied every six to 12 months depending on the climatic conditions.  

You can easily take up any or all of the tiles and re-install them in a new location as desired.