Let's talk about how to lay decking! If this is your first time doing this, there's a good chance you're just perusing the internet looking to get a feel of whether or you want to learn how to lay decking.
Trust me, having done this for quite some time, it's a pretty simple process if you have a visual schematic to work off of.
Even if you're not a "handy" person don't get discouraged by all the fancy jargon that is out there.
If you want to learn how to lay decking, you'll want to focus more on the visual aspect, in other words, try to get your hands on a visual schematic before you begin any construction.
I offer free/paid schematics at my site in the box below, if you're just starting out, the free ones should suffice.
Try to start small if this is your first time, remember, if you choose a simple schematic you can always build upon it, but don't forget to follow the basics and avoids traps that are irreversible (e.
g not laying a weed mat down).
Anyways, let's get started on how to lay decking! The first thing you'll want to do is get a string line so you can measure out your deck area, be sure to do this accurately as it will be your guide for where you're going to dig your post holes.
For the experts, I would definitely look into the 3,4,5 method, but remember, as I said earlier, if you keep your deck area simple (square), you won't need to fret.
The next thing you'll want to do is to attach your deck(ledger) to your home, it's VERY important that your ledger is level, make sure you're using a spirit level.
Use carriage bolts and washers to fasten it.
Now comes the grunt work of the entire process, digging the post holes.
You'll want to make sure they're at least 600mm deep, now it might not seem that difficult to dig a few post holes, but this can be difficult if this is your first time doing it or you're physically weaker.
If that's the case, hop on over to your local hardware store and look into getting a hole borer, might run you 50 or so dollars, but it'll save you a ton of physical and mental stress.
Your deck will start taking shape now, you'll start laying out your beams and again, if it's your first time, you can lay them right on top of the posts.
And that's it, that wasn't too bad right? Easier said than done, again, once you have a visual schematic you'll have a much easier time processing all this information.
But that's it in a nutshell, once you have your deck completed, you can start enjoying those summer nights!
Trust me, having done this for quite some time, it's a pretty simple process if you have a visual schematic to work off of.
Even if you're not a "handy" person don't get discouraged by all the fancy jargon that is out there.
If you want to learn how to lay decking, you'll want to focus more on the visual aspect, in other words, try to get your hands on a visual schematic before you begin any construction.
I offer free/paid schematics at my site in the box below, if you're just starting out, the free ones should suffice.
Try to start small if this is your first time, remember, if you choose a simple schematic you can always build upon it, but don't forget to follow the basics and avoids traps that are irreversible (e.
g not laying a weed mat down).
Anyways, let's get started on how to lay decking! The first thing you'll want to do is get a string line so you can measure out your deck area, be sure to do this accurately as it will be your guide for where you're going to dig your post holes.
For the experts, I would definitely look into the 3,4,5 method, but remember, as I said earlier, if you keep your deck area simple (square), you won't need to fret.
The next thing you'll want to do is to attach your deck(ledger) to your home, it's VERY important that your ledger is level, make sure you're using a spirit level.
Use carriage bolts and washers to fasten it.
Now comes the grunt work of the entire process, digging the post holes.
You'll want to make sure they're at least 600mm deep, now it might not seem that difficult to dig a few post holes, but this can be difficult if this is your first time doing it or you're physically weaker.
If that's the case, hop on over to your local hardware store and look into getting a hole borer, might run you 50 or so dollars, but it'll save you a ton of physical and mental stress.
Your deck will start taking shape now, you'll start laying out your beams and again, if it's your first time, you can lay them right on top of the posts.
And that's it, that wasn't too bad right? Easier said than done, again, once you have a visual schematic you'll have a much easier time processing all this information.
But that's it in a nutshell, once you have your deck completed, you can start enjoying those summer nights!
SHARE
