Decking areas of your outside space is a super idea if you are looking for a hard wearing, even and accessible surface on which to enjoy being outdoors.

What is decking?

Decking is usually made up of a timber substructure with decking boards laid over the top. They can be hard or soft wood or a composite material depending on the finish you like and your budget.

Purposes for decking in your garden include:

• Provide alfresco dining / socialising / seating areas
• Surrounding a swimming pool or pond
• Levelling uneven ground
• Pathways around beds, borders or from the back door to a garden room
• Low maintenance space
• Adding heaters and canopies to your decked area/s to enjoy them over the winter months.

Why choose decking?

Decking is a suitable feature for both large and small gardens, both traditional or modern, and can also be used to cover up areas of your garden which may be unsightly such as old concrete blocks, poor soil or undulations in the lawn.  It is very good for creating usable space on slopes and less accessible areas.

Considerations when choosing decking

Decking can appear to be a cheaper option in the short term than paving but you will need to consider what sort of ground the decking will sit on as some groundworks, a good base material and weed control membrane may also be needed.

Maintenance costs can be higher with timber decking than if you had paving slabs installed. For example, timber boards would need treating regularly and if left unmaintained, they can also become slippery and need jet washing to remove the build-up of algae.

Composite decking, which is comprised of a mixture of wood fibres, plastics and binding agents, is more expensive than timber decking but often lasts longer and is generally maintenance-free. Installing composite decking could be a way to avoid some of the maintenance costs. It comes in a variety of colours to suit your desired look or compliment the rest of your garden and house.

Labour costs for installing decking tend to be similar to paving laying, so ensure you have a knowledgeable, experienced company installing it for you so that it is done correctly.

When should you have decking built?

There’s no reason why decking can’t be installed at any time of year. As we head out of Summer, at Frogheath we think now is a great time. It’s not too wet or muddy and there’s not a lot of debris from shedding trees at the moment. There is less disruption to the rest of your garden at this time of year, as most plants and flowers are becoming dormant. Please contact us to book a free home visit to discuss how we can improve your outside space with decking before Christmas. Email info@frogheath.co.ukCall 01435 883516