Safety First
Always remember to use gloves when handling any kind of timber, and be sure to wash your hands after handling it - particularly before eating. Never burn the treated off-cut timbers, as they are likely to contain chemical preservatives. Always remember to dispose of treated timber offcuts as refuse.
Always remember to use gloves when handling any kind of timber, and be sure to wash your hands after handling it - particularly before eating. Never burn the treated off-cut timbers, as they are likely to contain chemical preservatives. Always remember to dispose of treated timber offcuts as refuse.
Where possible, wear eye protection when
using a pressure washer on your deck, or when applying chemical
cleaners or restorers to it's surface. Keep young children away from the
decking area until after the installation is finished and until all of
your kit and tools have been stored away safely.
Fixings
Timber decking kits usually contain complete fixing kits, which have everything you need to complete the deck build.
Timber decking kits usually contain complete fixing kits, which have everything you need to complete the deck build.
Top Tips
Try to lay out the decking joists in place before actually fixing them together. Similarly, lay out the decking boards separately if space permits. By allowing the timber to become surface dry, you will make the timber much, much easier to work with - whilst also minimizing the effects of timber shrinkage. Drill pilot holes wherever you need to insert decking or joist screws, a this will vastly decrease the risk of timber splitting.
Try to lay out the decking joists in place before actually fixing them together. Similarly, lay out the decking boards separately if space permits. By allowing the timber to become surface dry, you will make the timber much, much easier to work with - whilst also minimizing the effects of timber shrinkage. Drill pilot holes wherever you need to insert decking or joist screws, a this will vastly decrease the risk of timber splitting.
Lastly, be sure to cover the ground area
underneath your deck with a high quality weed control membrane before
you begin to build the deck. Try to ensure that cut ends, notches etc
are all well protected from rot using a high quality brush-on timber
end-grain preserver.
Oversite preparation
Make sure the site onto which you intend to mount the completed deck is as free draining as possible, or at the very least, has a gradient of 1:40 or above. This will help aid water drainage after rainfall.
Make sure the site onto which you intend to mount the completed deck is as free draining as possible, or at the very least, has a gradient of 1:40 or above. This will help aid water drainage after rainfall.
If
yours is a ground decking kit, you might want to excavate the top 100mm
of soil before starting. Fill this space with compacted-down gravel
stones or with hardcore - this will help provide a really solid and
free-draining site, where otherwise this may not be the case.
Constructing the Joist Sub Frame
Timber decking kits include all the timbers necessary for the construction of joist sub frame undercarrages. This is basically a structurally-sound base onto which the decking timbers can be directly fixed. Start by laying down all but 2 of the timbers in a line, at 60cm intervals. These timbers will act as what the trade calls 'regular joists'. Next, lie the final 2 joists along the top and bottom of this row, to create a grid. These joists run at 90-degrees to the other timbers and are called 'cross joists'. Next, cut down the regular joists by the width of the two cross joists (typically 47mm x 2) so that the deck is correctly proportioned for the specified size.
Timber decking kits include all the timbers necessary for the construction of joist sub frame undercarrages. This is basically a structurally-sound base onto which the decking timbers can be directly fixed. Start by laying down all but 2 of the timbers in a line, at 60cm intervals. These timbers will act as what the trade calls 'regular joists'. Next, lie the final 2 joists along the top and bottom of this row, to create a grid. These joists run at 90-degrees to the other timbers and are called 'cross joists'. Next, cut down the regular joists by the width of the two cross joists (typically 47mm x 2) so that the deck is correctly proportioned for the specified size.
Next fix
the crossjoists to the two outer joists from the row of regular joists,
to create a square or rectangular frame. Then fit the remaining joists
at equal spacing (no more than 600mm centres). Bear in mind that your
joist timbers may have to be trimmed to size before completing this step
where you have been provided with oversized joists (say 4.8m lengths
rather than 4.2m lengths). Timber decking kits occasionally include
oversized joists where stock is limited.
N, we are ready to install the deckboards.
N, we are ready to install the deckboards.
Bear in mind that
throughout the seasons, your deckboards will swell and shrink slightly
in according to changes in the climate. If possible, make sure the
boards are dry when yo come to install them. Lay them at equal spaces
and approximately 5mm apart. Once you are happy with their positions,
drill each board twice where it falls onto each joist (remember, the
deckboards should be running at 90 degrees to eachother). Using pilot
holes first, fix the deckboards in place.
