Hi,

We are about to have our first baby at the end of April and the wife has decided that she would like to be able to sit outside in the garden of a morning - on the deck that I promised to build about 2 years ago!

So, as I have limited time available now, could anyone point me in the direction of any sites / other sources of information on ideas, hints and tips, etc.

We just want a pretty straightforward square decked area to adjoin the back of the house - about a foot off the ground - with a single set of steps (only going to be one or two steps I assume) on one side.

Is it simply a case of concreting a few vertical supports in the ground, framing between them, joisting across that frame and then laying the deck boards on the joists?  Or is there more to it than that?

Also, good sources of material in the North Tyneside / Newcastle area would be much appreciated.  As well as it being pricey, my experience  of timber from B&Q is that it can look ok when you buy it, but leave it a few months and it turns into a bunch of bananas.

Cheers,

Andy.

If you think time is limited _now_ just wait till april.

Twobarrows is right about them being slippery. Locals built some around a pond near us, they used the stuff with grooves but it's incredibly dangerous. Fell on my a__e! Needs chicken wire nailed to the top. Ever wondered why sailors are allways scrubbing the decks?

Perhaps have a look at india stone.. lots of places sell it.. looks great in the sun..various colours to suit your brickwork.. Lay as per regular flagstones..
http://www.pavingexpert.com/patio01.htm
A mix if different sizes looks good but I quite like the smaller sizes that have a similar effect to stone sets.

Well, thanks for the opinions!

Doesn't help my situation though, as the boss is adamant!

I know decking can be slippery in the wet, but I guess as long as I keep it free of moss then it shoudn't be too much of a problem.

So, apart from suggesting paving instead, any pointers to help me do a good job?

Try this..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/projects/patio_decking.shtml

http://www.pavingexpert.com/home.htm  

'Sfunny, I've never noticed that before; but it is a rather wasteful suggestion, I'd put the diesel in my Jeep & just put a match to the decking!
But it does echo my sentiments 100%.
And yes, that site has everything you would ever want to know about paving, whether you want to build a simple path or land an AV8-B in your back garden! Excellent web-site constuction as well.