If you have a deck in your garden, it will look neater and it will become easier for you to care for it. In the same time you will have a lot of space for dining, entertaining guests, or for relaxing. You don’t need a big budget for the project and you can have everything done in a weekend.
Marking
The first thing you should do is to mark out the area of the deck with strings and pegs. Clear the site and level it. Lay down a weed proof membrane and cover it with gravel. You don’t have to do all this if you already have a patio.
Joists
Start by working on the frame. For this you will have to measure and cut out the joists. Then fill the frame with joists. At the centers there should be 400 mm gaps.  Mark the positions on the frame. Once you know where each piece will come, you should put the pieces somewhere in the garden where you can work in peace.
Building the Frame
The next step is to make the deck bearer with the joists and the frame. For this it is best to use countersunk screws. You can secure the parts together is you use three screws at each end. It is important for all the pieces to be level, so you might want to use a spirit level.
Deck boards
Once you are done with the frame of the deck, you can move on to the deck boards. Cut all the boards to the length that you need. Start working at the front of the deck. Make sure that the boards won’t come over the edge of the frame. Secure each board to the bearer at the joists using two screws. For the best results you should leave a gap of a few millimeters between each board.
To make sure that the structure will be durable, you should always choose high quality products, such as the ones found at Arnold Laver.
Finishing Touches
Once each piece gets to the right place, you should think about preserving your work. Apply wood preservative to all exposed ends. This way you can prevent the wood from rotting. If you wish to, you can also paint the deck to add some personality to it. This way you can make your deck brighter and also more welcoming. You could also add some color to it.
Photo Credit By: groundteam.co.uk
