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
Garden decking can transform a space. It can add function, structure, and style to a garden. However, when it is designed badly or built poorly, it can also become the source of serious decking court disputes. Over the years, I have seen this pattern time and again. Since the mid 2000s, I have consulted on … Read more
IT is best to avoid a decking dispute. A decking dispute rarely begins on the day the argument starts. More often, it begins much earlier. It begins when assumptions replace detail, when price replaces planning, and when nobody writes down what is actually being built. That is the real problem. Too many garden decking projects … Read more
A homeowner’s checklist for a safer, stronger deck that looks right from day one A good deck should make your garden easier to use. It mustn’t include any of these 7 decking mistakes. It should feel solid underfoot, look crisp at the edges, and drain well after rain. However, I still see plenty of projects … Read more
Grooved decking is dated and not groovey in the slightest Smooth decking vs grooved decking is “The” most common question when choosing the right deck surface for your garden. Grooved, ribbed or smooth decking? All styles have their champions, but they serve very different purposes. Let’s explore the differences, advantages, and drawbacks. We’ll look at … Read more
😂 HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’ DAY! 😂 🚨 YOU’VE BEEN FOOLED! 🚨 We’d love to give you free decking give away… but come on, that would be madness! 😆 so may we wish you all a HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’ DAY! However, if you ARE serious about upgrading your garden, The Decking Network is here to help with: ✔️ … Read more
The Importance of Keeping Timber Joists Off the Ground in Decking Structures When constructing decking structures in domestic gardens, one critical factor often overlooked is ensuring that timber joists are not in direct ground contact. Timber, even when treated, is vulnerable to various forms of decay when exposed to moisture and soil. One significant threat … Read more
Do rats eat cats Rats certainly aren’t interested in your cat and not interested in living under your deck either. Rats hate the wet dry nature of the environment under your deck. One minute its dry and the next its raining which drips through the gaps which rats don’t like. They prefer either being wet … Read more
Joist connection for deck framing The best advice for fixing joists as a decking frame is based on many years of what works and what doesn’t. The other advice is based on timber science and industry standard timber connection and what is and what isn’t acceptable. It is vital to the success of any decking … Read more
Of course, you can have a fire pit anywhere you like. Where you put it is entirely up to you. However, whether it should be there is a different question. Modern gas fires or fires that use a liquid to produce flames are usually acceptable. These types of fire pits contain the flames and the … Read more