Decking - substructure build

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Has anyone here used composite decking and beams? Not cheap but does last, many years ago as part of a landscape contract we built some very large decks for wheelchair access on three lakes using the whole composite system. We were back there recently and its all as good as the day we installed it, completely maintenance free and not at all slimy like old wooden decking. The 4"x4" balustrade posts were a bit springy but had a hole through the middle which was a snug fit for a scaffold pole so we drove them through all the posts before fitting the caps.

Bob

Yes.
Next time I do one il secure the Ali extrusions to a timber sub frame though. As hot chef says. Didn't like the Bounce

 

[Ashley Burton]

I'm not a big fan of decking personally, I find it becomes a death trap if not looked after! Last house had it & wasn't keen. Current house I ripped it up at the nearest opportunity & layed a decent patio

It's not for everyone!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Wife: "I want a deck"
Me: "Cool - leave it to me - how hard can it be?"

Turns out the answer is "harder than you thought"!

Explain to SWMBO the technical difficulties involved in the design, construction materials, stress calculations etc involved and when her eyes had glazed over, get in the line "Think it'd be best to bring the professionals".
Then hit her a high estimate of how much it's going to cost and it's a racing cert she'll go off the idea.....

 

[atomant48]

I’m building one for the 3rd time in another thread. Whatever you choose here’s some lessons I’ve learned (preparing myself for the onslaught but this is my 10 years of experience with a UK deck and I’m a kiwi so naturally an expert in decks! :-)

1. Use torx head fasteners in the boards. Various brands but torx doesn’t seem to chew out like PH/PZ. Also the ones with a space between threads.
2. Buy the best boards you can. As above Millboard is about the best (what I’m using this time) - I see you’re matching to an existing deck but don’t discount it till you’ve compared. When the bloke delivered my joists direct from the sawmill he thought it was a pile of oak boards - and he knows wood I guess. If real wood then hardwood high second - Balau (popular “down south”) or I used Opepe last time and it is fantastic.
3. Drainage - it doesn’t need to slope like Everest !
4. Slippery - anything gets slippery if you don’t maintain it.
5. Rats - everyone will have their own experience. I only know from my own that we’ve had rats in a shed but never under the deck....
6. Span calculators - use with caution. “Allowable deflection” for a structure is quite different to what is acceptable for “feel”. The cost of joists is so insignificant compared to deck screws, boards and labour that you’re mad to risk wide spacing. There is no magic number as it depends a lot on what board you use but I would suggest 350-400 centres.
7. Plan it out. By this I mean think about where key joists need to be so you don’t have ends of boards unsupported, how you will get fasteners in (particularly when close to house etc) and where joints will be. Also how you will finish it with fascia etc - i.e. leaving the right gaps. To a certain extent you make it up as you go along but some prior thought really helps.
8. Finally buy the wood when you’re ready for it. Deck boards (whatever the flavour) seem notorious for warping when left sitting around. Which is a real pain!

And don’t forget to post up pics !

 

[keithski122]

Cost wise mine came in at around £1300 all in, stainless decking screws,joists, pads, hardwood deck, finishing oil and delivery.The good thing about the wood I used is that the length of the boards allowed for no joints along the length.

 

[123hotchef]

I’m building one for the 3rd time in another thread. Whatever you choose here’s some lessons I’ve learned (preparing myself for the onslaught but this is my 10 years of experience with a UK deck and I’m a kiwi so naturally an expert in decks! :-)

1. Use torx head fasteners in the boards. Various brands but torx doesn’t seem to chew out like PH/PZ. Also the ones with a space between threads.
2. Buy the best boards you can. As above Millboard is about the best (what I’m using this time) - I see you’re matching to an existing deck but don’t discount it till you’ve compared. When the bloke delivered my joists direct from the sawmill he thought it was a pile of oak boards - and he knows wood I guess. If real wood then hardwood high second - Balau (popular “down south”) or I used Opepe last time and it is fantastic.
3. Drainage - it doesn’t need to slope like Everest !
4. Slippery - anything gets slippery if you don’t maintain it.
5. Rats - everyone will have their own experience. I only know from my own that we’ve had rats in a shed but never under the deck....
6. Span calculators - use with caution. “Allowable deflection” for a structure is quite different to what is acceptable for “feel”. The cost of joists is so insignificant compared to deck screws, boards and labour that you’re mad to risk wide spacing. There is no magic number as it depends a lot on what board you use but I would suggest 350-400 centres.
7. Plan it out. By this I mean think about where key joists need to be so you don’t have ends of boards unsupported, how you will get fasteners in (particularly when close to house etc) and where joints will be. Also how you will finish it with fascia etc - i.e. leaving the right gaps. To a certain extent you make it up as you go along but some prior thought really helps.
8. Finally buy the wood when you’re ready for it. Deck boards (whatever the flavour) seem notorious for warping when left sitting around. Which is a real pain!

And don’t forget to post up pics !

torx screws for decking rock! as does the millboard I did cost comparissions for millboard and regular timber decking millboard worked out 5 times more expensive but worth it in my book. i went with 300mm centres between bearers just for when I have people over. and 1m between joists which are doubled up one each side of the posts 100x100s

 

[TechnicAl]

Slab it.......that decking stuff is a death trap.......Ive gone **** over tit on that stuff more than once.........its like dancing on ice after it rains

 

[123hotchef]

Slab it.......that decking stuff is a death trap.......Ive gone **** over tit on that stuff more than once.........its like dancing on ice after it rains

not millboard it aint!

 

[skotl]

Explain to SWMBO the technical difficulties involved in the design, construction materials, stress calculations etc involved and when her eyes had glazed over, get in the line "Think it'd be best to bring the professionals".
Then hit her a high estimate of how much it's going to cost and it's a racing cert she'll go off the idea.....

Wood purchased last weekend and taking up space in the back garden. Concrete procured tonight.
If you have a better suggestion of what to do with all of that then I'm all ears

 

[123hotchef]

the concrete will be set by tomorrow

 

[skotl]

I’m building one for the 3rd time in another thread. Whatever you choose here’s some lessons I’ve learned (preparing myself for the onslaught but this is my 10 years of experience with a UK deck and I’m a kiwi so naturally an expert in decks! :-)

1. Use torx head fasteners in the boards. Various brands but torx doesn’t seem to chew out like PH/PZ. Also the ones with a space between threads.
2. Buy the best boards you can. As above Millboard is about the best (what I’m using this time) - I see you’re matching to an existing deck but don’t discount it till you’ve compared. When the bloke delivered my joists direct from the sawmill he thought it was a pile of oak boards - and he knows wood I guess. If real wood then hardwood high second - Balau (popular “down south”) or I used Opepe last time and it is fantastic.
3. Drainage - it doesn’t need to slope like Everest !
4. Slippery - anything gets slippery if you don’t maintain it.
5. Rats - everyone will have their own experience. I only know from my own that we’ve had rats in a shed but never under the deck....
6. Span calculators - use with caution. “Allowable deflection” for a structure is quite different to what is acceptable for “feel”. The cost of joists is so insignificant compared to deck screws, boards and labour that you’re mad to risk wide spacing. There is no magic number as it depends a lot on what board you use but I would suggest 350-400 centres.
7. Plan it out. By this I mean think about where key joists need to be so you don’t have ends of boards unsupported, how you will get fasteners in (particularly when close to house etc) and where joints will be. Also how you will finish it with fascia etc - i.e. leaving the right gaps. To a certain extent you make it up as you go along but some prior thought really helps.
8. Finally buy the wood when you’re ready for it. Deck boards (whatever the flavour) seem notorious for warping when left sitting around. Which is a real pain!

And don’t forget to post up pics !

Fab! Cheers for that, Glen All great advice - I was learning sketchup yesterday as I realised that trying to do this on paper meant I was eating through more trees in scrunched up paper than I bought for the deck!

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Slab it.......that decking stuff is a death trap.......Ive gone **** over tit on that stuff more than once.........its like dancing on ice after it rains

I'm in agreement there. Love the look of decking and enjoy building it for people but wouldn't have it at home.

 

[angellonewolf]

must admit deaking looks good but slabs are easy to look after

 

[123hotchef]

must admit deaking looks good but slabs are easy to look after

my decking takes no looking after

 

[angellonewolf]

the slabs at the back of my house cost about the same as deaking i bet in 15 years after a pressure wash every few years mine done need replacing

 

[skotl]

I'm in agreement there. Love the look of decking and enjoy building it for people but wouldn't have it at home.

We got an extension built when we moved in and it needed some decking to get from the extension down to the garden (around 80cm).
Neither me nor wife were fans of decking at all so we went with the absolute minimum as required by building regs, which is about 2m by 1m stepped down to the garden.

Now she's decided she wants "more decking" - so here we are

 

[skotl]

OK - so here's the next question!

I've got myself some weed membrane to lay over what is currently grass, but will soon be mud. Do I need to put gravel over the membrane?
Online calculators are suggesting I need 2 tons of gravel to cover 12m2 at 10mm

That's more than my arc-welded rebuilt trailer is going to be able to cope with

 

[Nomad]

Traditional decking can get very slippy when wet or damp. I've been given a skip-load of used decking in the past by a chap who got tired of his kids slipping on it when it was wet.

My local pub has decking in the beer garden with anti-slip stripes (gravel?), I'll be using something similar when I replace/extend the decking on my mates patio in a couple of months time.

Random link & photo from Google (not a supplier I've used) to give you an idea https://www.edecks.co.uk/products/35135/219/107/0/Enhanced-Grip-Timeless-Decking-(125mm-x-38mm)

 

[skotl]

Sooooo.... bored of cutting wood and nailing joist hangers...

The span in the longer sections (west-east) is 135cm - I take it I should put some noggins down them?

 

[angellonewolf]

assuming thedeak running back to front ?