Platform Decks

Decking....?

We have a very dodgy patio area on our back garden, and we are going to Deck it this year. We want to do it ourselves, cheaply. Its is quite a large area - 9m by 2m Any ideas what the cheapest way is, and any tips if you have done it? Thanks

Public Comments

1. my son in law did his very impressive decking with pallats and painted it to look uniform
2. Scaffold boards are cheapest.
3. The cheapest way isn't always the best. I built ours 21 years ago and it's still good as new. I used 2X6 treated lumber. Whatever you use, painting it will only make it rot quicker. I never paint or stain wood that is going to be exposed to the elements. Paint or the so called water sealers, they only partially seal the wood, it still gets wet and then it can't dry out which causes it to rot quick. If you don't put paint or other stuff on it, the wood will get wet, but it can dry and will last much longer.
4. there is no cheap way unless you want it to curl up after a year or so you only buy the best materials Good Luck its not so easy as it looks
5. you get what you pay for,if you do a cheap deck you will have another dodgy patio in 2 years.try cement blocks and spend a little money,if taken care of it could last a lifetime.
6. Make sure the timbers are pressure treated and not just 'treated', this means the preserver is forced into the wood so it penetrates much more that a quick dip. It will cost more but they will last much longer. Second, if they start looking a little faded after a years or so make sure you use a decking OIL rather than a paint type timbercare, it will look like a watery gravy rather than a think paint. Again, it's all about how it preserves the wood because the oil will go into the wood, the fence paint/timbercare sits on the wood and will start to peel off after a year making the whole think look terrible and a nightmare to clean off before doing it right. Try and make sure you have a very slight fall so the water runs off and doesn't sit on the wood because that will severly shorten the life of it. B&Q/WIckes, etc sell a pre-cut barer which are very easy to slot together, and then you just screw the decking boards on top, but not as cheap as cutting your own. Check all the boards for warping before you buy them, i used to sell them and 50% will warp due to being sat outside for months during storage. Have a look on the net for pattern suggestions, there are quite a few but remember, the more complicated, the more cutting you will need to do and more money it will cost as you end up with odd board ends you can't use. Unfortunately, fitting straight boards are cheaper to do but a pattern looks far better and proffesional. One small thing, build the thing where it's going to sit, the weight is incredible and you'll struggle to move it. Use brass screws, you WILL make mistakes and need to move a few around, nail them down and you'll regret it. Brass screws don't rust so you'll be able to move them at a later date if you want to install lighting and need to hide the cables. Timber yards/suppliers are the best bet for price but check everywhere, shop around as usual but cheapest isn't always the best. Buy more than you need, i guarentee you will need them and decking is not decking, there is diffrent thicknesses, types of grooves and if you need an extra board or two the new ones might not match up. It'll also save you paying an extra delivery charge for a few extra boards. http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/projects/patio_decking.shtml http://www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/garden-build/decking/ http://www.eastendsawmills.co.uk/guide_decking.aspx