Lets start at the beginning. How is the decking going to be supported? You will certainly need to make use of concrete footings along with a framework of wooden joists resting on them if you want it to last. I have built a few decks in my time and to be honest I sort of guessed at what I should do at the beginning, it cost me dearly ot the time. So don't go making the same mistake I did. You must make sure that out with a solid support structure. There may also be building regulations to consider. Lay a plan out making sure that the spacing of your concrete supports for the joists will support the decking boards. If the joists are too far apart it could possibly lead to what we call “sagging” when people walk on it.
The materials yuo are going to use should be a major consideration. Usually decking will be exposed to the weather (most of them are) so the choice of material is crucial. The parts of your deck that are not going to be visible do not need not be as aesthetically pleasing as the decking and railings. But remember you must at this stage of the project use weather resistant timber. Quite often people will use pressure treated timber for the supporting structure. This sort of wood is chemically treated to resist such things like bad weather, rot and insects. In my opinion this is the best choice.
Of course you can use the same pressure treated wood for the actual deck surface if you want to. It doesn't prevent you from painting it a nice colour. I have done just this many times. It looks great and it lasts a long time. There are other options that you might like to consider. There is what the shops call 'composite decking' or what I call fake wood. The benefit of fake wood is that it lasts forever. I also think that it actually looks good as well. Another option for you to think about is to use a wood that is naturally resistant to weather such as cedar, or IPE. There are endless possibilities these days. You must also take in to consderation the cost. This can vary greatly depending on what wood you decide to run with. All I can say here is, as you plan your decking area, choose the best option for your budget. Remeber the look and availability of the material is also important.
Finally the fasteners. Traditionally decking and would be have simply been nailed together. This method does still work. But, you absolutely must make sure that the nails are galvanized so that they will be capable of holding up out against the bad weather. Obviously nails are quicker to use but they will leave small holes in the decking boards. Unfortunately over a period of time however they do tend to pop out. This is probably the main reason why many peolple prefer to use screws for securing the boards down. Screws have the advantage of holding the decking together more sucurely and can easily be removed should a repair be necessary.
Again you must make sure that the screws that yu are using are for outdoor use. The disadvantage of using screws is that they are a lot more time consuming during the installation process. They also leave larger, more visible holes in your decking.
Hopefully by now you will be getting some idea of what you need to think about when planning your decking. It certainly isn't what I would call a small project. Think things through before you start. Once you have come up with a plan you will be surprised at just how fast your project moves along. It will almost certainly run smoother and turn out better if you get the planning stage sorted out.
Author Resource:
Let me truthful from the start. Building a decking area is a quite a large project that cannot possibly be covered properly in one small article. So what i intend to do here is to just cover some of the basics to get you started on the right path. Laying the decking boards is the easiest and the most enjoyable part.
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