Decking fixtures and fittings

Corrosion resistant fixings should be used when building a structure outdoors, such as decking. This will prevent rusting and the weakening of the decking over the years.

Screws are better than nails for fixing together your garden decking as they are more secure and enable boards to be lifted easily, if necessary for mainenance or repair. The screws should be at least 3 times the size of the thickness of the timber boards and positioned at least 25mm away from the edges of the decking, also countersunk below the decking surface to avoid creating a hazard. All fixing points near to the edge of the decking boards must be pre drilled in order to avoid splitting the boards.

Other fixtures and fittings includings bolts, joist hangers and deck clips should also be made of similar rust resistant metal to avoid corrosion.

Are decking boards slippery in wet weather?

The main factor in preventing your decking boards from becoming slippery is to make sure that the surface of the boards are kept clean. You must make sure that you regularly remove any mildew, algae and mosses from the surface of the boards as otherwise they are likely to cause your decking to become very slippery.

As mentioned in my previous post about ‘looking after your garden decking’, you should make sure that you regularly clean your decking with a firm broom. You should also consider pressure washing the timber yearly to make sure that it is thoroughly cleaned. Use a timber decking treatment to help prevent algae and mosses from growing on your deck boards.

Looking after your garden decking

You should consider regularly brushing your decking with a firm broom throughout the year in order to keep your garden decking clean and in top condition. It is also advisable to clean the deck boards with a pressure washer once a year and then treat the boards with a timber decking treatment as mentioned previously, to make your decking look as good as new.

If you want to keep the original colour of your decking without using a timber stain, you will need to coat the timber with a clear water repellent coating in order to help prevent fading.