Garden structures

Garden Structures / Patios and Decks - Hints and Tips

Measuring tape
5m or 8m, one as long as the largest measurement is most useful

Builders line, pins and nylon line
For setting up straight edges and accurately marking position

Spirit level
600mm long minimum, longer ones are more accurate in use, but less wieldy for smaller jobs.

Framing square
for getting those right angles right. Use at every available opportunity.

Builders pencil
The lead size and strength of a builders pencil makes it sooo much easier to use than an ordinary one, buy several.

Large squares and rectangles. Use the builders line for temporary lines, cut some wooden pegs with string around for ones that you can leave in situ for a while.

Place your first line along the house (if relevant), a little longer than required, bash the pegs in the ground until the string line is horizontal - check with your spirit level.

The next line goes at 90° to this. Over large distances a small set square is not so accurate. Make a large 3:4:5 triangle (remember those from geometry?) from timber, and use this for large scale right angles.

Again use the spirit level so that the line is horizontal.

Measure the third line from the first, then the fourth edge. When complete you can check your square or rectangle by measuring the diagonals, they should be identical, if not, then check your right angles again and whether or not the string lines are horizontal

Don't rely on the timber you are using for a straight edge. Exterior grade timber and decking boards can be somewhat warped, especially over the lengths used outdoors. Rely on your builders line for accuracy.

Fixing a wall plate to a wall

A "wall plate" is a piece of timber attached to a wall that other things are attached to. They are used when building a pergola attached to a wall, when placing a deck attached to a house or other building and numerous other instances.

In external constructions, a wall plate is usually a large, 2" x 4" (50 x 100mm) piece of timber that is used because it is easier to attach other pieces to a piece of timber than it is to attach them to the wall directly.

The length of the piece and fixings used depend on what is hung from the wall plate, usually "frame fixings" are used. These consist of a large nylon wall plug and a long coated steel screw that takes up almost the full length of the fixing. The nylon fixing is hammered (carefully) through the wooden wall plate and into the wall. The screw is then driven in place to make the fixing secure. 8 or 10mm fixings are usually used.

Make sure that there is at least as much fixing in the wall as through the wood. 2" (50mm) thick wood should have a minimum of a 4" (100mm) fixing. It is better if there is more in the wall than there is in the wood.

There will be at least two and probably more fixing points which raises the problem of how to make sure the holes in the wall match up with the holes through the timber.

Hold the wall plate in place in the position that you want to be in against the wall and with a pencil, mark on the wood where the holes should be. They should be placed in the middle of bricks - not near the edge with mortar and not in the mortar course itself.

Remove the wall plate from the wall and drill pilot holes through it with a 5mm drill bit.

Hold the wall plate back in place, double check with a spirit level that it is horizontal (or vertical for a gate for example) and using a 5mm masonry drill bit, drill the wall through the holes you have made to the full depth of your bit.

Again remove the wall plate and drill the holes the final size, hammer the nylon fixing through the holes so that they protrude about 5-10mm.

Drill the wall to take the fixings, you will need a hammer drill for this fitted with a masonry drill bit. Make sure that your drill bit is long enough.

Offer up the wall plate to the wall, the nylon fixings should find the holes you have made.

Carefully hammer the nylon fixings into place, tap each one in turn so that they are about the same depth at all times - don't hammer one fully in and then the next and so on.

Drive the screws into the fixings. A powerful cordless drill makes this part so much easier, particularly if you have a lot to do.

Frame fixings

Fixings of all kinds. Frame fixings are recommended for securing timber to masonry

Drill bits to get you through almost anything

Corded Drills

Cordless Drill Drivers