How to use decking to make the most of your Devon home

Devon is the part of England that most people aspire to live in one day, and it’s no wonder. It’s home to some of the most beautiful coastline in the country, as well as gorgeous unspoiled countryside and pretty country villages and towns.

If you’re someone who is lucky enough to be living there already, then you probably want to make the most of your home! One great way to do that is to extend your living space out into the garden with a decked area so that you can make the most of the views while enjoying all the comforts of home.

The other great thing about decking is that it’s a relatively simple project, so a lot of people are able to do it themselves with just a few basic tools and a bit of patience.

Planning Your Decking

Before you get started, there are a few things you need to consider:

What time of day are you likely to use your decking? Consider where the sun will be at the times when you will be using your decking, as this will influence where you put it.
What are you likely to use it for? If you are thinking about installing a hot tub, for example, you will need to ensure that your decking can support it. If any power or water supplies will be needed on your decking, think about how you will get them there.
How big do you want it to be? Think about what furniture you want to put on it, but also how much of your garden you want left uncovered by decking.
Planning permission. Most issues with planning permission are due to objections from neighbours, so it’s worth discussing your plans with your neighbours before you go ahead to ensure that it goes smoothly.

How To Build Your Decking

Once you have planned your decking it’s time to get your equipment together and get started!

The first step for building your decking is to ensure that the ground you are placing it on is level. Once you have your level ground, you can start the build:

Create a square timber frame the same size as you want your decking to be. This is what your decking panels will lie on.
Raise the frame off the floor using timber ‘legs’. If you are placing your decking on grass, you will need to place each leg on a concrete block to spread the load. Check that your frame is level using a spirit level.
Add joists across the square frame to support the panels. Add additional legs as needed to support the joists (how many legs and joists will vary depending on the size of your decking).
Cut your panels to the right size and lay them across the frame. You can then join the deck pannels using decking and landscaping screws.
Be sure to incorporate a 5mm expansion gap between each board, to account for changes in timber size due to the weather. You can use a spacer or drop a screw into the gap to do this.

And there you have it! A lovely spot for you to enjoy your Devonshire view. If you add a cover to your decking you could even use it all year round.