If you are looking for a warm inviting look to your garden then garden decking is a good choice. Decking can be installed anywhere within your garden so is highly versatile. It can be installed at the bottom of your garden if this is the area that attracts the most sun or directly leading out from your back door as an additional dining area for family meals or entertaining. An unused corner can be transformed and the area brought alive with a new decking area installed. It also works well as an option if you have just completed building work on your house like an extension where the garden can be left in a bit of a mess after such a big project and decking can be easily installed to take care of this. If you are looking at wooden decking then you can choose to have either softwood or hardwood decking installed. Here at C&J Landscapes Ltd we work with both. We also install additions to our decking projects and discuss these further here: Handrails and Spindles These really finish off the look of a decking area and there are many different options available to personalise the look of your decking space and really make the look your own, from rope or wire handles to wooden spindles and handrails to glass panels. They look really great and also provide a safety feature to your decking. We install these on both level and raised decks. Steps We build these for our raised decks and these can be installed with or without handrails and spindles. The raised decks work really well in a garden with different levels or in a sloped garden. We find decking to be very popular in sloped gardens enabling a flat space in the garden to entertain and relax. Seating We build all types of seating into our decking. A popular choice is the benches that we make that have the option of providing storage too. Ideal for hiding away cushions and garden games. The seating also allows you to add colour to the space by adding a bench cushion in a bright colour or some cushions for colour and comfort. The seating also creates a great space always available to sit down so that you can grab that fifteen minutes of peace in the garden with a hot mug of tea or if a little later in the evening a nice glass of wine or beer. We often incorporate both seating and planters in our decking projects with a bench in the middle and planters either side. Pergolas Adding a pergola in the same wood as your decking creates a streamlined look and a nice finish to a project and gives the feeling more of an outdoor room. Once installed you can choose to grown climbers through the pergola for a burst of colour and to attract wildlife to your garden or let the beauty of the wood speak for itself. Planters These can be built into the decking design for a streamlined look or as a separate landscaping project, for example raised planters made out of sleepers or rendered concrete. Another opportunity to add colour and wildlife to your outdoor space. When building as part of the decking design we often incorporate seating at the same time. Sandpits These can be installed into the decking to allow your little ones to have lots of fun in the garden under your watchful eye whilst you sit close by and relax on your decking. Lighting Adding lighting to your decking allows you to stay out relaxing in your garden long after the sun has gone down. You can have lighting installed directly into your decking or can choose to have string lights woven through spindles or handrails or across your pergola. If you would like to discuss a decking project please get in touch via our website www.eastlondonlandscapes.com or email office@eastlondonlandscapes.com or call 020 3633 6413. We provide landscaping services in East London . We provide a free initial consultation and quote.
Decking Design Ideas
Here we look at decking design ideas. Decking is such a great addition to a garden. It provides a brilliant entertainment space and is so versatile it can be built anywhere in your garden. It doesn’t have to be laid right outside your back door and if there is an area at the bottom of your garden that attracts the sun a decking space there would work perfectly. Corner decking is also very popular with our clients. Decking can be laid at different heights and levels which works really well if you have a slope in your garden or the ground is uneven with different levels as decking allows you to create a flat surface for a seating area for your chairs or garden dining table. You can also look at what shape your decking will be. No longer does it have to be a standard square or rectangle. Curved decking is very popular and will create beautiful lines in your garden. If you already have an established flower border in your garden then you don’t have to dig it up. The decking can be installed to provide an edge around the border creating a frame for the plants. The decking can be laid in different configurations to create a different look. Either vertical or horizontal. One softwood that we work with regularly allows you to choose whether to have the decking laid with a grooved or smooth finish. A popular method is to mirror the flow of the flooring inside your home if the decking is going to be laid right outside your patio doors. This allows the flooring to flow from the inside out. Decking also looks great against paving and grass so mix up the elements that you use to create a beautiful and well useable space and create different zones in your garden. If you have a colour scheme in mind for your new garden design then the decking boards can be painted or stained to fit into your scheme. When having your decking installed you can also look at adding in built in planters to create a beautiful flower display, seating areas with storage space, sandpits for the littles one to play in under your watchful eye whilst you are relaxing on your decking. These are just some of the options as there are many more. Handrails and balustrades not only provide safety but also add further design to add to the look of your decking. There are many different options available to personalise your look. It doesn’t need to only be used for raised decking as it looks so good it is regularly used on level decking too. Lighting also allows you to personalise your deck and can be built into the decking or hung as string lights between the balustrades or if you have a pergola installed then twisted through. This allows you to stay out later in the evening long after it has grown dark. We love decking here at C&J Landscapes Ltd and are experts in our field so if you would like to discuss a project please get in touch via our website www.eastlondonlandscapes.com or email office@eastlondonlandscapes.com or call us on 020 3633 6413 to arrange a consultation to discuss your next decking project. We cover East London .
Garden Decking – Contractor vs DIY
Here we look at the pros and cons of contractor vs DIY for your garden decking project. Well laid decking looks fabulous in the garden and definitely adds value to your home. Not surprisingly, increasing numbers of home owners are installing it. Yet simply choosing materials and a design is not enough – fitting needs to be done just as carefully if you are to have the decking of your dreams. Installation is always a tricky question. Who is going to do it? Should a contractor be employed or should you attempt to do it yourself? Using a contractor definitely has distinct advantages. Contractors can design as well as install decking, making sure that it meets your needs exactly. They will know all the building regulations and ensure these are not broken. Contractors have the equipment, the materials and the skilled craftsmen who can deal with any problems that arise. Above all, a contractor will make sure that the decking is laid safely and securely. There will be no risk of loose planks or uneven surfaces that could pose a hazard to anyone in your family. An experienced installer will have a lot of experience on which to draw. They know what works and what doesn’t, and can bring this experience to bear when designing your new decking. It is not just a matter of putting down a few planks of wood. The site has to be assessed, prepared, foundations laid, wood chosen before the actual process of building the decking can begin. Adding features like steps or raised decking immediately makes the task even more complex. They can also add in seating areas, storage areas, flower beds and build sand pits within the decking and much more. Admittedly DIY can be cheaper. There are no installation costs. But you do need good DIY skills, and more than one person is needed on site. Help is needed to make sure the installation is safe and secure, moving large planks of wood around. It is not a simple task! Opting for a contractor will make the task easier and less traumatic. A skilled team can do the task in half the time leaving you free to enjoy the end result. If you would like to discuss a decking project with us please get in touch via our website www.eastlondonlandscapes.com. We provide landscaping services in East London and Essex.
