An Edinburgh pub’s £35,000 decking investment has sparked a planning dispute. However, the story raises a wider question: who carries the responsibility when construction starts before the council grants permission? The decking dispute at The Keelson According to The Scotsman’s report of 4 October 2026, the owners of The Keelson, on Leith’s Shore, spent £35,000 … Read more
Walk into a builders’ merchant and you will find rows of joist hangers that look reassuringly familiar. They are folded from metal, punched with fixing holes and often described as galvanised. Some listings even mention decking but not all joist hangers are for outdoor decking.It would be easy to pick the size that fits your … Read more
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
Decking Network · Independent landscape advice Resolving poor landscaping work starts with understanding what went wrong, why it happened and what a suitable remedy would involve. Record the concerns, preserve the evidence and seek independent technical advice where the construction or cause remains disputed. A failed garden project can affect more than its appearance, particularly … 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