Telephone 01803 813 803 / 01752 600 066 - Monday to Friday 7.30 a.m - 5.00 p.m
Operations
info
Decking Installs
|
Decking Installs 
Before beginning a decking project it would be wise to consider why you really want a deck, and of course where it is going to be! Incidentally we always recommend tanalised timbers for deck construction, this is a plentiful and renewable resource and the majority of our decking and structural timbers are from FSC or PEFC sources.When designing your ideal decking consider it as additional space for your property, and think how it will link to your building – many decks adjoin conservatories or doors out from the kitchen or dining area. Walking out from the house onto decking at a similar elevation is ideal, but take into account any service outlets (gas & water pipes, electrical cables etc.) and also any adjoining windows – do not spoil existing views and ensure people using the deck are not going to be overlooking bathrooms, bedrooms or toilets! Where the deck is higher than 600mm (approx. 2’) above ground level then a balustrade has to be installed around the deck perimeter, the height of the spindles should be 1.1 metres and the spindles no more than 100mm apart. Stairs onto, and off, the main decking area need careful consideration and are subject to planning considerations. Stairs are normally built at 0.9 to 1.0 metres wide, each rise (height between steps) should be between 175mm – 200mm, and the treads (step depth) should be between 250mm – 300mm. If you are considering a second story deck then this would normally utilise a landing midway in the stair run. Elevated decks and stairs will be dscribed in detail elsewhere on the website -hopefully online by April 2009. Ground level square and rectangular decks are the easiest to construct. (If the deck is not too large it is sometimes easier to construct in a large workshop or on a level hard-standing area) For this type of deck construct the outer frame first, then cut and fit each intermediate joist using a pre-cut noggin to get the right spacing between joists. If the perimeter joists are too long for a single piece of timber then join the appropriate size lengths with an off-cut of the same size timber, the join should be planned so that the full size of noggin can be fixed to this perimeter joist. Each and every cut joist should be liberally treated with Ensele end grain preservative. After fixing each joist it is advisable to check the framework remains square by measuring the frame diagonals are still equal. Once the framework is constructed, level and secured in its final position then the deckboards can be fixed. We recommend fixing the deckboards to the joists using 65mm x 8 coated deckscrews, using two screws per deckboard to each and every joist, pre-drilling the depth of the deckboard so that each screw can be located in the first hollow from either edge of each deckboard. Once the deck is completed everybody should be able to enjoy the benefits it will provide for many years. The appearance and longevity of the deck can be improved with some maintenance, and although the tanalised timber provides long-term protection against rot, it is still going to experience some visual deterioration due to sunlight, atmosphere and moisture. |
