garden-decking

4 Considerations for Garden Decking

In the last 10 years decking has increased in popularity dramatically. There are many positive advantage to installing outdoor wooden surfaces such as raised viewing, installation ease, increased property value, and the warmth of wood to mention a few. Having this pleasant space enables us to utilise more of our dwelling and pushes the boundaries of social areas into the great outdoors.

What to think about when installing garden decking

Depending on how big you want to go, the project can be short and easy or long and hard. Before you start there are a few points that you want to consider to ensure your garden decking will be the headache free, functional space you deserve.

Location

Think where you want the decking to be? It may seem like an easy question but it could be best in a completely different section of the garden to where you first thought. Will it be next to the house? Perhaps down the garden or off to one side? Ideally you want your decking to capture the most sun as possible, this will help with reducing slip hazards when left damp and create a useable space in the most desirable part of your garden.

If you are thinking of a really big project and having your decking on the first floor there will be more structural and safety concerns to consider and it might be worth considering a professional company for installation.

Flame at Grand Designs with Scott Lawrence (5) - Copy

Sketches

You may not be the most artistic person but you don’t need to be to create a rough representation of how it could look. If you can draw perspective then try a few sketches to see how it will look from your eyes, this will help you to realise the project and make it easier when you start to build it. If drawing isn’t your thing then go for an aerial plan and cut shapes out of paper to create the objects that need to fit into your space. Measure the spaces you have for your garden and decking and recreate them accurately. Include also the planting, garden furniture and plant pots to give you the best representation of how it can look. This view is essential ,however artistic you are, as it will help you understand how big the decking will be within the space that you have.

Garden plan

Materials

The obvious choice is to go for wood but these days there are different materials that will do the job just as well or even better. Wood is probably the cheapest and if farmed correctly then quite environmentally friendly too but composite solutions can take away some of the problems that wood comes with like splintering. It is also arguably more ecological as it is comprised of a mixture of recycled wood and plastic.

Ultimately the choice of materials is down to the individual and what is most important. The best thing to do is to get down to some shops and have a feel of what materials are on offer.

black decking

 Drainage

Depending on what sort of decking you go for you will most likely want some sort of drainage system. It is undesirable to have the water collect on the surface of the decking so if this is likely to happen you want somewhere for the water to disappear to. Logically the ideal solution will be to utilise the space underneath but if your deck has been laid directly onto the ground then you will need a more visible system above ground. Picking the right deck on the right foundations in the first place could avoid these problems. If you opt for planks raised a few inches from the ground then the water will naturally drain between them. It is only if you have a solid deck that you are likely to encounter problem.

A few points there to help you consider how you might go about designing and installing your decking system. With any luck you will have you new space up and running soon in time to enjoy the sun.

This article was quest written by Adam Christopher of Adam Christopher Design.

Adam Christopher creates garden features, plant pots, sculpture, coffee tables and more hand made in UK focusing on providing a different take on the usual.