Decking …
What’s the reality?
Even though it’s been around for years, sadly the reality is that soft-wood or hard-wood decking requires a high level of maintenance and is especially bad in shaded areas (especially near trees and large shrubs). You’ll end up with an ice rink over winter and need to remove an excess of bio-material come spring before you can safely use your wood decking to entertain. Softwood typically only lasts 8-10 years at a stretch so you’ll be replacing it after that.
We recommend composite decking. This is virtually maintenance-free. It does not rot, split, crack or warp, or fade like wood.
Everything needs a solid foundation:
- Like any large structure, your decking requires a solid foundation. It needs to take the weight of a lot of people all at once. When your garden is complete, you’ll most likely have some social gatherings to show your friends, relatives, and neighbours.
- For a high-quality installation, we create a properly supported joist timber sub-frame. This is essential for a long-lasting structure. We use C24-treated timber supported by treated posts set in concrete foundations. All items have rainwater run-off to maximise their lifespan. It really is a very solid structure.
- We recommend using Ecodek for your decking:
- Very durable, long-lasting, and easy to maintain
- Made from 95% recycled materials, making it one of the most eco-friendly decking options on the market today
- Slip-resistant design and many ranges to choose from.
- As you can see there are a LOT of choices. It’s worth having a browse to get some idea of your likes and dislikes. We can make lots of recommendations and also let you know what might/might not be the best choice based on budget, application, and location too.
Don’t worry if you have an unusual shape, or require levels of decking. Our Garden Design covers all requirements. With careful planning and design suggestions, you will not only have decking that fits the bill with regard to functionality, but also looks the part and blends perfectly with the garden and setting.