Decks and Patios

Driveways, Paths and Patios A Complete Guide to Design Management and Construction

Decking: A Practical Step-by-step Guide Graham Quick, Neil Sutherland

The Garden D.I.Y. Expert D.G. Hessayon

How to Build Walks, Walls and Patio Floors: Brick, Stone, Pavers, Concrete, Tile and More

Decks and Decking: 15 Step-by-step Projects

Sun, shade, shelter from wind & privacy

 These are the other major considerations. It’s better to have a sunny patio than one in the shade as you can always make shade but you can’t make sun! 

Remember that sitting in direct sunshine in summer can be uncomfortably hot. Parasols can provide an elegant solution and have the advantage of being removable when the sun doesn’t shine. Another solution is something to give dappled shade, a pergola with trellis as a roof, or my preference - climbers supported with wires, give a nice effect. Ideally, to extend the season of use there should be some possibility of shade in mid-summer, but not in spring and autumn when the sun is warm without being overpowering, deciduous climbers can help here. 

Avoid most trees near your patio or deck, exceptions are those with a light open canopy such as birches (Betula spp.) and Robinia pseudoacacia “frisia”, though be wary of these being too close to the house. Most other trees would give too dense a shade. Almost any tree planted within 1-2m will in time begin to lift your patio with its roots, decks are not affected in the same way and can be constructed around the base of existing trees.

Shelter from wind is also very important when sitting your deck / patio, if everywhere seems to be windy, consider erecting a pergola screen for protection. 6ft x 6ft trellis panels held up by 3” square posts are effective and you can plant climbers at the base of the trellis to soften the effect. Trees, a hedge, or large shrubs on the windward side of the garden can also help considerably to curb the wind. An extra 2 ft of trellis on top of a boundary fence is also very effective (and doesn't usually need the planning permission that a taller fence might).

    Decks should really only be positioned where they are in the sun for most of the time. If too shaded, they remain wet and slippery (or at least more slippery than when dry) for longer, which will also reduce the life of the wood. Patios are better for shady places and whereas wet wood can look rather dreary, wet slabs / bricks aren’t so bad. Remember if you are reading books on decking most of them are written in and for countries that don't have our damp maritime climate.

   Dealing with manhole covers. Houses, particular new houses it seems for reasons that are not entirely clear, are frequently surrounded by one or more manhole covers that look unsightly and make it difficult when laying a patio around them.

One solution is to deck over them. It may seem rather drastic but it certainly works very well, there are some new houses that have four of five covers within a small area and there's really little that can be done to disguise them. The usual device of getting a pot and placing it on the cover tends to draw attention which defeats the object. Decks are raised about 6" or more above ground level and so make it easy to hide the covers which can be accessed fairly easily by lifting a couple of boards if necessary - when was the last time you needed to access a manhole cover?

Cost – varies greatly, make sure you know what slabs / bricks or wood you are getting before you commit.    

DIY or not Decks and patios can be installed by the competent (important word that) DIY'er. They are not for beginners, they are major projects and often hard heavy work. Make sure you know what you're taking on before you start, that you have the right tools, that you are carrying the work out to the correct standards and that you are using the right materials.

Gironde Circle Feature Kit  £289.98 Contains 36 pieces to make a circle 2800mm in diameter., Resembles time-worn French limestone flags, Creates a Mediterranean feel to the garden, Allows authentic random pattern appearance.   Gironde Corner Accessory Pack £79 Contains 12 pieces specifically designed to make 4 corners to convert your circle into a square.

Gironde Patio Feature Kit £219.98 35 slabs in a mix of sizes. Use to make a 2800 x 2300mm or a 4700 x 1400mm random pattern, or make your own shape and pattern., Resembles time-worn French limestone flags, Creates a Mediterranean feel to the garden, Allows authentic random pattern appearance.   Gironde Paving  £349 600 x 600mm - 22 pack

B&Q Old Town Paving Circle Weathered Limestone  £249.98 Contains 36 pieces to make a circle 2800mm in diameter, The random tooled markings on weathered limestone give a timeworn elegance to your garden, Accessories shown are not included.   B&Q Old Town Paving Weathered Limestone  (L)30 x (W)30cm £199 300 x 300mm - 48 pack

Old Town Full Circle Pack Grey/Green  £249.98 Contains 36 pieces to make a circle 2800mm in diameter., Grey/Green, Surface effect is characteristic of old natural stone flags, Weathered edges, Colours carefully blended to give subtle tonal variation   Old Town Accessory Pack Grey/Green  £49.98 Contains 12 stones, enough to make 4 corners that will convert your circle into a square.   Old Town Paving Grey/Green (L)30 x (W)30cm  £199 35 slabs in mixed sizes, use to make a rectangular random pattern either 2800 x 2300mm or 4700 x 1400mm, or make your own shape and pattern.

Natural Sandstone Circle Grey £299.98 Contains 25 pieces to make a circle 2460mm in diameter, Silver Grey   Natural Sandstone Accessory Pack Grey  £99.98 Contains 12 pieces to make 4 corners to convert your circle to a square, Silver Grey   Natural Sandstone Patio Kit Grey (L)457 x (W)334cm £329.98 Contains 48 slabs in a mix of sizes, Silver Grey

Decks   Laying a patio  Power drills   Power saws   Patio Slabs

Latest patio related items at eBay

Decking Supplies
Timber decking screws e.g.: 4mm x 75mm 100 - £3.95 500 - £17.77 2500 - £66.35	High quality, uncut decking for designs of any shape or size. Complete with joists. preservative treated, reversible (smooth or grooved), 15 Year Manufacturer's Guarantee. deckboard 27 x 144mm approx. Joist 44 x 144mm approx.		Erbauer CS1590L 7 ½" Circular Saw 230V 1500w motor. Blade size 190mm £64.99 More like this
Geotextile 2m x 50m £38.39 Heavy-duty (100g/m2) Fabric to separate sub-base from aggregates. Allows water to drain away but does not allow weed growth to penetrate as excludes 99.5% of light. Fully UV-stabilised (5 years in the UK) and rot proof.	Solignum Decking Oil Clear 2.5Ltr Clear, rich, penetrating oil which enhances and feeds timber decking whilst repelling water. Feeds weathered timber. Helps prevent dry splitting. 2.5L for £18.01		Ryobi CCD-1441 Drill Driver 14.4V Variable Speed & Reverse 2 x 1.3Ah Ni-Cd Batteries 3 Hour Charger Carry Case £49.99   More like this
Easy Build Deck Kit Green Treated 2m x 2m - £258 If you're looking for a high quality deck but don't have the time or skills, then look no further than this ingenious interlocking deck kit, The timbers are machined so that they slot together and interlock, All fixings are included. Delivery within 4 weeks (exc. Sat & Sun)		Treated Decking Joists Pack Of 20 Green Treated (L)3.6m x (W)144mm - £348 Quantity (units): 20, To build a deck from scratch you'll need a firm base, Our high quality Finnforest deckboards & joists will give you a quality deck that has been manufactured to last, 15 year manufacturer's guarantee against rot and insect attack. Delivery within 4 weeks (exc. Sat & Sun)
Deck & Pergola Kit Green Treated 2.4m x 2.4m  £338 Deck & Single Pergola Kit Green Treated 2.40m x 4.80m x (H)2.58m  £588 Deck & Double Pergola Kit Green Treated 4.8m x 2.4m £648 If you're looking for a high quality deck but don't have the time or skills, then look no further than this ingenious interlocking deck kit, The timbers are machined so that they slot together and interlock, All fixings are included, Accessories shown are not included unless otherwise stated , Exclusions may apply to the Isle of Wight Delivery within 4 weeks (exc. Sat & Sun)
Pre-treated Decking Kit Packs: 3.6m x 2.4m  £388 4.8m x 2.4m  £478 3.6m x 3.6m  £548 4.8m x 3.6m  £638 4.8m x 4.8m  £778 Treated Reversible Deck Boards: Thickness - 28mm, Treated Decking Joists: Thickness - 44mm, Width - 144mm, To build a deck from scratch you'll need a firm base. High quality Finnforest deckboards & joists will give you a quality deck that has been manufactured to last, 15 year manufacturer's guarantee against rot and insect attack Delivery within 4 weeks (exc. Sat & Sun)
Reversible Deckboard: 60 Green Treated 3.6m x (W)144mm  £548 60 Green Treated 4.8m x (W)144mm  £698 120 Green Treated 3.6m x (W)144mm  £978 120 Green Treated 4.8m x (W)144mm  £1258 28 mm thick deckboards for you to cut to fit. To build a deck from scratch you'll need a firm base. High quality Finnforest deckboards & joists will give you a quality deck that has been manufactured to last, 15 year manufacture's guarantee against rot and insect attack, Accessories shown are not included unless otherwise stated Delivery within 4 weeks (exc. Sat & Sun)
Thermowood Deck Kit: 3.6m x 2.1m  £898 3.6m x 3.6m  £1158 4.2m x 2.1m  £998 4.2m x 3.6m  £1198 4.2m x 4.2m  £1398 Including Handrails Brown 3.6m x 2.1m  £1248 Including Handrails Brown 4.2m x 2.1m  £1348 Including Handrails Brown 3.6m x 3.6m  £1598 Including Handrails Brown 4.2m x 3.6m  £1648 Including Handrails Brown 4.2m x 4.2m  £1858 If you're after the best, our Thermowood decking is the closest you'll get to real Hardwood, The timbers get a lustrous finish and deep colour purely from heat treatment to protect against rot and insect attack, Each kit is pre-cut and machined to simply slot together Delivery within 4 weeks (exc. Sat & Sun)
Prices for guidance only, correct at time of writing, subject to change