Garden Decking Ideas

In planning your decking area, you should ask yourself a number of key questions such as: what do you intend doing on your decking area? How big does the decking area need to be to accommodate this? How much time do I want to spend maintaining it? How much and when do we want to sun across the decking? How far do I want to carry thing to get to is? Do we want the decking to hide a section of the garden which would otherwise be redundant? Should it complement the existing house style /colour? With answers to these questions you'll be well on your way to making up your mind on the material to be used and the deck boards to choose from, along with size and location – before thinking about some of the finer details such as balustrade and lighting.

There are many purposes that a deck serves. You can determine to have a deck that will serve as outdoor dining; then, it must be close to your kitchen. You can also choose to have a deck that serves as a playground for your kids and a location for hosting outdoor parties. Let's consider it as an extension of your living room. A deck can also be built to serve as a relaxation spot. In this scenario, it's best to situate your deck where there are less traffic and interruption. Think of, let's say, the side of your home or back of your garden with less activity, or alternatively you can have a decking area onto which an insulted garden room is located which can be used all your round.

There's no rule of thumb when it comes to the size of a decking as this is very personal decision and also depends on the size of your current garden. For smaller gardens or courtyards we have seen the whole area transferred with multiple deck levels to provide depth and character to a back yard. You may also want to keep your deck size relative to your garden. Nonetheless, it all boils down to the intended purpose of the deck. The purpose should determine the size of the decking.

In positioning your decking, you should consider the view from the deck and inside the house. Getting the views right should be an essential factor that determines the positioning of your decking. Outside of this, the supply of sun to the decking should be another factor, one you'll be glad you made. Lastly, the slope of your garden should be considered. You can raise the decking to provide a flat level where an existing steep slope would otherwise make that space redundant.

It's also in your hands to choose between Horizontal deck boards, diagonal deck boards, chevron deck boards, and picture frame deck boards. These are different board layouts and again provide a way of creating your individual decking area. At Decking Sheffield, we'll do our best to educate you on the best options available to you based on your need and home location. Ours is to advise based on our experience and expertise; but it’s always up to you to make the final call.