It may sound obvious, but when building a garden patio deck, one should always plan the decking out on paper first – before so much as even picking up a saw!
There is however a solution to this sometimes complicated planning stage.
A good quality timber decking kit will provide you with all the timber, deck boards, joists and fixings needed to create a high quality, durable and elegant decking area, in far less time, and with far less planning.
Of course, there are some aspects of the project which will need planning out whether you use a kit or not. The first thing to consider is location: Would you like your decking to create an environment which is sunny, shady, or somewhere between? Do you want the deck to lie next to your home, or perhaps at the end of the garden? Is privacy an important issue with your new timber decking area? Have a look at deckingx.co.uk for more info on this.
If your patio decking kit is to be installed in constant or near-constant shade, consider that it may face increased susceptibility to fungal moulds and algae.
Garden Decking and Planning Permission
Timber garden patios which cover more than half of your garden area – will almost certainly require planning approval (as will raised garden decking which stands over 600mm above ground level).
Also be aware of any pipes or drainage systems which sit beneath the surface of your proposed decking area – especially if you are to installing a raised decking area which will use sunken timber posts for supports. Lastly, an obvious point – but one which is often overlooked: never obstruct access to any manhole covers or to any other system which you may need to be able to access once the deck is completed.
Joist Timber Framework – Preparation
The timber joist framework is effectively the base on which your garden patio is built. The timber joists included in your kit will almost certainly be cut to length – but be sure to check before you begin screwing or fixing the timber joists together.
The timber deck joists are laid in line, parallel to each other, and at no greater than 60cm intervals. With timber deck boards usually 120mm wide, you also need to allow 5-6mm between each deck board to allow for shrinkage in summer, and swelling in winter. (Remember: deckboards, joists, and other components are all constructed from a natural, living material)
Raised Decking Kits
If you intend to build a timber patio deck on a slope, your first priority should be to level the ground and simply use a ground decking kit. If this cannot be done within reason, you will need to raise one end of the wooden patio so that it is level. This is done with a raised decking kit, or by adapting a ground decking kit with a deck raising kit.
Raised timber decking kits allow you to raise the timber patio area by sinking two timber supports into a simple concrete base (or by bolting them to the floor or adjacent wall, if appropriate). Where a timber patio area is to be raised in its entirety, four or six timber support posts can be used – at no more than 3.6m intervals.
Richard Harwood is a leading supplier of cheap decking kits, deck boards and other timber decking components, and is founder of Timber Decking Warehouse, a leading decking company based near Leicester, UK. Timber Decking Warehouse has designed a wide range of high quality, cheap decking kits and can also supply customized or bespoke decking by the meter.
DECK TILES 