Let me be honest with you from the start. Building a deck is quite a large undertaking that can't possibly be covered correctly in one small piece of writing. So what i intend to do here is to just cover some of the essentials to get you started on the right path. Laying the decking boards is the best and the most satisfying part. But there is a lot to take into account.
Let us start at the beginning. How is the decking going to be supported? You will definitely have to to make use of concrete footings along with a framework of wooden joists resting on them if you wish for it to last. I have made a few decks in my time and to be truthful I sort of guessed at what I should do at the start, it cost me dearly at the time. So do not go making the same mistake I did. You must make sure that you start with a solid support structure. There might also be building regulations to think about. 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 you are going to use should also be a major factor. By and large decking will be open to the weather (most of them are) so the selection of material is vital. The pieces of your deck that are not going to be visible do not need not be as aesthetically pleasing as the decking and railings. But, keep in mind you should at this stage of the job 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 those things like bad weather, rot and insects. In my opinion that is the best choice.
Of course you can use the same pressure treated lumber for the actual deck surface if you want to. It doesn't stop you from painting it a nice colour. I have done just this many times. It looks good and it lasts a long time. There are other alternatives that you may like to think about. There is what the stores call 'composite decking' or what I call fake timber. The advantage of fake lumber is that it lasts eternally. I also think that it actually looks good as well. Another option for you to think on is to use a timber that is naturally resistant to weather such as cedar, or IPE. There are endless possibilities these days. You must also take in to consideration the price tag. This can vary significantly based on what lumber you decide to run with. All I can say here is, as you design your decking area, choose the best option for your finances. Remember the look and availability of the material is also significant.
Finally the fasteners. Traditionally decking would have simply been nailed together. This technique does still work. But, you definitely must make certain that the nails are galvanized so that they will be capable of holding up 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 they do tend to pop out. This is possibly the main reason why many people have a preference to use screws for securing the boards down. Screws have the benefit of holding the decking together more strongly and can easily be removed should a repair be needed. Again you must ensure that the screws that you are using are for outdoor use. The drawback of using screws is that they are a lot more time consuming during the fitting up process. They also leave bigger, more visible holes in the decking.
Hopefully by now you will be getting some idea of what you need to think about when planning your decking. It certainly is not what I would call a minor project. Think things through before you start. Once you have come up with a plan you will be astonished at just how fast your undertaking moves along. It will almost without doubt run smoother and turn out better if you get the planning stage sorted out.
Author Resource:
My garden is my passion. I just like to walk around the garden and lose myself in amongst the flowers and the vedgatables, shut the rest of the world out. My garden has not always been as nice as it is right now, in fact without the help of a gardening companies help and advise it would still look a tidy mess as I used to call it. I always search on the internet using the term - gardener london This always gets me in touch with the best people for the job.
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