decking

adrian_bond

hi everyone,

me and a freind are looking at building some decking areas at our respective houses in the next few weeks. my area is approx 6m x 4m, and my freinds is 4m x 3m.

we were wondering if anyone has any experience with different brands of decking and who can recommend or disuade the use of any particular brand.

using my place as an example; at 600 x 400 cm`s (approx) and using 240cm boards im thinking i need approx 80 boards for the deck, with perhaps more (another pack) if i build some benches and fixed flower beds out of the stuff.

B and Q have some on sale at the mo @ £2.40 per 2.4m length = £192
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=11447553&fh_view_size=12&fh_start_index=12&fh_eds=%3f&fh_location=%2f%2fcatal!!!1%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3c%7b9372012%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372019%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372068%7d%2fspecificationsProductType%3ddecking_components&fh_refview=lister&isSearch=false

wickes have a similar board @ £4.30 if i buy 20 or more per 2.4 m length = £344 for the wood alone.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/deck-board/invt/101000/

im also going to need to endure that the units are raised on treated timber frame so will factor in another £100 for that. the deck itself will be mounted on existing concrete and mounted on a series of pan tiles to enure that the wood isnt in constant contact with the wet concrete floor. is this a good idea?

obviously im trying to do this as cheaply as possible and will need to ensure that the decking stays slip free all year round as it will be in constant use. the decking is covering the floor areas of mine and my neighbours back doors which are used extensivly (its for the shared areas on a ground floor flat). im thinking some fine sand and ronseal grip varnish stuff to finish it all off.

what do all youi experienced gardeners / diy`ers and money saving experts think? any advise or opinions are welcome. cheers

Adrian :beer:

will-he-payitoff

I would have another look at the price of the frame the boards sit on £100 may be way out. Dont use any type of varnish or paint it will peel off, use decking stain if you want to change colour.

27col

I've done a couple of fair sized decks using Wickes materials. We were pleased with the quality and the prices.

square_bear

The quality depends on the thickness of the boards.

The centres of the deck frame need to be closer together if you are buying thinner boards.

I bought mine from Travis Perkins (32mm boards) about 5 years ago, still looking good.

You do need to treat it with Deck Oil first to seal it and to stop it from becoming too slippery and going a funny green colour.

Tucker

Have you priced up a builders merchant.

Oh, B&Q have 15% off this weekend with an email voucher. No minimum spend either.

julianashcroft

Well worth comparing a board from a DIY shed with what you can get from a builders merchants. I did this when I put down a deck last year. The B&Q decking was very poor quality, it was thin, full of knots and the finish was poor. The decking I got from the builders merchants was much higher quality and was well priced. They even felivered free of charge.

sunshinetours

Would also say get it from a wood yard rather than B&Q, assomeone said its the thickness and straightness of the boards that is important.
Ensuring you have treated wood for the frame , including treating the cut ends is also important.

Oil is far better than paint or varnish type finishes and providing you keep the deck well brushed (get a stiff broom) and treated it should not get overly slippery. you can buy anti slip treatments (I know hicksons used to do one for use on steps and such like) however any wooden surface in the wet is likely to be reasonably slippery - go for a patio instead if you want more secure footing

LandyAndy

Decking? Is this 1990?

Tucker

Yes Handy Andy, now you stick to Changing Rooms. This thread is for Ground Force Team only.

WobblyDog

I would echo what others have said - try some local builders merchants for quotes. My local BM was much cheaper than the DIY sheds. My BM was able to supply boards up to 4 metres long, which was handy because it meant less joints and a bit less labour.

Consider the thickness (not just width) of the decking boards. Thicker boards will have less bounce and will not require the support joists to be so close together. Some decking suppliers are able to quote attractive prices by supplying thinner boards.

Your estimate for the support framework sounds a bit low. It's best to over-engineer this bit, because if you build it too weak, you will have to tear down the whole thing to fix it.

I've used Liberon decking oil on my recently built decking. I'm not sure yet whether this was a good idea or not. It gives a really nice finish, but it's not cheap, and the wood seems to have an insatiable appetite for it. I've already applied 3 coats, and the wood looks like it's ready for another one.

WobblyDog

Oh, and another thing, unless you have your own lorry, it's probably best to order a bit more of the longs lengths of boards and joists than you think you will need.

If like me you don't order quite enough of the long stuff, you could end up paying for additional deliveries, the cost of which would have paid for quite a lot of additional timber in the original delivery.