White blotches on my decking, how to avoid them and how to treat them

White Blotches on Ipe Decking: Causes, Treatment and Prevention

Ipe is one of the densest and most durable hardwoods used for exterior decking. When it has been correctly specified, installed and maintained, it can provide a particularly attractive and long-lasting deck surface. White blotches on Ipe decking can be particularly alarming, especially where the deck is new, recently restored or has only just been … Read more

The best composite decking is Deckorators Excursion says Karl Harrison

From Rotten Timber to a 90 m² Deckorators Excursion Deck

A homeowner asks a simple question: “Can you replace just the rotten elements?” It sounds reasonable. However, sometimes a few rotten boards are only the visible part of a much larger failure. That was the starting point for this substantial Deckorators Excursion deck in Capel-le-Ferne, Kent. The existing timber deck had reached the end of its natural … Read more

planning your new garden deck with best advice

The Complete UK Homeowner’s Guide to Planning a New Garden Deck

Planning your new deck with confidence Planning a new garden deck can transform how you use your home. It can create an easy route into the garden and a dependable place for dining. It can also give family life somewhere comfortable to move outdoors. However, those benefits do not come from the decking boards alone. … Read more

decking day main sponsor deckorators karl

The First Decking Day: A Defining Moment for the UK Decking Industry

The first Decking Day was created to do far more than fill a room with products, banners and familiar industry faces. It was created to start a conversation that the UK decking industry has needed for many years. From the moment people arrived at Horticulture House, it was clear that this was not going to … Read more

Is bad decking damaging good decking

Is bad decking damaging good decking?

Pro’s Say NO to junk decking Bad decking damages good decking because clients judge the whole category by the failures they experience. That may sound uncomfortable, although most people in the industry know it already. Proper decking has never offered more to garden design, landscape construction and outdoor living. Yet poor products, weak specification and … Read more

why garden designers avoid decking

Why do some Garden Designers avoid decking?

Decking still divides opinion. Some garden designers avoid decking completely. Some garden designers love it. few will only use it when the site gives them no better option. That reaction did not come from nowhere. Over the years, many designers have seen poor decking. They have seen rotten timber frames, slippery boards, badly fixed composites, … Read more

decking business overhead costs

Overheads Explained: What A Small Decking Business Really Costs To Run

Decking business overhead costs are much more than you can possibly imagine. Until you calculate them thoroughy that is. Many decking contractors know the price of boards, subframes, screws, and labour. Far fewer know the true cost of keeping the business alive. That is where problems begin. A company can stay busy, turn over respectable … Read more

Decking day in Didcot by Karl Harrison

Decking Day at Horticulture House

Decking Day at horticulture House is the first of its kind hosted by The Decking Network.  As a professional you are invited to join us on the 3rd of July 2026. From across the landscape, garden design and decking industry we invite you to register your interest in Decking Day at Horticulture House, Didcot, Oxfordshire. … Read more

Fiberon Novus, Exterpark Tech Supreme, Pioneer and TimberTech improving realistic composite decking

The race for realistic composite decking, and whether the market actually needs another one

Not Another Deck Board? Every now and again, another decking board appears and tells us the world has changed. It arrives with handsome photography, a confident launch, a technical story and a promise that decking has moved on again. The surface is better, the colour is deeper, the grain is more convincing and the warranty … Read more

Decking Regulations update reminder 2026

UK Decking Regulations: A Quick Update for Contractors and Homeowners

Questions to ask before you deck As the decking season gets going again, it is worth revisiting a few of the rules that still catch people out. The same questions come up every year. Does it need planning permission? Does it need a balustrade? Can a homeowner sign that requirement away? Is the frame timber … Read more