Decking - yes or no?

GDB2222

82much wrote: »

Thank you for most interesting replies and 'food for thought'. We have about 2 foot drop from the french doors so I thought it would look better than putting steps in. Quite a large garden and house very contemporary. We have paving at the side but thought decking would look softer and more interesting. Will report back with your replies to 'he who doesn't want decking!!'

If you decked, what would you gain? For example, a sunny spot to eat outside, just by the back doors with no steps down? Is the alternative just sitting on the lawn with a couple of steps down? How much is that difference worth to you?

How much would it cost to build, and would it really add that value to the house?

sirmosh

82much wrote: »

Thank you for most interesting replies and 'food for thought'. We have about 2 foot drop from the french doors so I thought it would look better than putting steps in. Quite a large garden and house very contemporary. We have paving at the side but thought decking would look softer and more interesting. Will report back with your replies to 'he who doesn't want decking!!'

You need planning permission for decking over a foot high so you'll either need to get PP or still put a step down to the decking.

Caroline_a

I had decking in my last house - it was grooved, and good quality stuff, but it did become very slippery in winter and despite frequent dosings of bleach which does kill the green algae that makes it slippery, it came back really quickly.

Would I have it again? probably not...

paddyrg

If you're going to do it, spend proper money and do a proper job - rotting decking would be a turn-off (and extra cost to remove) for anyone buying.

meer53

ognum wrote: »

My daughter has decking outside a Victorian terrace, it was there when she moved in and actually looks quite nice.

On the day she got the keys I visited with my small terrier, the first thing he did was sniff, then scrabble beside the decking and come out with a live rat in his mouth!!!!

Apparently decking often becomes a home for rats, they enjoy the food that falls through and can live very happily unnoticed and comfortable.

so for me, decking, no thanks!!

We had the same experience. Lovely decking, huge rats nest underneath.:eek:

Also very dangerous when wet in the winter. I would never have decking again and if i moved somewhere that had it, i would have it removed straight away.

Doshwaster

paddyrg wrote: »

If you're going to do it, spend proper money and do a proper job - rotting decking would be a turn-off (and extra cost to remove) for anyone buying.

Good decking looks great but you have to look after it. If it was done on the cheap in first place or is poorly maintained then it looks terrible - and can be dangerous.

I bought in 2010 and the garden had some rotting decking. The first thing I did was rip it all out and replace with some nice low maintenance paving stones.

scooterpig

I live in the US and in this area decking is very common - most houses have a basement and many are designed to have a deck or balcony at the living room level. Our deck is high enough off the ground to walk under it at one end. Many people have decks which are even taller and have a shaded sitting are under the deck. It's unusual to see a deck that's only a foot or two off the ground, people here would generally have steps and paving instead in that case.

We get long, cold, very snowy winters and hot summers, a lot of sunshine and some almighty thunderstorms, all of which take their toll on the deck. We had to replace beams, strip and repaint the deck when we first moved in last year, which was seriously hard work. It got painted with 20-year paint - I think it'll probably need done again in 2 years. Our deck is built from pressure treated wood (possibly red oak) and has never been slippery apart from when a huge thick ice sheet formed under the snow during the winter (to be fair, the snow was lying 3 feet deep for several months).

Friends have a composite trex deck, which needs less maintenance and is looks great, but is much more pricey to install (over here, anyway). I would imagine there's something similar in the UK. They use very similar materials to build walkways in some parks, and I know my mum wasn't keen on them as she thought it was slippery. Could be related to the climate though.

VfM4meplse

Not fond of the look of it, esp when weathered. There are much more attractive ways of creating useful space outdoors IMO.

cattie

Decking looks great as mentioned, especially when over a large area, but it is darn hard work to look after and keep it looking lovely.

A couple of years ago I had a large raised decked terrace installed and it was only after a bad winter that I began to realise what a liability it could be. The work involved in keeping it nice contributed to my decision to put my house on the market as everything was getting too much for me.

But, everybody who has viewed has loved this decked terrace, so I believe it has made the house more attractive to quite a few viewers.

Would I want decking again? No fear, I'd run a mile from it!

shortdog

I hate decking, and wouldn't even contemplate a house with it - it gets very slippery, especially in winter, and the kids would end up going flying.
It's fine, I think, if you're only going to use it on nice summers evenings etc, but, if it's a family home, chances are kids will want to use the garden in winter as well, which would cause me concerns.