How To Install Garden Decking

How to lay decking on soil or grass

Project overview

Decking is a cracking way to add some functional space to your garden. Whether y'all desire to create an alfresco extension to your home, or add a surroundings to a Jacuzzi or pool, hither's how to lay decking on grass and how to build a raised deck.

Do you need planning permission for decking?

By and large speaking, y'all don't need planning permission for laying decking. Withal in that location are a couple of scenarios when you should contact your local quango.

1. If the decking volition exist more than 30cm above the footing.
2. If the decking combined with other outbuildings, extensions etc. covers more than 50% of the garden expanse.

How much decking exercise I need?

There are a few factors that influence the amount of decking you need. The size of the area you desire to deck, the material of the boards you'll utilise and the length of the board.

You need to leave gaps between individual boards and then rainwater tin run between the boards instead of pooling on the surface. The gaps as well allow your decking to comfortably expand and contract in weather conditions so they won't be completely ruined.

To work out the amount of decking you need, you need to figure out the foursquare metre measurements first.

• Measure the width and length of the area you lot want to deck in metres. Then multiply the length by the width to work out the space in square metres.
• So: length ten width = Decking surface area in m^two

Remember this number.

Make up one's mind on which material you'll employ. Timber boards need a 5mm to 8mm gap along the length of boards, and a 3mm along the ends of the boards. So if you're laying two boards cease-to-end, you demand to get out a 3mm gap.

Then the last footstep is to summate the number of boards required.

• Multiply the coverage of a unmarried board by one.one to factor in wastage.
• Then divide the decking surface area by the single board coverage.
• So: decking surface area/single board coverage ten one.i = the total number of boards needed plus wiggle room for wastage.

Equipment needed to lay decking

The more organised you are before a project starts, the easier it will exist. Here'due south a list of the tools and equipment you might need to build your decking.

Tools

• Pencil
• Tape measure out
• Spirit level
• Builder's line or string and pins to secure in place
• A spade to clear the area
• Tamper to flatten soil
• A saw to cut the wood
• Drill with forest bit

Equipment

• Decking boards
• Wood for decking frame
• Decking screws
• Weed control fabric and gravel or concrete pads
• Autobus screws

How to lay decking

Laying decking is an easier job than y'all might have kickoff thought. The more planning y'all do and the more you understand the steps, the easier the task will be.

There are several ways you can lay decking but nosotros're going to talk you through edifice a raised deck and how to lay decking on grass.

Choosing the position

Decking can requite yous some extra outdoor space for entertaining and can even human activity as an extension of your dwelling. There are a few things you should consider when information technology comes to picking a spot for your decking.

1. Decking is much easier to lay on a level surface. If it isn't level, you tin can still lay decking simply information technology might be more hard.
2. Raised decking can requite y'all extra height that may mean you're not overlooked by neighbours. So if you're using the deck equally a surround for something like a hot tub, consider how acme could bear upon your privacy.
3. Whether you desire to bask in the sunshine during the summertime or have a cool hide away, think most the position of the sun throughout the day so you can either chase it or avert it.
4. You don't necessarily need to remove plants or trees only y'all could work around them instead. Just make sure you do your inquiry first as you don't want your decking to exist ruined by roots.

If y'all're not sure where to lay your decking, try positioning your piece of furniture to create how information technology would await if you had decking. This should help you decide where the best spot is.

One time you've decided where to put it and on the pattern, next comes the building.

How to lay decking on soil or grass

There are ii means you tin can lay decking on grass. One method is quick and easy merely it volition be hard wearing on your decking. The other is more difficult just your decking will stay healthier for longer. We'll talk y'all through both methods.

1. Outline the size and shape of your decking. Hammer a peg at each corner and run a builder's line between each peg.
2. Clear abroad plants, rocks and weeds, and dig down to a depth of roughly 50 mm. Clear away the turf so you're working with the blank soil.
3. Check the ground is even. Utilize a flat surface (a decking board or tamper is perfect for this) and place a spirit level on acme to check the ground is fifty-fifty. If the spirit level indicates the footing is uneven, level information technology out with extra soil or compact the soil to flatten it out.
4. At present here are your two options for laying your decking. You can either build it directly on the ground or square the site and build it on top of risers as a floating deck. If you lay it directly on the ground, you lot may notice that it's more susceptible to absorbing wet and might need additional maintenance. If you're laying your deck directly onto the ground, encompass the area with a layer of weed control fabric. Then add forty mm to 50 mm of gravel on tiptop.
5. The other method is to create concrete pads for the deck to sit on top of. This will reduce the likelihood of moisture seeping into the frame and causing damage. And then to make sure you get the pads in the right place, you have to foursquare the site. We've given yous some step by step info on how to do this, and so read the 'How to square a site' department in our raised deck guide to find out more.
6. Once you've squared the site, measure your deck boards to size and marking them at the correct length – a combination square will assistance hither.
7. Cut the board.
8. Lay the decking on the grass in your decided blueprint and leave the right expansion gaps between boards (5 to viii mm along the length of timber boards, and three mm along the ends). This will show you if y'all have plenty decking to complete the job. If you observe your timber boards will overhang the frame, reduce the gap to no smaller than 5 mm.
9. Mensurate the frame for your decking and cut to size. You should have four outer joists and the number of inner joists depends on the pattern of your deck. Horizontal deck boards should have joists a maximum of 450 mm between the centre of 1 supporting joist and the centre of the next. Boards laid diagonally and chevron boards need joists 300 mm apart.
10. Make two pencil marks on each end of the frame's ii outer joists; these are the joists that are at right angles to the frames inner joist. The marks should align with the centre of the adjoining joist then there volition be eight in total. Two in each corner of the outer joist frame.
11. Drill recesses into each mark with a apartment wood drill bit. These should be the depth of the screw's caput and broad enough for a ratchet or socket attachment to tighten them. This will help the spiral heads sit down flush with the surface and is chosen a countersunk hole.
12. Utilize a thinner drill chip to drill a pilot hole through the heart of the recess from the outer joist into the adjoining joist. This will guide the screws into the hole and will preclude the wood from splitting.
13. Fit the coach screws with either a drill commuter with socket attachment or socket and ratchet to tighten them in identify. You lot might detect it easier to practice steps xi to 13 on one corner at a fourth dimension instead of all corners, step-by-pace.
14. You should now have a secure foursquare frame. The adjacent pace is to add the inner joists which will evenly divide the foursquare frame. For the inner joists, repeat the procedure from step half-dozen and secure two jitney screws through the outer frame into each stop of all the inner joists.

How to lay deck boards

Now you lot've got the frame of your deck, you can lay the boards.

1. Kickoff in one corner of your sub-frame and position the first board across the inner joists so that the lath runs in the reverse direction to the inner joists. If the joist runs horizontal, the boards should be vertical and vice versa. The board should sit flush with the frame.
2. Apply a pencil to marking the position of the screws. You need to use two screws on either side of the board to secure it to every joist it crosses. Screws should be at least xv mm away from the cease of the board and a minimum of 20 mm away from the outer edges.
3. Drill a pilot hole through your pencil marks to help guide the screws, existence careful non to drill through to the joist. Use a drill bit that's thinner than the screw'due south shank. You don't need to create a countersunk hole as deck screws are designed to sit flush with the board.
4. Secure the screws into the lath.
5. Leave an expansion gap between the boards and repeat the process with the second row. To brand your deck equally potent every bit possible, it's best to stagger the boards and then you might need to trim a few to exist able to do this.
6. Once you've completed your deck and laid all the boards, employ sandpaper to smooth down all the cut ends and protect them with an terminate grain preserver.

That's information technology! Yous've successfully built a deck yourself. Don't forgot to protect the decking so your hard work lasts for longer. Accept a wait at this guide for more data.

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Source: https://www.ronseal.com/how-to-guides/how-to-lay-decking-on-soil-or-grass/

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