There are two options for making a solid deck that does not subside. The joists can rest on hardwood posts that you drive into the ground or on concrete tiles. Here we discuss the second – and simplest – method.
Materials
- Deck boards
- Sand
- Anti-root fabric
- Concrete tiles
- Joists
- Screws
Tools
- Screw drill
- Circular saw
- Level
- Flat shovel
- Spade
- Stanley knife
- Drive rod
- Wheelbarrow
- Work gloves
Which type of wood to choose?
Deck boards come in many different woods, each with its own features and properties. In general, you can choose from three categories: hardwood, softwood and composite. Hardwood is of course more durable than softwood, but also considerably more expensive.
If you choose a hardwood decking, also use hardwood joists, so that the possible effect of the wood is the same.
Calculate how much material you need
A wooden deck terrace on which you can store a dining table and also a few sun loungers will have to be at least about 4 by 5 meters.
The most common width for wooden decking boards is 14.5 cm. With this size you need 7 linear meters of wooden decking board per square meter.
The joists will be spaced 40 cm apart. A good size for these joists is 45×68 mm.
Laying a wooden deck in 3 steps
1. Preparation and foundation
After plotting the contours of the deck, dig out the soil about 15 cm deep. Fill the excavation with sand, tamp it down firmly, flatten with a drive rod and check with a spirit level. Now lay the concrete tiles. Each joist rests on a row of tiles with a spacing of 1 meter.
Tip: Let the terrace slope 10mm per meter in the longitudinal direction to prevent rainwater from remaining on the decking.
2. Apply anti-root cloth
Place the anti-root cloth over the joists and cut it to size with a Stanley knife. The strips of root cloth must overlap at least 15 cm.
3. Screw on the deck boards
Now screw each deck board in the two outer grooves on each joist. You have to pre-drill hardwood deck boards with a drill bit 1 mm smaller than the diameter of the screw.
Keep a gap between the boards because of the effect of the wood. For hardwood decking, a gap of 5 mm is sufficient, for softwood boards, the gap must be at least 1 cm.
Tip: When using multiple board lengths, always place the seam between the ends on the center of a joist. It is also advisable to keep the seams staggered. This gives the nicest effect and also provides more stability.
Maintenance of the deck
The decking boards will discolour over time under the influence of sunlight. To prevent this, you can finish your new terrace with oil or stain. Wipe away dead leaves before they can stain the wood and spray with an algae-killing agent from time to time. If you want to use a high-pressure sprayer to get the deck clean, keep a good distance so as not to damage the wood.
