Decking

leeegglestone

I get it now.
Had a v late night & early morning, not fully up to speed today

Raksha

MORPH3US wrote:

Raksha, how much were the planks and joists from Jewsons in what sizes?

Any to anyone else, why when I ring the timber merchants do they say planks are 32 x 125 and then say the finished planks are 27 x 120?

M

Yes - decking was £2.25/m (in lengths 32mm x 150mm, a bit longer than the ones you've been quoted for) - structural timber was the same price as the other poster (£1.09/m). The decking has two finishes - fine grooves and coarser grooves.

He's just finishing it off as we speak - looking good (even if I say so myself )

HTH

Gorgeous_George

A few more of useful tips.

1. If the planks need cutting, lay them first and screw into position. Now, use another plank as a guide, clamped into position, and use a circular saw to trim the ends. Easier to get a good finish this way.

2. Two drills. One loaded with a drill bit and the other with a screwdriver bit. Alternatively, use quick release fittings.

3. Borrow a sliding mitre saw if you need to make a lot of cuts.

4. Use a couple of 6 inch nails to ensure the joints are evenly spaced.



GG

cash99

THFC wrote:

Bought my screws from screwfix and B&Q with discount. Cheapest place.

Top tip - Predrill holes before screwing decks down - avoids splitting decks.

Better still spend £1 more and get screws that are designed to be driven into wood. There are over 1000 of these in my deck,with no splits at all. I would never have considered drilling pilot holes.

leeegglestone

the existing areas u have which are now turning into decking. what are they?

concrete areas, grass areas, soil areas?
and are they simply on top of what was already there.

just trying to generate some ideas in my mind as i have Grass Area, Soil area, and place where a polytunnel is, unsure at present if underneath this is concrete base or just general garden. This is the area I may have Decking

Raksha

My decking is over an old concrete path (which was previously a chicken run!) and a small area of lawn, There is brick paving up to the decking in a curve, so it appears to go under the decking and out the other side. I did ask OH to use some weed suppresant material, but he just laughed - I hope I don't have to say 'told you so'......

leeegglestone

god id def have to use some weed suppresant.
When i moved in, i went over the garden, pulling the weeds out, conscience effort to get the roots too. Everywhere is covered in weeds again. Weed killer time me thinks when ive decided what im gonna do wiv it.

Any chance u can take some pics of ur garden & post.

Lois_Lane

We had a shabby area of paved patio which was in poor condition, and a small area of decking with a pebble fountain set into it. These are now hidden by a deck which is 22 feet wide (full width of the house) by 9 feet, with a gazebo above. We put weed proof membrane down to stop weeds growing through, but also so that we couldn't see the original patio/deck through the gaps!

OH and I drew up a design for what we wanted and took it to a local independent hardware and timber shop, and they made a list of what we needed - coach bolts, decking boards, uprights, crossbeams, screws, and concrete to set the uprights into. It was much cheaper than the kits you see in the garden centres, for a much bigger structure, and it has transformed our garden, giving us something that really feels like an extension to the house in the summer.

We also have a 'lower deck' (sounds posh doesn't it!) at the end of the garden.

LL

MORPH3US

Excuse my ignorance, but when you say drill a pilot hole, do you mean a hole slightly smaller than the size of the screw right through the wood or just a little bit into the wood to get it started.

Also, what are these "special" screws for screwing wood?

Last thing I want is split deckboards when I ordered the right ammount!

M

MORPH3US

And one other thing, we have brought some decking stain for the boards, but do I need to treat the joists before I put them down, and what do I treat them with!

M