Decking

Hi everyone

Do you know if you can build decking over any old ground? For instance i have crazy paving, plain concrete & grass (i didn't put it there :( ) that i would like to get rid of.

As we cant afford to dig it all up (can't do it ourselves, i thought what if we killed off all living stuff, then built the decking off the ground above it.

Is that just a crazy idea?

cheers

 

heres what i did i killed off the grass with weed killer then got some landscapers fabric(3 for �£20) at wickes put that down first(use something to hold the fadric down as its a right pain if its windy does your headin) and just decked over the top or you could landscape fabric over the timber joists before you put the decking down dont forget to put a 5mil gape between each decking board.
hope that helped

 

Hi borrowers a couple of pics. decked over old concrete paving slabs and a bit of crazy paving, last year.............

 

Hi.

I agree. Clean the area up and lay down some fabric so nothing grows through the decking as that'd look awful and be a pain.

I have to do the same soon and even make it two levels which fills me with fear lol.

 

As long as you can baton the frame down Borrowers then you have no problem at all, You don't need to kill the weeds. They won't come through, I thought when I posted my own efforts it would help people to do their own. In case you didn't catch it:

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=000164

Mine was banged into the soil but if you have concrete or crazy paving a good masonry drill will work wonders.

 

its easy to do just remember the more joists the better make it look like a spiders web after all you dont want it to move when walked on

sorry john i have to disagree weeds do and can come up if you dont put the fadric down you have to leave a gap between each decking board only 5 mil but its enough for light to get the weeds growing reason for gap is to allow decking to swell when wet.also allows the timbers under the decking to stay nice and dry so no rotting can take place..

 

Sorry just noticed geckoman's 5 mil gaps. Why? The guy that helped lay mine is a professional. If you use the proper decking then don't leave gaps. It is seasoned and doesn't expand or contract noticeably if it's properly done. I've seen decking done by the same bloke 10 years ago and no gaps at all. If you buy cheap wood you may need gaps. But then it won't last long any way.

 

Hi all
Thanks so much for all your replies. I did wonder if i was being a bit pie in the sky with that, but now i know it can be done.

Sarraceniac & Geckoman, i wouldn't have a clue, so i'll let you argue that out yourselves.

John, have only got a small space so nothing like yours, but you have reminded me about levelling.

RWM, let me know how you get on.

YDD, Can you remember how you did it? You have time on your hands don't you? You don't live far from me do you? Getting the picture......
:D

My hb just poo-poohed the idea when i spoke to him after posting this thread. Now i'm going to make it my mission I'm going to get a nice garden if it kills me.

Thanks again. as usual great response, not usual i'm not mad


cheers

 

each person in life has there own way of doing things(if we were all the same life would be boring
)
mines to leave the gaps(is that right or wrong?)so the air can get around under the decking
glad to help tho
imho it looks better with the gaps too

 

I thought decking was for ships lol

But I have to say Dee yours looks brilliant.
I suspect there will be many glasses of tonic drank and stories told out there......mine is a Stella xx.
Likewise yours John

 

ours has 5mil gaps. thats the way hub builds them, but john's looks great too, without gaps, either way id be happy...Dee..

 

No real argument gecko. It was just you said not to forget to leave 5 mil gaps. I prefer to keep the weeds at bay. Plus I fall down the cracks when I dance. :D

 

no argument fella i make decking with the 5 mil gaps for above reasons thats all i know the fadric adds a bit more to the cost be it gives me and my customers the piece of mind that no weeds get though

 

Not wishing to get Involved, you know me John, but all timber expands when wet and shrinks when dry, the seasoning has no effect.
Infact if you lay the boards when wet you will get gaps when it dries out.
The problem occurs if you lay the boards when dry, then you risk the whole lot forcing itself upwards and ripping itself off the joists.
If you bear in mind that each board can expand by about 3 mm from dry to wet and multiply that by the number of boards you have, you get an idea of the forces involved.

 

Originally posted by geckoman:

Too true geckoman. Welcome to your first GC debate. (Not argument) :D