The Heron Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 As above I am going to put down some decking on a concrete floor outside I have never used decking before so I would appreciate any help, tips and advice anyone has on how to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 there you go...https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-build-a-deck-over-a-concrete-patio/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 Make sure you use plastic spacers under the sleepers or the sleepers will rot out long before the decking. Ask me how I know.😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 Good air flow is crucial with decking. It needs to dry out when wet otherwise rot will set in. Try and get as much a gap underneath as you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wishy735 Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 Pressure treated timber, keep it of the concrete min 4" and you will be fine. Also don't but it up against the brickwork of your house, leave at least 1/2". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Heron Posted March 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 Thanks everyone for the advice but her indoors as usual has completly changed her mind so at the moment we are having India stone but that could change at any moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonic69 Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 Most people install decking boards upside down. They're supposed to have the flat side facing up, with the ridged side facing down. We tend to turn them over for grip, but then we lose the ridges that allow moisture to form drips and run off. If you can. get deck boards that cater for both grip and moisture runoff. Also, make sure your fall is consistently away from your house (unless you have specific drainage). Longer spans may need some adjustment over time to ensure water doesn't pool. You can get screw adjustable legs that can help. A good impact driver and proper decking screws will speed the job up, but I still prefer pilot holes to save risk of splitting. There are also specific screws for the joists that will do a much better job than repurposed screws. Shop around and you can get massive savings, especially on the screws. If you know your rough dimensions, find a good decking board supply and try to work it out with little waste and fewer cuts. Most boards, when we did ours, came at 4.8m, so a 2.4m deck made the most sense. You could normally get 3.6m, 4.2 and 5.2 as well. Don't forget the gap between the boards when measuring up and you should be able to keep a consistent gap (5mmish) without having to try and cut a board in half at the end. Sorry, just noticed the last post, shows how long I took to write that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Neal Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 Decking looks great when it's new but it's a bloody nightmare to maintain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hodge911 Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 10 hours ago, Jim Neal said: Decking looks great when it's new but it's a bloody nightmare to maintain. Completely agree .... If I ever meet Mr Titmarsh he's in for an ear bashing.. S.W.M.B.O watched a LOAD of his "garden make over " programmes which resulted in me hand digging out 18t of clay/soil and laying a 30' x 30' flagged patio and building a bespoke shaped decking around it ... she wanted painted mid-grey colour .... ok .... but looking at after 1 winter it's going to need a good wash to get rid of the green poop all over it . The paint £45 for 5ltr says its good for min 5 yrs but we'll see once washed down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remimax Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 yep decking is a pain its an annual pressure wash and treatment or it will rot away before your eyes. tried all the treatment oils and the no nonsense from screwfix is as good as any.use one of them cheap vacum cleaner sprayers which makes it a an easy job .got full rail round mine so spindles would take forever.i use the dark oak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 Wet and Forget is a good product to minimise the need t press jet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Neal Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 I'm going to divulge a trade secret. For anyone who's got decking, patio, paving, concrete, or whatever gets covered in algae all the time, get a bit of this stuff in your life: https://www.restormate.co.uk/epages/15094.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/15094/Products/JC-ALGEX5L I'd go in at a ratio of 1:10 for the first treatment if the build-up is bad, it won't hurt. You can keep things maintained with weaker dilution ratios of 1:20 or 1:30 if you don't let it get too bad. Depending on the material and how bad it is, you can literally watch the algae disappear within a couple of days after treatment in some cases. If you need to jet-wash as well, leave it a good 4-5 days between applying the product and washing, to let it do its job. Re-apply the product afterwards for prevention. It really does work - but as I said, on some materials better than others, but well worth a go, try it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Heron Posted March 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 We're having slate now who knows what it will be tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lksopener Posted March 10, 2021 Report Share Posted March 10, 2021 From experience.... don’t bother! A pain in the **** with maintenance. a nice stone patio is more expensive but will save you time and money in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanj Posted March 14, 2021 Report Share Posted March 14, 2021 decking is a perfect harbour for rats too. Never had them in 2o + years, 2 new neighbours move in and both put decking up. Rats galore. fenns out and rapid 7, given me something to do in lockdown i suppose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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