Decking Advice

[Andyb350z]

Hi All

So i have my decking frame built ready for the decking (image below)

I have used 6x2 for the outer and mid frame, 4x4 for the leg posts and 4x2 for the joists.

I have dedicded i dont want the grooved cut boards that seems to be most common and all both my timber suppliers stock. I initally though just spin them over but one supplier has suggested this should not be done as the boards tend to have a slight arch in them, and should be laid groove side up otherwise abnormal warping over time could happen ??

The other supplier suggested using more 6x2 framing timber for the deck, there finished to 47mm thickness apposed to the 28mm standar deck boards, so im thinking the extra thickness is just going to mean more sturdy, durable and life ? it would cost me £1200 to do it out in deck boards or £1300 to do it in 6x2 which i think would look grate as the boards are approx 1" wider too which would fit well as its a lage area im decking 10m x 8m

I was wondering if anybody would like to share their opinions here or think of any troubles i may run into ? any advice and thoughts would be very much appreciated. I would like to do it cheaper, but i cant see anyone offering like a 6x1 treated deck board i could use.

 

[StevieB]

There are grooves on a deck board to give grip and to shed water. If you go with 6x1 you will have an ice rink as soon as moss / algae starts to take hold - especially as you seem to be under trees and out of direct sunlight from your pic. If you really didn't want grooves then there are various decking materials (usually hardwoods such as Ipe or durable woods like Western Red Cedar) that can be used, but these still have to be washed down for algae growth and are unlikely to be significantly cheaper than a standard deck board. I did do a deck in Western Red Cedar a couple of houses ago and while it smelt lovely when cut, and looked good when down, it soon silvered unless treated every 3-4 months. Decks I have done since then have been standard tannalised deck boards. There are also various plastic and fake grass boards you can now get, but to me these look totally false - each to their own however, there must be a market for them or they wouldn't be so prominent in my local builders centre!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I hope that is fleeted from side to side as we look at it, or it'll hold water, grow algae and be the local skating rink.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

+1 to the above advice re water run off, ice and algae. You are right in the assumption that the heavier duty non decking board timbers will be a more solid structure but you have to get the water off them or you'll be in hospital after one winter. A lot more work but you could route grooves in them yourself if you're very bought in to the extra sturdiness. If you have a router table, you could set up some infeed and outfeed and do them as a batch. Would take a fair while but it's one solution.

 

[Andyb350z]

Been slippy is not a issue, it is not used to access the house etc, its in the middle of the garden, so unless it sunny / warm we are never going to be on it, I cant ever imagine wanting to go on it in the rain or snow ! and i plan to cover it with plastic sheeting etc from approx November throughout till march.

At my last house i built a deck from my gate to the front door which i did need to walk on to get in, never in any weather would i have considered it slippy as such, i certainly never had a issue, maybe my finish was rubbish and wasn't very well sanded ! but it looked great and served me well for a good 7-8 years.

Im just a bit bored on seeing the grooved decking, my dad did his out last year in it, it seems to hold dirt / mud, tiny stones too easily and i just much prefer the look of simple, natural wood, the cut grooves to my eye are just too busy, headache, you don't see the grain in the wood which i love, and want to bring out using oil. Again, just my preference.

Im just wondering if anyone feels that using 6x2" boards might cause me any problems, i personally couldn't think of anything but advantages ?

Is there any amazing places online that i may get it cheaper... I could try B&Q trade point as i have a card, they tend to match whatever i can find online or locally but their timber tends to be as straight as a circle every-time i get it from them !

 

[Owenw]

Personally I prefer the look of smooth decking. My timber merchant will pressure treat anything I want, so in the past I have had several sizes of timber treated for use as decking - 4x1, 6x1.5 and 9x1.5. All have worked well and looked good. The only problem with the wider boards, especially the 9" is that they are prone to cupping - cutting grooves in the underside would have alleviated this to some extent, although I didn't bother.

I completely disagree with the assertion that grooved decking is less slippy, I have both smooth and grooved in my own garden and the slipperiness is far more dependent on site conditions - the grooved decking at the top of my garden is lethal in the wet due to the overhanging trees. In fact IMO grooved decking is more likely to trap rubbish and promote the growth of algae. Other countries don't bother with grooved decking boards, it's just assumed to be the norm here.

 

[Mar_mite]

Scaffold boards look good. And are cheap. Not sure how long they would last. 5-10 years maybe? I did a deck out of reclaimed boards and it looked really good.

 

[EBH1]

Have a look at a company called Russwood (I have no affiliation to them). They have some decking on their website which may provide some inspiration. They are a fair distance away, but you may find someone else nearby who will supply something similar. Their larch cladding looks great and they do a non slip decking board too!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

you could always have a few of those sand papery stick on pads if it did get slippery in shady spots....like they use on train station steps.

 

[Owenw]

Also, Osmo do a non-slip decking oil. I've not used it, but I regularly use the standard Osmo oil for other applications and love it; I would imagine the non-slip stuff would work well too.

 

[Andyb350z]

Well after a long debate, i placed some of the 6x2" off cuts on the frame, and it looked amazing, BIG & CHUNKY, looks fantastic ! Im set of using 6x2" over the entire deck, ordered half the wood to get started with this weekend, in time i will give it a sand over with 400G and 3-4 coats on oil !

When i was in the merchants today, i again saw the grooved stuff and i just cant get on with it, yes it does hold more dirt, and even in winter if you have done a fll on the decking, the frost and futher rain will build up and freeze in those gaps.

Thanks all for your input.

my only worry now is any wood that is not straihght and true will be a nightmare to try get into place and have a horrible knock on effect to the rest of the decking, i imagine some wood wrestling and cursing will take place this weekend. However if i take care to pre the job properly.... by prep i mean 6 pints then begin, the straight lines should look good !

 

[DiscoStu]

I've used both types of decking without issue. I can't see a problem with the wide boards. Thicker will be stronger but if you've built your base correctly then it won't be an issue for either.


All I would say is that I did a large area of decking last year and I bought the Spax decking screws which were excellent. Although they are designed for a normal thickness board.

 

[KevM]

Some useful advice on boards on the Timber Decking Association website, personally I prefer the look of plain boards with chamfered edges.

I'm not sure I like the sound of covering with polythene in winter - sounds like it might be a way of encouraging damp - a tarpaulin cover that allows the wood to breathe might be better for the wood and more robust in heavy weather.