Building the Perfect Outdoor Decking: Three Steps to Success

In many ways, building outdoor decking is the quintessential DIY project. If you’ve proven yourself with hanging shelves and fixing toilets, the natural progression is to something more involved and more creative – and nothing fits the bill like decking. 

If you’ve chosen to improve your outdoor living space with a well-built deck, you’re likely excited to get started. You may also be a little nervous. If you’ve never tackled a project of this size before, it’s only natural that you’ll doubt whether or not you can pull it off, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed with everything involved. 

This article is here to help with those feelings. Here’s a quick start guide on building the perfect outdoor decking in three easy steps. 

Image Credit: Pexels

Step 1: Gathering Supplies and Preparing the Area

First things first – preparing the area where your decking will be going. You’ll need to think carefully about the purpose of your decking, as this will inform the size, shape, and type. Take a look on Pinterest for some ideas. 

Having settled on an idea, you’ll need to mark out the space and measure up for height, depth, and x and y dimensions. Then, it’s time to gather the materials you need to do the job. 

For the wood, you’re usually best off approaching a local wood yard, as you’ll likely be able to get a better deal there than at a major store. For hardware, the lowest prices tend to be found online – eFixings is a good bet. 

Step 2: Building the Frame

Next up, it’s time to build the frame. Naturally, this is the most important part of the whole process, as what you build must be stable enough to withstand thousands of footsteps over the decking’s lifetime. 

You’ll start with the support posts, which need to be set in concrete. Next, it’s time to secure your beams and joists – these are the elements that will support the decking boards that people will walk on. 

As you lay each piece of wood, make sure you’re always checking they’re straight with a spirit level. For spacing and plank arrangements, have a look on YouTube for decking tutorials and find something that best fits your design. 

Step 3: Adding the Decking Boards and Protective Varnish

Finally, it’s time to add the decking boards. This part should be relatively easy compared to the last stage – you just have to make sure everything is evenly spaced to allow for the natural expansion of the wood. When cutting the boards, always measure twice, as any slight inaccuracies will show here. 

With everything laid, give the decking a light sand and apply a protective stain or varnish. This is crucial for longevity. 

Wrapping Up

You should now have a better idea of what the process of building a great deck requires. This is only a very quick guide, of course, so be sure to do your own research on each element so that you’re crystal clear. 

Above all else – be patient. This will take time to get right, but it’ll be more than worth it. Good luck!