Garden Decking: Blocks, Tape and Balcony Decking

Decking is a popular garden feature. It is classified as a flat surface, traditionally made with wood, that is capable of holding weight, much like a floor but raised from the ground.

When implementing decking in your decking, wood or timber can be placed as an extension from your house or created in replacement of traditional patios and other similar features. Most recently, decks are being created to form a space that is used to aid the process of relaxation.

What Is Garden Decking?

Historically, decking was a small space, usually 8 by 10 feet, attached to the side of a house in a rectangular shape. Most decks were created from hardwood. However, over time these started to adapt and change.

You were able to create bigger decks that were much more functional than before. The issue with creating decking with hardwood was the durability of the material. They were good for structure but did require regular maintenance to extend the life of the wood. Hardwood is not as eco friendly, nor as sustainable as other materials.

In more current times, treated wood is a much better option. Some popular options now are decking boards. They are long rectangular planks that are arranged in different ways and cut to fit the perfect measurements of your desired decking.

Decking Blocks

Decking blocks are used as a foundation for decking and can provide a great, strong and stable foundation for your decking. Most decking blocks are made from concrete and will support the timber. They are essentially an alternative to the traditional footing that is needed to support the decking.

When considering to use decking blocks or not, there are some important factors that you should consider. Firstly, whether you are having a low deck or a high deck. Decking blocks are more suitable for a low deck and not suitable for decking that is going to be attached to your home. Decking blocks will work best with ground level decking.

There are some other times in which you should consider using decking blocks for your deck. For example, if you are looking to create a deck that is situated around a tree, then a decking block is much more simply than attempting to fit footing around the roots of the tree. You might consider getting rid of the tree completely to form your decking, but note it can be a great way to provide yourself with some natural shade and add a unique feature to your garden.

You will not need to interfere with the roots of the tree when using a decking block, making the job much easier and in the process, preserving the tree.

If you are wanting to fit a temporary deck, then a decking block provides a great way to build a stable, but non-permanent deck. Footing will typically involve cementing wooden structures into the ground to ensure their stability. For something temporary, you are going to be less inclined to want to do that.

Additionally, you are going to want to ensure that you are making a deck the safest it can be, even if that means spending more money, but decking blocks are cheaper than footing. Remember that you should only use this option if it is going to provide enough stability for your structure.

In some cases, you are going to want to ensure that you do not use decking blocks. For example, if you are planning to place the decking block on soil, this is something you are going to want to avoid. The soil can actually prevent the decking block from settling and this can cause it to sink into the soil and your structure is then going to become unstable.

Whilst decking the primary use of decking blocks is for decking, they can be used for other foundations such as sheds, pergolas and other garden buildings. Ensure you check with decking block suppliers to see if they are compatible with your intended use.

Decking Tape

Decking tape is used to protect and support the substructure of your decking. As we have mentioned, wooden deckings, specifical hardwood, are susceptible to wood rot, mould and mildew which can cause the decking to break and this can be potentially dangerous.

If you are wanting to build a wooden deck, then using decking tape can be a great way to prevent the abovementioned issues from happening. You use decking tape by placing the tape in the joints of the structure. Ensure that you follow the directions as guided on the tape.

Ensure that you buy tape that is water-resistant and prevents the gathering of moisture. Below, we have outlined some of the benefits of using decking tape.

Maintenance 

Hardwood decking will often require maintenance, but using decking tape will limit the future maintenance that you will need to perform. This can involve replacing joints within the structure and prolonging the life of your decking.

Additionally, it is nice to create a deck that you know is going to be safe and ensure that you are guaranteeing the safety of those using it.

Affordable

Decking tape is an affordable way to ensure the upkeep of the deck. In the long run, you are going to have the pay for the maintenance or the replacement of the decking if the structure becomes compromised. Using decking tape is an affordable way to save yourself money later on.

A small extra cost when building the decking could save you larger amounts of money in the future.

Easy to install

Decking tape is not a difficult process and it can be easily implemented in the building process. You can also find decking tape relatively easily. You should be able to go to your local hardware store and purchase decking tape. It is self-adhesive and required little work.

Decking Glass Panels

If you are looking for a unique and modern way to decorate your balcony, then glass panels can be the perfect edition. They allow you to create a protective barrier, especially if you have an elevated decking, without interrupting the views and preventing you from being able to see the landscape.

If you are thinking about using glass panels as part of your decking, then they have added benefits in addition to how beautiful and modern they look. We have outlined some added benefits below.

Cleaning

Glass is an easy material to clean as opposed to wood, which would often require a pressure washer to get the maximum effect. This means that you are able to simply wipe down the glass panels. Alternatively, some companies will offer a coating that you can have on the glass panels. This will mean that you do not have to worry about dust, dirt and watermarks.

Colour

You may decide to go with a glass that features a tint of colour. This can provide a pop of colour to your garden, which you can coordinate with other materials and features within your garden or home. 

Additionally, being able to pick a colour gives a sense of customisation to your final decision.

Durable

Of course, as will any glass feature, there is the risk that it could smash. However, you are able to get extremely durable glass panels made from toughened glass. This is the type of glass that is five times stronger than ordinary glass, meaning that it will take much more to break it.

If in the instance that it does break, it will shatter into lots of small pieces which are safer. They are often more inclined to be able to resist impact too.

Decking for a Balcony

Balconies are becoming a popular feature in people's homes. They are elevated platforms that are attached to the building. As decking is becoming more popular, people are deciding to use decking as their chosen material for their balconies.

As with decking, you are going to need to closely consider which material is the best for your decking balcony. Using hardwood is often not the best option and this can require a lot of regular treatment and there is a risk of wood rot making the balcony unsafe.

It is highly recommended that you use composite decking for your balcony as it is the safest and most low maintenance material. Composite decking is a great material. One of the most important factors that you need to consider is what the weather exposure will do to your balcony. You do not want to use a material that cannot handle harsh weather conditions.

Composite decking can withstand all weather conditions. This means that it will not rot from water absorption or frost. Below, we have outlined some of the major benefits of composite decking and why you should use it for balcony decking.

Durability

As we have previously mentioned, hardwood decking can rot and deteriorate over time. Composite decking will not do this. It is so important that a balcony is safe, so using this type of decking will guarantee that. You need to ensure that the type of material you are using can withstand the weight of those using it, especially if there are going to be multiple people using the balcony at one time.

As composite decking is made from multiple materials and not just one, it is a durable and sturdy material that can provide great strength.

Maintenance

With hardwood, you are going to need to perform regular maintenance and ensure that the wood is not going to rot. This can be costly as well as take up large amounts of your time. With composite decking, you will not need to maintain it anywhere near as much.

Wooden deckings will often require restaining or painting, which composite decking does not require. The most efficient way you can guarantee it keeps up to standard is to wash the decking when needed.

Eco-Friendly

Composite decking is not made from wood, this means that no trees are cut down in order to make them. The materials are often recycled or forms of scrap materials that are combined in order to create the composite decking.

This means that there is minimal impact on the environment as a result.

Splinters

Wooden decking carries the risk of splinters. If you have young children and pets or like to walk on your decking barefoot, then you may want to consider composite decking as it completely eliminates that risk.

What About Decking Repairs?

If you already have a decking, but you have a feeling that it is going to need repairing, the best thing you can do is ring a company that specialises in repairs within your area. However, there are some indicators that suggest you will need decking repairs.

Since wood is one of the most common materials used for decking, the probability that you are going to need a decking repair is quite high. The most common problem that leads to repairs needing to be made is rot. 

Wood rot is when the wood starts to decay due to a combination of collected moisture and fungi. This causes the wood to become weaker and when it becomes advanced, it can actually cause structures to collapse and fail.

You want to have decking repaired before it reaches a point of advanced decay as this can potentially be dangerous. Some of the most common causes of rot are:

• Wooden decking that has not been treated
• Trapped debris between decking boards
• A collection of water in one consistent spot
• Insects such as termites that eat away at the wood
• Harsh weather conditions, such as wind, rain and snow

If you are wanting to repair the decking yourself, then the easiest way to do so is to remove any decking that is rotting and replace them with new and treated decking boards or structures. Any areas that you notice are untreated but have not succumbed to rot should then be treated. This can prevent the wood from rotting so quickly.

If you are unable to fix the issue yourself, ensure that you contact a local builder who has knowledge of decking repairs. In some cases, you might find that it is actually cheaper to have the entire deck replaced as opposed to repairing one section. You might find that this is actually the better option if the other areas are going to need replacing at some point anyway.