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What are the Benefits of Decking?

What are the Benefits of Decking?

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The summer is well and truly here, if the sound of the nation collectively digging out their desk fans is anything to go by. We are expecting a scorcher of a summer this year, albeit not for the most joyous of reasons; still, it would be a shame not to make the most of the sun! Though your garden might not be altogether guest-ready at the moment… One of the best garden renovations you can do with guests in mind is to add decking – but why is decking such a beneficial option?

An Easy Build

First of all, it is important to acknowledge the ease with which decking can be put together. Where other patio or garden landscaping solutions would absolutely require the services of professionals – and in some cases planning permission – putting up decking is wholly accessible as a DIY task. As such, decking is an elegant, easily-built and remarkably cheap solution all in one.

Provided you have a reliable set of Milwaukee tools and a keen eye for measuring, you’ll need little more than an afternoon or two to knock up your own decking. Indeed, the building of your decking is so simple that the most difficult and time-consuming aspect would be the clearing of necessary ground before you start building proper!

Low Maintenance

Once your decking is built, it demands relatively little of your attention. It will need occasional re-finishes from time to time, but with the right treated timbers there isn’t much in the way of degradation to worry about. You can even simplify any seasonal cleaning with the liberal application of a power-washer, brining your decking back to new in a matter of minutes.

An Easy Garden

Not only is the decking easy to maintain over time, but your garden will also become much simpler to manage with the addition of decking. Decking reduces the amount of green space you’d have to look after, shortening mowing times and giving you a permanent reprieve from a percentage of the weeding.

With the decking becoming the primary entertainment space outdoors, you can also be sure that guest impacts on your garden will be kept to a minimum. This means less cleaning up after events, and less impact on the flora that you more actively care about.

Strong Aesthetic

Last but by no means least, it is impossible to ignore the aesthetic benefits that decking can bring to a garden. Using a natural finish can bring your decking in harmony with the greenery around your home, where new patio paving might otherwise stick out. The modularity of decking builds also means you can ensure your decking area suits the dimensions of your garden, giving a pleasing view from wherever you are.

Your decking finish needn’t be natural, either. You could opt to paint your decking any colour you choose, and even any patten you choose. You could have a fun multicoloured balcony, or a flush black decking floor; the choice is yours.

8 Composite decking installation mistakes you may have encountered

8 Composite decking installation mistakes you may have encountered

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A good deck can give you a comfortable place to hang out outside. Composite decking of good quality lasts longer than wood decking. Because of this, more and more homeowners are choosing composite decking to make private outdoor spaces. Even though composite decking is easy to put together, there are still a few things to watch out for when putting it together. In this article, we talk about 8 mistakes you might make when installing composite decking.

Composite decking is not only strong, but it is also easy to put together and clean. Even though the first cost of installing composite decking is a bit higher than that of installing wood decking. But composite decking doesn’t need to be taken care of as often as wood decking. In other words, composite decking can save you a lot of money on maintenance costs after years of use. Because of this, composite decking is more convenient.

No Phillips-head screws

The lack of lag screw heads is a sign that something is wrong with how the ledger board is attached. Composite decking, or any decking for that matter, can’t fall down without lag head screws. If the only fasteners you can see holding the ledger to the house are simple nails or screws. Before putting in new composite decking, it’s a good idea to have a professional take a closer look. Fixing the problem might be as easy as adding the right number of lag head screws to the frame.

Too much space between the joists

Composite decking installations require joists for support. If the joists are too far apart, your outdoor deck might not be as safe as it could be. If you use pine that has been treated with chemicals. Then, the joists should be at least 2 inches wide and 10 inches long, and the pine joists should be 30 cm apart. We do suggest using composite joists, which last longer than pressure-treated wood. No more than 35 cm should be left between composite joists. Of course, it’s best to ask the company that made the composite decking before using it.

Weak Deck Framing

It may not be because of too much weight that an outdoor deck fails too soon. Instead, it’s because the ledger boards aren’t attached to the house the right way. Along with choosing the right kind of hardware for securing. Ledger boards must also be flashed correctly so that water can flow away from the bottom of the finished wall. As with any type of wood, reducing the amount of moisture in the environment will help the deck frame last longer.

Inadequate Ventilation

Even though composite decking does a good job of keeping water out. But if the surface of the deck stays wet for a long time, it can also lose its shine. This gives mold and mildew a chance to grow on composite decking. So, composite decking usually needs 12 mm of space between it and the frame structure. While letting air in, it also makes it easier for water to drain out from under the deck.

The base of the deck isn’t deep enough

When installing composite decking, you should also avoid making the mistake of putting in a concrete foundation that isn’t done right. If the concrete footings are not put in below the frost line. And if it gets very cold, it could do a lot of damage to the concrete footings. So, if you want a stronger and safer composite deck, make sure it has a good concrete extrusion.

Not putting in composite decking

Most manufacturers of composite decks will tell you to leave the deck in place for one to two weeks before installing it. Temperature and humidity in the air vary from place to place. And this is done so that the composite deck can adapt to the environment where it is. If the composite deck is cut without getting used to the weather where it will be used. And after it is cut, the size of the composite deck may change. This makes it hard to put the deck together in many ways.

Incorrect panel installation

When installing composite decking, some people make the mistake of putting the panels all the way to the end of the deck. When decks are put together in the wrong way, dirt and water can get stuck in the space between them. It can also make the composite deck warp because of how heat moves. So, when putting in composite decking, there shouldn’t be less than an 8 mm gap between each deck. Composite decking shouldn’t be less than 5 mm away from the wall.

Using fasteners that don’t match

If you like to do things around the house yourself, you probably have a lot of screws and other fasteners. When putting in composite decking, you can use fasteners that you always have at home. But each material and fastener that goes into making a composite deck serves a specific purpose. Most composite decks come with screws or fasteners that match. And companies that make composite decks often sell hidden fasteners that can make your outdoor deck look better.

Even though composite decking is built to last, You can still get more use out of it if you install it correctly. So, before we put in the composite decking, we made sure to carefully read the instructions that the company gave us.

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