Deck building guidelines regulations and best practice

The best way to build a deck using current regulations and guidelines

To build a durable decking structure, you must ensure it’s constructed correctly from the start. By choosing the right materials and following industry-standard construction practices, you can be confident your deck will stand the test of time. The Association of Professional Landscapers has adopted deck-building guidelines, regulations, and best practices to promote high-quality construction. These resources are openly available for contractors to follow and help clients understand what to expect. The best way to build a deck is to follow this essential decking guide.

Deck building regulations and guidelines

There are many manufacturers of decking in the UK. Many of these have their own guidelines and instructions for the installation of their decking. In the main, they don’t cover the most important element of the build and that’s the structure under the decking. Unless your decking structure is built to the right standard you probably won’t be covered by their warranty.

You  may be faced with some after installation problems… such as

• If the water doesn’t drain off
• The decking platform isn’t sturdy and possibly moves
• If the boards deflect when walked on
• If the gaps are not consistent
• If the boards are abutted when they shouldn’t be
• If the posts or joists have the incorrect treatment standard
• If the fixings are not the right size or may rot prematurely

These are some of the questions that you won’t have if you have a copy of the up to date deck building guidelines by the APL.

They are regularly updated and free, find them here .

Decking regulations

The contractor and client should interpret the guidelines in their simplest form. Both parties need clear instructions to know exactly what they are constructing. If they follow the guidelines and encounter a failure, they can easily identify the issue. The timber, fixings, supports, screws, or tape will show where the failure occurred. If your deck fails or you suspect poor construction standards, you may want to consult a Decking Expert Witness. The court will expect these guidelines to form part of the standards presented

Best practice for deck building

The best practice to build a deck is to follow these industry and Association guidelines. Clients will know what to expect from the contractor. The client can easily observe if the deck is being built correctly or not

What to expect from the deck-building guidelines regulations

The decking guidelines will be easy to read and guide you through all the elements of the decking components. How they are fixed together and what with. They follow strict guides which conform with loading on top of your deck. This loading is calculated and is demonstrated in post, beam and joist span tables for all domestic decks.

The guideline is written with thanks to  Arborforest and Country Supplies

Download Decking Installation Guides

The Association industry guidelines for decking structures for timber and composite

Download APL Construction Guides