OmniLocal - Kingston Upon Thames • May 2014
Decking If you’re looking to improve your garden or patio, why not build a new deck? Complete with a beautiful sliding door (perhaps from urban & grey) you can’t go wrong.
DIY SECTION Supplied by: Leanna Carl
You will need a lot of tools and materials for the job, such as: a tape measure, a pencil, a spirit level, gloves, a mitre saw, screwdrivers, a hammer, a jigsaw, sander, a drill, a workbench, wood preserver, decking boards, concrete slabs, wood for stakes, plenty of nails, wood for the framework and decking screws. (Optional: weed control fabric and a nail gun.) Basic Step-By-Step Method: • Measure out the area so you can figure out how many materials you’re going to need. Compress any loose soil to even it out. • If you’ve opted for any extras, such as weedcontrol fabric, lay it down over the entire area to stop any unwanted weeds from spoiling the finished product. • Use concrete slabs to keep the wooden frame away from the damp ground. Remember to level it out. • A simple box frame is the first step. It will also allow for any decking to overhang if necessary. • Joists need to be laid with about 400mm gaps between them, then nailed into place. Feel free to use a nail gun to make the job easier. • Make up some pointed stakes from treated timber, and hammer them into the inside corners around the frame. If you screw them in, it will keep the frame from moving around. • In order to make sure the decking runs parallel with the back/front of the house, you will need a mitre saw to cut the planks. Remember to make a line with a pencil to check its equal. 23
• Start laying down the decking boards about 5mm apart, making sure to place two screws at each joist. Mitre planks where necessary and sand down the ends of the planks so they are smooth. • Fix a plank to the sides of the frame. Make sure they line up with the edge of the outer panels. You can also add a step by making up another framework large enough for two planks. • Fix in the frame around the deck and hammer stakes into the corners, as before. If you have built a step, remember to place two screws in at every joist. Screw two more panels onto the front face for an elegant finish. A standard-sized deck could take around 40 decking boards and about 800-900 screws, so it could definitely save you money to find out how to build it yourself. If the job sounds a bit daunting, however, you can always seek help from reasonable and high-quality professionals such as TFG Bespoke Building Services (see advert on page 3).