Planning your garden decking

First step - Deciding the shape and pattern of your decking.

Decking can be made to be any size and shape you wish, however the more complicated you make the shape and pattern of it, the more difficult it will be to build and it is likely to require more deck boards and other building materials. There are however simple changes that can be made to the shape of the decking, for example an angled corner or 45 degree decking pattern. To make your decking more attractive you could also add a pergola or trellis to one side.


Second step - Deciding on the height of your decking.

When building decking right outside your back door, you should make sure that the decking is no further than two inches away from the bottom of your back door. Steps should always be placed at the edge of the decking leading to the ground, especially if there is a big drop. Deck lights can be purchased to illuminate steps making them safer to use on darker nights. Decks can also be built on multiple levels which is useful if you have a sloping garden. You must remember however that if your decking is more than two foot off the ground then the deck posts should be braced to make the decking stronger and therefore prevent swaying.


See my next post for more things to consider when planning your garden decking.