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Last week a very exciting thing happened… Our new garden decking was fitted!
To say we’re over the moon with it is an understatement. What’s more, the build itself went incredibly smoothly. Since then we’ve been planting up around it, ahead of the final reveal. For now, here’s some sneak peeks, plus some information on the building process, which both my husband Alex and I were very impressed with.
Here’s a little reminder of our old wooden deck, and what was found underneath when the rotten planks were lifted…
I know right? just shock and horror, all completely rotted away. With the skip and the new Trex Island Mist boards* waiting out front (it was all glamour here!), our TrexPro Platinum installers Browns Landscape* (Roger and Luke) set about clearing the area ready for the installation of our new deck.
If you caught my blog post about our decking plans, then you’ll know why we chose Trex composite decking. The boards are made up from are reclaimed wood, sawdust and plastic from many common household items such as retail bags and newspaper sleeves.
Unlike wood, Trex decking, resists fading, staining, scratching and mould – and won’t rot, warp, crack or splinter. Additionally, nearly 100% of factory refuse is recycled back into the manufacturing line.
With the area cleared and prepped, the next stage was to lay a membrane, to protect from weeds and such. And with our plans in hand, Roger and Luke constructed the substructure joists for the decking boards to be fitted on.
To avoid the same problem as last time the timbers used are pressure treated and strength graded (*supplied by Alsford Timber.)
‘But they are wood and may rot again!’ I hear you cry, but fear not, Trex has that covered with their Trex Protect tape. It’s a self-adhesive deck flashing tape that is designed to shield the tops of joists, rim joists, beams and ledger board from moisture that can lead to the development of rot and wood decay and the loosening of deck screws and fasteners.
Trex Protect tape is applied as a “cap” (vs. wrapping), which allows the wood to breathe. This butyl-based, self-adhesive tape is superior to asphalt-based joist tape and beam tape because it won’t bleed, dry out as quickly, or curl up and hold water. As a result, it acts as a moisture barrier between wood and galvanized metal commonly used in construction hardware.
The tape also seals deck fasteners and helps deck screws hold longer and stronger by preventing moisture penetration and defending against splitting that can result from seasonal freezing and thawing.
Next, the lovely grey composite decking boards were fitted, and they went down like a dream. I love the texture and the different colours in the board grain. It seems to change colour in the light, and it goes fabulously well with our grey slate kitchen tiles.
I hope you like the finished result below as much as we do? This little area is just crying out for some new garden furniture, so we can enjoy this newly revamped (and now safe) area with family and friends.
We’ve been planting up the borders that surround the decking to soften the edges. It’s already looking like its been here for ages. We’ve got a sunny border to the left, and a shady border to the right (shown below.) So we’ve got some amazing scope to add in some colour, to ‘pop’ against the warm grey tones of the boards.
I can’t wait to show you this end of the finished garden. Just a bit more faffing and planting and I’ll be publishing another blog post showing you the finished result, so watch this space!
Until next time,
Amy x
For more information on Trex resources and products, visit uk.trex.com or arbordeck.co.uk and for more information on the Trex decking tape click here
Written and photographed by Amy Davies Pereira. *Deck and fitting are being supplied on a gifted basis, in return for coverage on my social channels. All views and opinions are my own, I only work with brands I truly love and rate and want to share with you.
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