Planning and installing your decking yourself can seem daunting, but with a little forward planning and the right materials, you’ll soon have your outside area looking tip top.
Decide on the position of your decked area, factoring in sunlight, shade and privacy (yours and any neighbours). It is always better to avoid completely shaded areas and also damp areas, as both will lead to your decking requiring more maintenance long term. Where your decking is situated will depend on what you want to use it for. Is it destined to be an entertainment area, or perhaps an overflow to your indoor space? Or will it provide a surrounding area for a hot tub? If the latter, then the position is determined but if not, there are certain points to consider.
Determine whether your area is flat or whether there are any sloped areas. Flat areas are easier to work with but a sloped space can also be decked. Also consider where in relation to your house the decking will go – this will influence whether you want the decking to be level with the house or whether you will need to think about adding steps to the decking. Finally, does your proposed area include any features that will need to be worked around including posts or trees?
Calculating the materials for a simple ground level deck
1 Calculate how many square metres of decking boards you will need by measuring the length and width of the space in metres and multiplying them together.
Example: a decked area measuring 5m x 2m = 10m².
2 To calculate the number of boards you will need, divide the area of the decking in square metres by the width of an individual board.
Example: 10 (metres square) ÷ 0.150 (150mm boards) = 66.6 metres of decking boards. Rounding this up to 67 metres and adding 10% for wastage, the final figure is 74 metres of decking boards.
3 For a simple, single level decked area, you will need to construct a frame with timber decking joists; using the above example, you will need to add together the length of your decked area, multiplied by two, and the width of your decked area multiplied by two.
Example: (5 x 2) + (2 x 2) = 14m of decking joists. Based on a decking joist length of 3000mm (3m), you will need 14 ÷ 3 = 5 joists.
4 To calculate the number of internal joists you will need (based on each joint being spaced at 300mm intervals), divide the length of the decking in mm by the space between joists and then multiply by the width of the decking to get the total length of joists needed. Finally divide by the length of the individual joist to get the total number of joists you will need.
Example: 5000 (length of decking in mm) ÷ 300 (space between joists) = 16.6 rounded to 17 - 17 x 2000 (width of decking) = 34000 mm of joists. Assuming you use 4800mm joists then 34000 ÷ 4800 = 7.08. Adding 10% for wastage and rounding up, you will need 8 joists.
5 In addition to the timber, your decking will also require joist screws and decking screws.
For those wanting more elaborate decked areas, perhaps with a panelled surround or a handrail and spindles, our decking and sleepers department has everything you need. Our experienced sales team is happy to give advice on materials for your decking projects on 01205 359188.