Decking accessories

There are a wide range of garden decking accessories available on the market. These can be added to your garden decking to make it stand out more and look more attractive. Some of these accessories can also make your decking more user friendly especially if you have raised deck boards with steps. Common decking accessories include:

Hand rails
Base rails
Deck posts
Deck joists
Roman columns
Newel caps
Newel posts
Deck bearers
Trellis panels

For more information about common decking accessories and others available please visit the following websites:

• www.all-diy.co.uk/decking
• www.decking-fencing-accessories.co.uk
• www.homeandgardengifts.co.uk/Garden/Decking
  

Ideal furniture for your garden decking

There is a huge variety of garden furniture currently available on the internet. The most popular furniture purchased for use with garden decking includes: Wooden tables, chairs, stools, benches, planters and heaters. There are many different styles of each of these products to choose from to meet each gardens requirements.

The following websites are some of the best sites that sell decking and deck furniture:

Garden Oasis

Buy Decking Direct

Riverside Garden Centre

Faraway Furniture

When your garden decking furniture is not in use for a long period of time for example over the winter months, you may find it beneficial to store your furniture in something like a garden shed or garage to protect the wood from the frost.

Decking Solar Lights

Following my previous post about decking lighting I will now look specifically at the best types of solar powered decking lights which avoids making decisions as to where the wires would be best placed.

The solar light unit above can be fitted into garden decking boards as can be seen, and provides a gentle upwards light. The light sensor which is incorporated inside the light switches the light on during the evening/night time (lasting for around 8 hours) and off during the day to allow for it to recharge the units internal battery. Most of these solar lights come with a number of light units attached so that for example one can be placed in each corner of the garden decking or on each step leading up to the decking.



The solar post lights above are another great type of decking lighting without the hassle of lots of wires. These lights are perfect for background lighting to light up decking steps or around the edge of garden decking. These light posts are free standing therefore there will be no need to start drilling holes in your decking for installation. The solar panel is incorporated within the top of the post to recharge the internal battery. They light up automatically once it starts to get dark, once charged the light will last for approximately 8 hours. The posts are fitted with an energy saving white LED.

Garden decking heaters

Decking and patio heaters are becoming very popular in gardens due to the fickle British weather. Using a decking heater enables you to use your garden decking within the autumn and the spring as well as the usual summer months. The popularity of decking heaters has sprung from the lowering of the prices of decking heaters which have become more realistic for an average family to afford.

Decking heaters are obviously not the most efficient way to keep warm, however they are a must have if you enjoy having barbques and dining outside in the evenings. One of the most common types of heater is the gas heater mounted on a metal pole which has an integral gas supply. This type of heater is priced around £100 for a domestic heater and around £200 for a commercial heater.

There are also electric heaters on the market which tend to be wall mounted and transmit radiant heat. These electric heaters cost less than the gas heaters although they are not as attractive (they lack the victorian charm). They are more reliable though as they warm the rays from the heater unlike a gas heater therefore gas heaters aren't very reliable on windy days. Electric heaters are also smaller than gas heaters which can have its advantages.

Other decking heaters include Chimneas which are cast iron pots housing a fire providing lots of heat on a chilly evening. There are also fire baskets which are simply a wood or coal burner in a steal frame to produce heat.

The increase in popularity of garden decking

Over the last 10 years the number of people choosing to build garden decking instead of laying a concrete patio has grown enormously. This change is thought to have been fueled by programmes such as Ground Force and gardening magazines setting trends within the gardening world.

Decking is big news when it comes to outdoor living. The trend isn't even just confined to the summer months as people are seeing their decking as another living space or another room attached to the house and therefore the decking brings life to their garden all year round and a place to entertain and dine.

Many people use their decking every day throughout the summer, so it is well worth spending the time and money to get the perfect decking design to work best for your garden. There are many decking kits available on the market but it may be worth personalising your decking to your garden style. The price of garden decking varies according to individual needs but on average it is between £300 and £1,000.

Decking Lighting

There are many different types of lights available to light up your decking. Below are two of the best decking lights available.

Halogen Deck Lights

This type of decking light can be inserted into your garden decking (as shown below). You may want to place them in the main decking boards or in the steps leading up to the decking. This gives you the chance to light up your decking so that it can be used later into the evening and the lights can be positioned so that the light faces towards the middle of the decking in order to light it up. These lights can also be attached to the wall if there is a wall nearby.

Please click on the following link for more information - http://www.cmsgardens.co.uk/lightselect.htm

LED Lighting

This type of lighting can also be inserted into your garden decking (as shown below). As can be seen from the picture this type of lighting is more hidden than the halogen light. They can be used to light up steps or a main decking area, it doesn't matter where they are placed because you can walk on them. You are likely to require more lights placed around the decking if you choose LED's than if you were to have halogen decking lights.

Please click on the following link for more information - http://www.lighting-direct.co.uk/led-decking-and-ground-lights-c-20.html

The best decking cleaners

1. Cuprinol Decking Cleaner

• Gets rid of dirt and grease
• Kills algae and mould
• Protects against regrowth

http://www.cuprinol.co.uk/products/decking_cleaner_overview.html


2. Ronseal Decking Cleaner

• Removes dirt, grease, stains, fungus, algae and mildew
• Ideal for use on hardwood and softwood
  
• Best applied before a decking finish

http://www.ronseal.co.uk/products/product.jsp?id=32


3. Stone and Decking Cleaner

• Removes dirt, grime, algae and moss
• Protection against algae for up to 12 months

http://www.gardenoasis.co.uk/stone-decking-cleaner-p-1333.html