There’s never been a better time to invest in decking, whether it’s traditional wooden decking or composite decking, your garden will be uplifted to a higher level - in terms of style as well as the added height! If you’re looking to give your garden a well-earned facelift then garden decking may be the perfect answer.
There are different materials used to create garden decking, that’s traditional decking, usually made of wood, and composite decking, which is made up of a variety of different materials. It is entirely up to you which one you decide to go with.
What we’re going to be doing today is giving you tips and tricks so your decking can be as perfect as you want it to be. So, let’s start with the basics.
Planning permission
You may have some limitations on where you can position your decking. Keep to some simple rules and you shouldn’t go far wrong, to avoid permissions, think about how much space your decking will take up and how high it’s going to be. As a guide, it shouldn’t be more than 30cm high, and it mustn’t occupy more than half the space of your garden, especially if there are also sheds, gazebos or any other type of outbuilding, as well as extensions.
Views, building and weather.
Also consider what kind of view you have, what will you see from your decking, could it do with being slightly to the left or right? Where will the sun fall at different times, is there enough protection from winds, walls or actual buildings, yours or your neighbours? Will it impact on your drains or even your vents? Consider building access into the design of your decking.
How big do you want your decking?
You want it to fit in with the size and shape of your house, so this will need to be given some thought. You don’t want decking that’s really big on a small property or vice versa. What you want is for it to complement the house so it fits in seamlessly with its shape or size.
Sloping gardens.
This is not a no-no to garden decking, you just need to think differently about how you’re going to make it. You could have different levels of decking to make it work and some balustrades to hold it up. This is a really fun option because it looks different and unique and certainly makes the garden look far more interesting.
Timber decking or Composite decking?
If you don’t want to treat your decking, and with wooden decking you will indeed have to treat it regularly, then composite may be a more suitable alternative. Composite decking is non-slip - great if you have elderly relatives who have problems with their mobility. It’s durable and doesn’t need anywhere near as much maintenance as timber decking. Timber on the other hand is flexible and works well with sloping gardens.
Timber decking is extremely resilient
Decking also provides the space needed for your whole family for playing, dining, entertaining and relaxing. Your decking will make a great difference to your garden, and it can increase the value of your property should you decide to sell in the future. You can also do more in terms of having it split level or elevated (but not too high). Timber does fit in nicely with a country garden and is a highly sustainable material, providing a comfy surface for sitting, lying or walking throughout the seasons. We’d suggest you make a note of the shape and size of your garden, your budget, what you’re going to be using your garden for and who is in your family, are there children, elderly relatives, etc?
Lothian Decking and Fencing - are you thinking of investing in garden decking?
If you are thinking about investing in garden decking, come to us here at Lothian Decking and Fencing, and someone from our team of experts can help you decide on what’s right for your garden. We won’t force you into making choices that aren’t right for you, and we’ll take you through our versatile and stylish range of garden decking so you can see what we have. Give us a call, and we can start planning your greatest ever garden facelift.