Garden Decking: Price, Planning, Designing

As soon as summer arrives, every homeowner knows that it’s time to transfer the fun to the outdoors. One of the best ways to extend your outdoor living space is by investing in a garden decking. There is nothing better than enjoying your private oasis, set up just a few meters from the freezer. No matter if you are handy and experienced in doing housework or a complete beginner, designing a good quality garden decking can be quite a challenging project.

Before you start your decking design journey, you should be aware of a few crucial aspects. Careful planning and a thorough research will make the whole process easier and less time-consuming, as well as prevent you from going above your desired budget. This step-by-step guide will help you discover all you need to know about garden decking design. From building the decking base to useful tips about maintenance, learn how to build a deck you can enjoy with friends and family for years to come.

Think About The Function Your Deck Should Provide

When you are trying to envision your perfect deck, it’s important to think about how you see yourself using it. Perhaps you want your outdoor area to be the ideal place for summer barbecue parties or the spot where you can hang around with your neighbors and friends. Maybe you picture it as the area where you spend intimate evenings with your closest family and friends, or just need some space where you can arrange your favorite flowers, bushes and plants. This is a crucial step before you begin acquiring materials and start building, as it will affect garden decking design ideas.

Deck design professionals recommend keeping it close to your kitchen so you can avoid the long trips back and forth if you want to use it as a dining area. Think about the space for a grill, it shouldn’t be too close to the house, and don’t forget to allow enough room around the patio table. It’s important to have space to pull out the chairs comfortably without having to squeeze in your decking seating area. If you want a pool deck, make sure to leave some space for a few chairs, and bear in mind that if you prefer hot tubs, it’s crucial that the foundation and framing of the deck are built strong enough to handle the load.

Consider The Ideal Size Of Your Decking Area

You don’t need an immensely big area to enjoy your outdoor space, but it’s out of great importance to think about the size of your space in order to plan your decking successfully. Whether you want to enjoy a small garden patio, or create a large, unique design, considering your space will help you decide about all the related features. It will make it easier for you to determine the right dimensions, layout and help you with the execution of the whole design plan. No matter how ambitious and handy, some homeowners decide to hire an experienced landscaping contractor to carry out the deck design. In these cases it’s always a good idea to do some research online and check how timber decking prices range. This way, you’ll be able to get a clear picture of all the costs related to a garden decking project, and it may help you with determining the size of the entire deck.

A Deck Is Sometimes The Only Option

In recent years, tiled patio has been often replaced by its natural alternative – timber decking. From a style perspective, timber is neutral and that’s why it can fit ideally with almost any home, no matter if it’s old or new. There are several situations where a deck is a particularly good and preferable option. The main advantage that decking has over tiled patios is that you don’t need to level the subfloor in order to lay the finished floor since it sits on raised joins which play the function of mini piled foundations. This means that decks are the ideal, and sometimes the only practical solution for sloping gardens.

Choose The Best Location For Your Deck

While you are still in the initial planning stages of your garden deck design, don’t neglect the importance of picking the perfect location. Your outdoor surroundings will help you decide how to decorate it. If the deck is placed in an area that is exposed to too much sunlight, you should think about investing in a canopy or an umbrella. On the other hand, if you want the deck to be in a place with a lot of shade, consider adding heat lamps or blankets that will be put over the furniture during the days when the temperatures decrease. If you have a green thumb, you already know that the amount of sun and shade will affect the plants placed on your deck. Choosing the right location will give you more freedom in including your backyard deck designs.

Friends And Foes Of A Yard Deck

UV light and too much water are the two worst enemies of timber decking, as they will either fade and dry it out, or cause it to rot and allow fungal infections to take over. In order to protect your deck against these problems, you should consider some maintaining options. Decking stains will provide a weatherproof finish and you can use it to change the appearance of the timber. Make sure you test a sample spot before you apply them on the whole deck. Decking paint is ideal if you want to refresh the tired or slightly cracked wood, and you can use it in the same way as with other outdoor furniture or fences. Decking oils will provide a protective layer without changing the original color of the wood, so they are mostly used for enhancing a deck with an outdated appearance.

Garden Decking Is Always A Good Investment

The garden is an extension of our living space, so you don’t even need an excuse to turn it into your outdoor paradise. Laying garden decking is a beautiful, natural alternative to patios which adds both warmth and texture to the backyard. This home project can turn into a nightmare if it isn’t properly planned, and these tips should help you turn your decking design dream into a reality. A good quality deck will allow you to get adventurous and creative with the rest of the outdoor features, so don’t forget that before you get ambitious, you should learn how to lay a basic deck.