Create a perfectly usable outdoor space that completely changes your summer entertaining plans with just some simple tools and timber. It’s surprisingly easy to lay down your own decking, and it’s such an incredibly rewarding project that you’ll be wondering why you didn’t do it sooner.
Let’s plan out, build, and enjoy your decking, and you can see just how extending your living space outdoors can be a quick weekend project.
Things You’ll Need:
● Decking Screws or Clips: These will hold everything together.
● Joist Hangers or Angle Brackets: For super secure corners.
● Post Anchors or Concrete Mix: To hold in your vertical supports that your decking will sit on.
● Spirit Level, Tape Measure, and String Line: This will make sure you get a perfectly square, even decking you’ll love.
● Saw, Drill, and Screwdriver Attachments: It’s so much easier to work with power tools on a bigger project like this.
● Weed Membrane: This seals off your deck from anything growing up and through your decking.
● Wood Preserver or Decking Oil: Go bold or neutral! It’s a great way to customise your project whilst preserving your timbers.
● Paint Brushes, Rollers, Trays, and Groundsheets: These make applying your oils or stains an absolute breeze and stop any unwanted messes.
Step 1: Put Down Your Plans
Using string and stakes, you can mark out where you want your deck to sit in your garden. Just remember to consider access, edging, and where your support posts will be sitting in the ground. It’s also sensible to account for a slight slope of a 1:100 gradient to avoid water pooling.
Step 2: Clear and Prepare the Site
Start by removing any turf and levelling your ground where the decking will sit. Then you should always lay a weed membrane over the entire area so you don’t get any nasty weeds ruining your hard work.
If you’re going for a raised deck, then you should also take this chance to dig and concrete in your support posts. Of course, for lower decks, you could use ground-level supports or decking risers to save yourself some digging.
Step 3: Build a Sturdy Frame
Using your joists and joist hangers or brackets, you can start to put together a timber frame for your decking. Try to aim for 400mm for the spacing between your joists and fix cross supports for extra strength. It’s good practice to continually check levels and measurements as you work, as this makes it much easier to spot mistakes before they become issues.
Step 4: Lay Your Boards
Now you can start laying your boards. Start with one end and secure them with either decking screws or a hidden clip system. Just be sure to leave a tiny gap between each board of around 5mm to allow for any expansion and drainage.
It’s smart to stagger your joints for a professional finish and use a circular saw to trim the edges.
Step 5: Seal Your Decking
Seal your decking thoroughly! Vermin, especially rats, like to hide out in places like under decks, so be sure to seal off the underside using boards, mesh, or gravel. We do sell rat traps, should the worst happen, though!
Step 6: Final Touches
Now you can move on to the fun bit! Using a wood preserver or decking oil, coat your decking to prevent future rot, moisture, or sun damage from occurring. You can use a brush or a roller to apply these. Just make sure you put a ground sheet down first.