Allotments 4 All

The best use for decking planks is for raised beds  ;)

I suppose they can look pretty but the ones I see on a regular basis at peoples homes don't inspire me much especially when covered in algae.

Derek

Hmph, well, speak for yourself Merry.  ;) We have wooden decking around our wooden conservatory and it looks great!  It is warm under foot, easy to keep clean, weed free, and it child friendly! (Plus it is south facing, not overlooked and an ideal place for this allotmenteer to colour up her white bits!  ;D :o ;D)

  We talking parsnips emma.....  ;) :o :o :o :o ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I think decking looks very nice.  I don't have it myself.  Maybe when hubby and I are a bit better off we might consider it instead of a patio.

Some rather rude and uncalled for responses on this thread I might add  >:(

ooooooooh ooooooooooh YP get back in your pram,  ::) ::) ;D ;D

well said yellow petals, just what i was thinking!

I have just worked out the price of decking an area about 22m2 with joists screws planking etc. It is just under £650 trade prices. I already have the bricks and blocks for the face, but I will need to get ballast and cement for the footings on some of the piers so the true cost of the job will be about  £900. I f I only charge my wife half of my hourly rate  it should only cost her about  £250 for a couple of days work. If you try and get away with the cheaper softwoods you get from a well known DIY store, you will be building it again in five years time.
PS I do not like decking, but, 'she who has to be obeyed' wants somewhere to entertain al fresco and she said my suggestion of using the car port was not helpful at all.

thats great heritage, just what i wanted. cheers.

Sorry but I think it's rank, woodchip for gardens :P

Merry, I am with you.  It looks grotty after a couple of years and gets very slippery and dangerous.  I certainly wouldn't have it myself.

I think it depends on the quality of decking you use in the first place and also how you wood and weather treat it over time.  If it's laid and left it then it shouldn't be a surprise if it ends up looking crap.

So what do you use as a patio Merry and Tulippa? Or maybe you don't.....each to their own.

  What I said was said in jest  ??? ??? ??? ??? will crawl back under my stone
  now..!!!!!!

Quote from: Merry Tiller on August 27, 2005, 21:54:37
Decking is c r a p anyway, usually ends up lookig like a makeshift gallows

Well said Merry, i'd never thought of it lke that, but your're right!! also it's getting "old hat" now! says thouroughly modern Kev ;D ;)

I didn't particularly like decking til I visited the Tree House at Alnwick Castle.  Their decking is red cedar and is gorgeous.  The hand rails were curved and you just had to appreciate their beauty - everyone was rubbing their hands over them.  Red cedar doesn't need treating either.  They used differing widths of it for the flooring and it looked smashing.  At home in its proper setting it looked the business.  It was very smart though and would fit in to any modern scheme just as well.  When it's wet it looks lovely too

It must be good and safe or they wouldn't use it in such a setting.  There were hundreds of people going up and down steps etc.