Decking

Decking is often used to extend a living area outside of the home, and to provide a solid surface to use in the garden for outdoor furniture. It may also be used around a wet area such as a Spa or swimming pool to prevent people from slipping.

Whatever the purpose of your decking, it needs to be properly designed, installed, and maintained.

There are many different types of Decking materials available now, including;

• Treated wood - Cedar, Teak, Mahogany, and pressure treated Pine, and other Hardwoods

• Composite materials include - Polystyrene and Polyethylene plastics, Wood fibre and plastics - aka; wood-plastic composites.

Normal Pine has never been as hard wearing and durable as other hardwoods such as cedar and Mahogany, however the cost is much less. If using hardwoods you can expect to pay more due to the scarcity of the woods and the value of it for other manufacturing such as furniture. Hardwoods also often come from tropical climates where deforestation is taking place. This tends to have a lot of opposition from environmental agencies.

Pressure treated woods are much hardier and last longer in frosts and sunny weather; however it is treated with chemicals that may make it bad for the environment.

The use of Composite materials has increased dramatically in recent years due to its ease of maintenance, and reduction in cost. It is often made of wood fibres and recycled plastics, thus helping the environment.

Decking can also mean Verandas, boardwalks, or Patios. These can be added to your garden when doing the initial Landscaping design, or afterwards, depending on the structure of the garden.

Maintaining the look and life of the decking can be enduring if it is a timber construction, due to the wear and tear and weather elements, you will need to sand back and seal the wood with a protective varnish and sealant. This should be done annually to extend the life of the deck. If you have used a composite material, then these require very little maintenance, and may occasionally need staining to retain the colour.

Many people are trying to reduce the amount of Lawn care required and build decking to replace the lawn.

Unless you a proficient DIY person, it is recommended you seek advice and use professional tradesmen to build your deck, and to choose your material wisely. A poorly constructed deck area may become a safety hazard, particularly if raised up or around a wet area such as a swimming pool or Spa.