Kmart shopper wows with backyard transformation using $19 item: 'I love these'

There’s usually an area in your yard you’d like to do something about, whether it’s that patch of grass the dog dug up or the tumble-down fence, but the reality is that fixing up your outdoor areas is often expensive. Get a landscaper or builder involved, and you’re looking at thousands of dollars for something that, in these tight times, you could probably do without.

It was what a savvy DIY-er discovered when she was quoted $3500 to have a deck laid in an “unusable concrete space” around the side of her home. Undeterred, she came up with a plan that has thrown all those who’ve seen the results into a frenzy, and all it took was a trip to Kmart and some elbow grease.

Kmart shopper saves $3100 with DIY deck transformation

Sharing her outdoor revamp on Facebook, the Kmart customer revealed that she had used four-packs of wooden decking tiles, which retail for $19. The tiles easily slot together and create a beautiful outdoor look.

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“Very easy to cut to fit, interlocking so no nails or glue and they are real acacia wood with plastic bottom to elevate off concrete and allow drainage,” she said on Facebook.

She went one step further and applied two coats of Aquadeck decking oil to extend the life of the Kmart tiles and, after adding an outdoor rug, umbrella and two $99 stripped sunloungers from Bunnings, she was done.

The entire space cost just $400, so $3,100 less than she was quoted, and she said it’s turned the “wasted area” which looks onto her pool into a “useable poolside lounging space.”

Kmart a DIY 'secret weapon'

DIY home renovator Bijour Jacqueline from Vanilla Palm Designs praises the Kmart outdoor products, and, while she hasn’t used the decking, she told Yahoo Lifestyle she’s a big fan of Kmart’s viral travertine stone tiles, which she used for a bathhouse floor and a pathway.

“I was able to lay them myself, and they are as good now as they were the day I laid them about two years ago,” she said.

“I’ve seen people use the decking tiles for their balcony space. You can spruce up your outdoor area instead of having boring concrete, and you can just take them up easily, so they’re great for a rental property,” she added.

Given the cost and quality, she agreed Kmart could be a home renovator's real secret weapon.

“I cringe if I see a fully Kmart decorated room, but having a mix of Kmart and other things is the way to go. We all have a budget, and we have to stop somewhere,” she said.

Kmart fans rave over DIY discovery

Meanwhile, the outdoor transformation using the decking tiles received high praise from fellow DIY enthusiasts.

“Wow, you did such a great job. It looks amazing,” said one.

“Wowsers I'm impressed you certainly are a very capable handy woman to have around,” said another.

Plenty were so interested that they had questions about installation in their own spaces.

“Does anyone know how these same decking tiles would go if put directly onto the ground? Could I lay them directly onto the weed mat?”

“As long as it’s flat you absolutely can,” came the reply.

Another asked about whether the Kmart deck would withstand heavy pots.

“The decking tiles are quite hardy so you’d be fine with your pots I’d say!” she said. “That umbrella base weighs 25kgs alone!”

Others questioned whether they got slippery and hot but the experience here was that, while they did heat up in direct sun, the heat and slipperiness was no worse than any other type of deck or artificial grass.

How long will the DIY deck last?

Of course, there’s always going to be naysayers, and the main negative comment was about how long a $19 Kmart decking product was really going to last outside.

One woman said hers had “lifted discoloured and also cracked,” and that you get what you pay for but the original DIY-er struck back.

“They need to be treated before being laid down - many make the mistake of just laying the decking tiles assuming they are pre-oiled/treated and they’re not,” she said, adding, “We will maintain them like any other deck and have spares for replacements.”

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Another comment spoke to the fact the Kmart decking does, in fact, stand the test of time.

“These tiles last so long! My mum has had them in her outdoor front entranceway with constant use 1000000x a day and they’ve lasted like 5yrs now,” it said. “They’ve faded but nothing a lil stain can’t fix.”

Reviews on Kmart’s website are positive too. “After months they are still good as new,” read one and the majority of posters gave the tiles five stars.

“Great product. Easy to clip together, looks great and more than half the price of other competitors,” read one.

“I love these! They are so easy to assemble, look great and really elevate my balcony,” said another.

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