Management has decided that she would like a decked area around 3M x 3M on a slightly sloping area of the garden (a drop of ~300mm?).
Anyone know of a website which will give me a list of the materials I will need and some idea on how to fix them together? It's something completely new to me...
As above, roughly 3M x 3M positioned over an area of ex-garden border (so no grass, just soil) that falls away from back to front by ~300mm.
No need for rails around it to prevent anyone falling off, it's to hold a garden bench for Management to sit on and survey her (excellent) handiwork with space for granddaughter to join her when it's playtime!
Can't think of anything else you might need to know. I've got the usual collection of tools acquired over the years and am not scared of getting stuck in...
9 x 3m+ lengths of treated timber for the joists. If you use 4x2 you will need extra supports over a 3m span, using 6x2 will mean you don't need the support - works out to an extra £25 or so, but saves a lot of work.
A 3x3 treated fence post 2.4m long
4 bags of postcrete/postfix
Box of 350 decking screws.
1 box M6 x 90 Turbogold coach screws;
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things are brilliant, no pilot, no splitting, very strong fix - go in fast & easy with a drill driver.
1 nut driver for above;
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[*] x 3m+ deck boards. [*] based on 155mm width.
Don't go to Wickes or B&Q for the timber, much better quality, price & choice of length from a timber merchant.
Have a look at the Winchester boards here;
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is the type you want, grooves underneath, profile on top. Not the ones like the York range which are similar to the B&Q Wickes ones. Not suggesting you buy from here.
You also want the widest boards you can get - 155mm ish.
Cut the fence post into 4 and concrete in. Get it square, don't worry about levels at the moment.
You now need to build a square frame.
Fix the 6x2 level at the lowest side, then Level & fix the 2 adjacent sides, then the front. Saw off the fence posts flush.
When I say 'level', you want a slight fall in the direction the boards will run - less than a patio - 1 in 80 to 1 in 100.
Next the joists. Fit at roughly 60cm centres, secure frame & joists with 3 Turbogolds at each join.
Weed control fabric held down with bricks next.
When you board the frame, leave an over hang along the length of the first board of about 30mm. Get the boards a bit longer than 3m & trim the ends afterwards - much quicker. Circular saw makes this easy, you can do it with a hand saw.
Two screws per board into every joist/frame.
Make up a couple of spacers 6 - 8mm to ensure an even gap between boards. Fix the ends of the boards first using the spacers, then straighten out any bowing in the boards with a pry bar if gap too small, or brute force if too big :-)
You can hide the framing with deck boards either horizontal, or using off cuts trimmed to size for slopes.
Not so in the case of temperate hardwoods. their strength and elasticity is dependand on spring wood rather than the later growth and this is enhanced in fast growing stands, ash in particular benefits but so does oak.
The advert claimed, correctly, that it was 'slow grown' for '80 years'. It takes 50 - 120 years for a Scandinavian redwood (from which most deck boards are made) to mature for commercial plantations, depending on the area, so all redwood is 'slow grown for 80 years'.
In other words it was marketing bollox - and the ad now doesn't mention it.
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