Sunny, spring days always make you feel like getting outside. It also reveals the damage caused by winter. Strolling out onto the decking can highlight damaged boards, faded timbers, broken balustrades. The decking can be slippery, blackened with fungus and timbers have become warped. If not dealt with quickly, this can eventually rot the timbers – and the framework underneath. Repairing such damage is essential. But before doing so, it is worth taking a close look at your decking and deciding whether it meets your needs. It may well be better to totally replace the decking than simply carry out a repair. Over time, people’s needs change. Children grow up and may no longer need that sandpit that was built beside the decking. Trees and bushes have matured and may affect the level of light being cast over your seating area. There may be a need to add in some steps or railings around the decking to provide a secure area in which children can play close to the house. Replacing decking can also make a tremendous difference to the style and shape of your garden. It can completely transform a garden. Adding in curves or ornamental edges instead of just having square or rectangular decking can provide a sense of elegance, of style and make it seem much contemporary. Think too about the level of shade experienced on your decking. Trees and shrubs may be needed to provide privacy from neighbours, and so cannot be cut down. Adjusting the shape and size of the patio could provide extra areas of sunlight. Then there is the question of extra facilities such as balustrades to give added interest or safety. How about adding a few raised planters, an inbuilt pool, some fitted benches or a barbeque? By installing them as part of the overall decking, you can gain extra planting space and relaxing facilities which actually blends into your decking since the same materials can be used to construct these additional items. Talking to a good landscaper will provide the advice and help that you need to maximize the benefits of your decking. For a landscaper with all the right tools and equipment, adjusting shapes and styles, and replacing decking can be undertaken with the minimum of disturbance to your lifestyle. With their breadth of knowledge of the decking sector, they can suggest ways of improving decking to give it a personal touch be it in terms of colour, facilities or style. If you would like to discuss a project please get in touch by email at office@eastlondonlandscapes.com or call our office on to arrange a free consultation.
Garden Decking Extras
Garden decking extras. Adding a few extras to your decking such as built in seating or planters can make a tremendous difference to your garden. Such features immediately enhance the beauty and functionality of your decking, while maximizing available space. Why not add in some pretty timber benches along the sides? This helps the transition from house to garden, while providing valuable additional seating that is perfect for al fresco entertaining. Inbuilt seating takes up far less space than a conventional table and chairs, and also has the advantage of being able to seat more people at any one time. Wooden benches evoke a sense of age less tradition, and look brilliant with any house style. A contrasting shade of wood can be very eye catching, while co-coordinating shades makes the space seem even larger. Darker tones can add a sense of warmth on cooler days. Existing features such as trees besides the decking can be enhanced by placing built in benches around it. Some built in planters provide an ideal way to grow sweet smelling and culinary herbs, or colourful annuals to brighten up al fresco dining. Built at waist height, planters can avoid the need for bending making it easier for anyone who is disabled to enjoy their garden. Steps provide additional interest and allow the installation of multi-level decking. The number of steps depends very much on the gradient, especially if your garden is sloping. Safety is obviously paramount as it is essential to avoid anyone falling down the steps and hurting themselves. Handrails are essential, while different shading at the edges of steps will help distinguish where one step ends and another starts. Contrasting textures are another way of combining safety with visual interest. At night, LED lighting beside each step will provide safety as well as creating a very pretty, twinkling, eye-catching image. End posts and handrails provide lots of opportunities for individuality, creating curves or shaped ends. Adding a fir cone shape or a circular globe gives hints of heritage, of age, as they are traditional garden styles. For something more contemporary, try squares or blocks. No one ever has enough storage space, no matter how big your house and garden. This is where built in decking features can really make an impact. Just consider the amount of space that exists underneath steps or under benches. If you would like to discuss a project please get in touch via email on office@eastlondonlandscapes.com or call our office on to arrange a free consultation.
Garden Decking Trends 2016
Garden decking trends 2016. Will 2016 be the year of curves? All the indications suggest that this is set to be the dominant trend in decking design. People are increasingly seeking to be more individualistic, wanting gentle curves rather than stark rectangles and squares. Curves can help make smaller spaces feel larger as the space is less clearly defined and leads neatly into the wider garden area. This provides a much better and more aesthetically pleasing link between lawns, flowerbeds and the house. There is some interest in multi-level decks with little steps leading from one to another. This helps create variations in height, again helping to make a garden area seem much bigger than it actually is. Natural colours are still very much in evidence. Rich dark browns, soft browns, golden yellows reminiscent of autumn colours are trendy, although blue themes add a cooling touch to many gardens. An intriguing trend that is appearing is the use of a two colour decking style. This often involves having a dark colour such as a rich brown on the floor area, and highlights in a brighter or softer shade. The highlights may be created by low railings or by outlining a feature or area of the decking. Everyone is looking at ways of maximizing decking space so as to get value for money and as much use as possible. Given Britain’s uncertain climate, it is not surprising that many people are adding arbours or roof areas that can be covered over when necessary to provide shade from hot sun or shelter from inclement weather. Temporary lighting is set to become much more common rather than opting for fixed lighting methods. The big advantage to temporary lighting is that it can be varied according to the time of the year, making it much more cost effective. Solar lights that can be moved around without having to install wiring are popular with many people, especially environmentally conscious householders. Low maintenance solutions are set to become one of the dominant trends over the coming year. Most people find they just do not have as much spare time as they would like. There are so many constraints on leisure time, and so many things to do, that home owners want easy solutions. Decking is seen as being reasonably easy to maintain, especially if composite materials are used. Made from recycled plastic and wood fibre, these decking panels do not need to be stained or maintained on a yearly basis and have a long life span. If you would like to discuss a decking project please get in touch via our website www.eastlondonlandscapes.com. We provide landscaping and fencing services in East London .
Maintaining Your Garden Decking
Here we look at maintaining your garden decking. Decking is very popular and look gorgeous in any garden. It provides a very flexible addition to your home. As with most things it requires a little maintenance. Follow these tips below for a long standing beautiful deck: Sweep it regularly with a hard broom and hose down to maintain a good deck. Remove debris between the boards using a putty knife. Use a decking cleaner to remove any moss, algae or dirt from the decking. Aim to do this twice a year. Ideally once in the spring and once in the autumn. Do not use any chlorine based bleach for cleaning as although it will clean the deck it will break down the lignin in the deck timber which holds the wood together. A jet washer can be used to clean the deck but do not use a heavy duty one. It needs to be smaller than 1500psi. Allow the deck to dry for several days before applying any type of finish. Soda crystals can be used to remove some stains. Water the deck, sprinkle the crystals, and allow to dry before washing away. After thoroughly cleaning add a decking oil. Even though your deck has been pressure treated in the manufacturing stage it will need to be maintained. Apply the oil with a brush and add two coats. If your wood starts to look tired and grey it need oiling. Never drag heavy objects on the surface of a deck to avoid damaging the wood. Move planters, chairs and tables occasionally to avoid discolouring the decking. Trim nearby bushes and trees. Don’t let leaves and debris pile up in corners. Keep nearby gutters and downspouts in good repair.
Planning a new patio or decking for your home?
Planning a new patio or decking for your home? With a little bit of thought you can transform a simple patio or decking area into an incredibly stylish area that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Adding a little extra value can work wonders for the overall design and concept. If opting for decking, opt for higher quality woods. These will last longer and feel much nicer when you walk on them. The higher the quality of wood, the greater the choice of woods available – which means you could use oak rather than pine, or something unusual like maple. The use of colour stained wood is beginning to reappear again. Instead of the natural look, you could aim for cool blues or verdant greens. Try colour co-ordinating with colours that dominate in your garden, give planters a slightly darker shade of your chosen colour to make them stand out. Fixing a mirror on the wall is a well-established way of making a small area seem much bigger and it can give the garden greater depth. Consider adding balustrading around the patio or decking as this adds a touch of elegance as well as practicality. What about incorporating a water feature such as a trickling fountain or millstone fountain, or building in lots of planters using wood or brick. Waist high planters can be an excellent idea if there is anyone in the household who is disabled or elderly as it avoids back problems when caring for the planters. It can ensure keen gardeners with health problems can continue gardening whatever their circumstances. Make decking across two levels or incorporate some steps around the garden to add greater interest. Contrasting colours of wood or stone help to add interest, while other colours like grey and dark blue can look very distinguished and elegant. Bricks are also useful if you have problems with water retention and flooding, as they will allow rainwater to permeate through to the soil below. As a final touch, consider building in a seating area which is tailor made in matching wood. Storage can be built into the seating areas to create a streamlined look and provide the important storage space needed in a garden. Adding value to your decking and patio will not only make it a more pleasurable place to live, but will increase the price when the time comes to sell your house. If you would like to discuss a decking or patio project please get in touch via our website www.eastlondonlandscapes.com.
