Decking help

CM66

After gettting some ridiculous quotes for garden landscaping i've decided to have a go at decking the garden myself!!

I wondered if anyone had any suggestions on the best way to go about this. I know that B&Q, homebase etc all sell the materials - i've also found a website called pro decks which supply pre-cut boards which sounds perfect. Just wondered if anyone had used them and if they were any good? Or if you know of any other companies that are good?

Also, how long do you think it would take 2 reasonably DIY able to build a decking roughly 4m x 5m??

Any info appreciated!!

Clare

madmartin

You can get decking kits - surely that might be easier? I presume they'd come with everything you need and instructions? I've had a look and I'm haven't seen any in the size you need but it may be worth investigating?

iamcornholio

It all depends on whether the frame is being built off posts or off pads, and how awkward the lie of the land is.

The actual laying of the deck is easy, its the bits beneath which is harder

Don't be restricted by a "kit" unless you have that exact area to cover. Same for pre cut boards.

Work out the area, and what timber you need and just order it for delivery from a merchant or shed. Cut on site, and it will be made to measure and a much better job

Just make sure that you use enough posts or pads, and enough beams and joists - including noggins between joists, and then you will get a rock-solid deck with no bounce at all

27col

I couldn't agree more iamcornholio. I love building decks. It is not rocket science, just plain common sense mostly. Wickes do a very useful "How to Do It" leaflet on the subject. In fact with the several decks that I have built I got all the materials from Wickes, they were as cheap as anywhere and in my case nearer. I certainly would not get involved in a "kit". It would not leave you any freedom to alter the design if you wanted to. You need to design the layout so as to avoid wastage as much as possible. But I find it quite theraputic to hand saw the planks. If it is a largish area I would treat myself to a new hard-point saw before starting.

CM66

Thanks for all your replies. I'll take a look at Wickes at the weekend and see what they've got.....

As I'm looking for a straigtforward rectangular shape sound like i shouldn't have any problems with cutting etc!

Thanks again for the info

julianashcroft

Ive just built a deck at home: http://jashcroft.blogspot.com/2010/08/deck.html

I looked at the decking boards at B&Q and while they were cheap the quality was pretty poor, so I ordered decking and the supports from my local builders merchants, who delivered free of charge. The important bit is to get the frame right first, putting the boards down is straight forward. Mine went over a grassed area, so I killed the grass first with weedkiller, scraped off the remains of the grass and put down a layer of weed barrier cloth.

Don't forget to use pressure treated timber

amarg

I have built a few decks.

Steer well clear of the sheds, you can get a much better deal at your local timber merchants.

Read this before you start and you won't go far wrong-
http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/diy/decking/index.htm

BrokeButWorkingOnIt

Handsawing is quite theraputic, as 27col says, and good exercise to boot, but if its not your cup of tea, or you don't have the patience, then screwfix sell a chopsaw (a circular saw on a pivot) for £30. This could speed up your bespoke cutting no end & give you a better finish if your sawing arm gets tired easily.

Where ever you source it from, you might want to keep an eye on batch numbers etc... We' just powerwashed our decking after three years of ownership & come to the conclusion we have at least three woods on our deck. Its not unsightly IMHO, but I can imagine some folks would be annoyed at the variagated appearance
Last, two screws on each end will stop edges lifting in dry weather, all the best....

julianashcroft

BrokeButWorkingOnIt wrote: »

Handsawing is quite theraputic, as 27col says, and good exercise to boot, but if its not your cup of tea, or you don't have the patience, then screwfix sell a chopsaw (a circular saw on a pivot) for £30. This could speed up your bespoke cutting no end & give you a better finish if your sawing arm gets tired easily.

I would second the Chopsaw option. I managed to borrow one off a friend for the day. This one also had the sliding arm which made the wide decking planks easier to cut especially the ones I had to do at an angle. I also used a circular saw to cut all the ends to a straight edge once the decking had been fixed in place.

kaya

wickes have a 33% off decking sale on atm, i think it finishes on the 1st, they also sell 4.8m lengths of decking which makes a 4.8m x 3m deck a real breeze to put down, no deckboards to cut and very strong

julianashcroft

£7.99 for a 4.8m deck board from Wickes is pretty good value. I paid £9.00 for a 4m board from a local timber merchant, but everything is a bit more expensive over on the Isle of Man.