Decking Ideas

Location of Your Decking Ideas

Just as with patios, timber decks originally served to join the inside to the outside, and were usually attached to the house and served as an external extension to it.

However, as with all things design related, over time, people like to push the boundaries and try something different, and before you know it, the rule book is out through the window and anything goes!

The majority of decking is still made from timber, although there is a gentle tide of people who now go for a pre-fabricated timber look-alike. Just as with door and window frames and fascia boards etc, the maintenance issues are virtually done away with and this low work option will always be popular.

I personally feel that nothing can beat the beauty of real wood. The range of timbers available for decking ideas is wide, as are the options of varnishes, tints and coloured wood washes available as aftercare.

Of course, the first step is to locate your timber decking.

You need to pay attention to-

1. What is the size and shape of your house and garden?
· Your decking ideas will need to fit and look in proportion.

2. What time of day is the deck likely to be used the most?
· You need to consider sun, shade and shelter from wind.

3. What will be the primary function of your deck?
· Will you be entertaining, relaxing alone, children’s play area etc.

4. Are there trees near to the site where you plant to have your deck?
· Will there be falling leaves, too much shade, wind noise, bird droppings?

5. What is the ground like that you will be placing your deck on?
· Will you need special ground levelling gear, can you make unlevel ground useable again?

6. Will your timber deck be a DIY affair or will you have a team of professionals in to build it for you?
· Professional deck builders are likely to have seen many more decks in many different situations.

7. What kind of budget are you restricted by?
· The magic question. It all comes down to budget.

What Will You Use Your Decking Ideas For?

As with any space that you have control over, the choice over what to do with your timber decking is down to you. Of course, the vast majority of decks serve as a seating area for relaxing in the garden on heavily cushioned loungers, cocktail in hand.

For slightly more formal arrangements, there will be tables, chairs and cushions, outdoor lighting, soft music, gentle wind chimes and the bubbling of conversation between friends.

It’s not difficult to have your garden decking space as a changeable area open to interpretation as and when you feel like it.

Garden decks make lovely play areas for children, although this is subject to the height of the deck and safety rails that are built into the design.

I’ve also seen many splendid examples of bubbling hot tubs on decking areas, both with and without pergola type roofing.

When it comes to decking ideas, they are limited only by your imagination.

Maintaining Your Decking Ideas

As a rule, when constructed properly, your garden decking will be fairly low maintenance. If softwood has been used in the construction, it should have been pressure treated for strength and water and rot resistance. It will need a re-proof once a year. Hardwoods, although able to cope better with the extremes of weather, will also benefit from a wood treatment. It can only help improve the length of service your timber decking will give you.

If you do decide to treat and/or stain your deck, try to avoid garish colours and stick to something neutral and tree-like. By that I mean, we tend to get fed up of colours quite quickly in comparison to shades that we don’t really see. Try to visualise your garden deck in the colour you have chosen and ask yourself- do I want people to look at my deck and think wow- what a lovely colour, or do I want them to come into my garden and think, oh gosh, what an amazing place this is. Decide what it is you want the focus to be on.

When it comes to choosing colours, they can have such an impact on how we feel, and choosing a more muted, natural shade can have a much more subtle but longer lasting effect. Besides which, if you do decide to paint your timber deck in a garish or bright colour, how on earth are you going to change it if you don’t like it?

Trees in the forest, and that is what your deck is made from, come in all kinds of shades of ‘tree’. Throughout the seasons the colours of the leaves and bark changes, so try not to get too hung up on the fact that what you stained your deck with in the autumn, now looks much lighter the next spring. That’s nature!

Occasionally, planks will split. It’s important that these are replaced as soon as possible. Failing to do this can disperse added pressure to other areas of the decking and could set up a chain of events that ends in more damage that necessary.

Some professional timber decking firms do offer a regular maintenance service, sometimes paid for, sometimes as part of the original package. This removes all worries about having to look after your timber deck- you can just concentrate on enjoying it.

So overall, irrelevant of the decking ideas you come up with, when approached with thought, care and attention, any garden decking can be a huge benefit to you and your family and will also add value to your home and the time you spend in it.