Alternatives to decking

cyantist

The decking in our garden in getting springy, boards are coming loose and it desperately needs repairing. However DH and I don't like decking and we would just like to get rid of it if possible.

The garden is on a slope. The decking area is raised about 4ft off the ground, and at the end of the decking area there is a wall about 5ft tall up to the rest of the garden.

I don’t want to remove all the decking and have it at ground level because there will then just be a 9ft wall which will be dangerous and too shaded. Also the ground slopes under the decking so digging it all out will be a huge job.

Is there anything else we could do?

wymondham

do you like skiing? just a thought!

cyantist

wymondham wrote: »

do you like skiing? just a thought!

I wouldn't like skiing into my kitchen window!

bouicca21

A friend has a similar sloping garden. Though not quite such a big slope. They installed a patio with a wide set of steps leading up into the garden area. Looks terrific. The patio itself is the same size as its predecessor but somehow looks twice as big.

DigForVictory

Patio part of it & terrace the rest in orderly layers? Not without power tools though, so you may need to doublecheck access.
Good luck!

cyantist

We’d much prefer to have a large patio. The problem is we have about 2.5m of patio currently, then the 4ft up to the decking, then probably about 2 metres of decking then the 5ft wall. So the height increase is 9ft, but the distance you go before you get to that is less than 5 metres.

In an ideal world we would scrap the decking and double the size of the current patio and then terrace it in layers until you get to the flat grassy part, but the slope is so great near the house that there would be a huge amount of digging out to do and building of retaining walls. I’m not sure how much we could do ourselves as despite what DH thinks, he is not that good at practical things! And I’m pretty sure this would be very expensive.

By access – do you mean access for a small digger or something?

martinsurrey

cyantist wrote: »

The decking in our garden in getting springy, boards are coming loose and it desperately needs repairing. However DH and I don't like decking and we would just like to get rid of it if possible.

The garden is on a slope. The decking area is raised about 4ft off the ground, and at the end of the decking area there is a wall about 5ft tall up to the rest of the garden.

I don’t want to remove all the decking and have it at ground level because there will then just be a 9ft wall which will be dangerous and too shaded. Also the ground slopes under the decking so digging it all out will be a huge job.

Is there anything else we could do?

what is it about the decking you dont like?

You can get composite decking now (made from a plastic and wood fiber mix), its non slip, non splinter, and 99% maintenance free, it also comes in a wider range of colours than decking.

cyantist

I don't think it looks very nice, though I could cope with that and it's mainly the maintenance issue I don't like, and the fact that it's always slippy. Also I am forever dropping things through the gaps and can't get them back.

DH however just hates it and has other issues, mainly that it's common, everyone else has it, and therefore he definitely doesn't want it.

To replace the entire decking area with composite decking would be pretty expensive I guess, especially if you have to pay someone to do it all.

martinsurrey

cyantist wrote: »

I don't think it looks very nice, though I could cope with that and it's mainly the maintenance issue I don't like, and the fact that it's always slippy. Also I am forever dropping things through the gaps and can't get them back.

DH however just hates it and has other issues, mainly that it's common, everyone else has it, and therefore he definitely doesn't want it.

To replace the entire decking area with composite decking would be pretty expensive I guess, especially if you have to pay someone to do it all.

A lot cheaper than the ground works required to put anything other than decking in place...

andrewf75

paving is nicer than decking I agree, but you just need to weigh up the cost if its going to involve lots of levels. Get someone round to quote

cyantist

I know... the problem is if I said to DH: "we can pay £1500 for something you hate, or £15000 for something you love" I know what he'd choose.