A garden deck can improve your garden in many ways. Not only does a garden deck look great, but it can also add to the enjoyment of your garden. It provides you with a space for lounging, relaxing and entertaining.

Garden design expert Calum Maddock at HomeHow.co.uk has created this guide with everything you need to know about the latest garden decking trends. If you’re looking to add a deck to your garden or upgrade your current garden decking, you can keep these ideas in mind and use them as inspiration.

Make Use of Levels

You can choose to place your decking at various levels and heights, depending on the surface and shape of your garden space.

A raised decking area is a great option for gardens with slopes or uneven areas as the decking can create a flat surface where you can place a seating or dining area. If you build a tall enough frame, you may even be able to use the space underneath the decking for garden storage.

A deck that is built at ground level is great if you want to create an even, flat surface in your garden. Plus, ground-level decks are easier to build than raised decks.

If you want to create something unique, why not consider integrating both ground-level and raised decks in your garden to create different platforms and areas? Different levels in the garden can create an eye-catching look with a unique appearance.

Choose The Best Shape For Your Garden

It’s important to be open-minded when deciding on the shape of your garden decking. Consider your space and design your decking to best fit in the space. Rectangular decking areas are the most common options as these are clean, traditional, and easy to install.

Decks with straight edges are easier to construct than decking areas with curved edges. However, decks with curved edges can help create a much softer finish for the overall garden design. Curved decks look great when combined with grass, gravel, or bark against the curved edge.

Consider Various Patterns

You can lay your decking boards in several different configurations to create an interesting type of effect. For example, you may choose to lay your boards in a horizontal design, a diagonal design, a zig-zig style, or a picture frame design. If you want to create an interesting and eye-catching appearance, consider going to something a little bit different.

Alternatively, you may want to consider opting for deck tiles rather than decking boards for a completely different and unique design. Line up your decking tiles if you want to achieve a horizontal design, or go for an eye-catching checkerboard-style effect by aligning vertical and horizontal deck tiles.

Mix and Match Various Materials

If you want to add an exciting look to your garden, consider adding some different elements to your garden by combining the decking materials with other materials. For example, you can incorporate a mix of decking boards and patio paving slabs.

You can complement the decking by creating a paved edge. This will give it a contemporary appearance. Alternatively, you could choose to go bold by slotting a line of paving stones in the centre of your decking area for a unique, tailored look.

Use Decking to Add Some Colour to Your Garden

Composite decking is a great option as it is available to buy in a range of attractive colours from reds, greys, yellows, and many other colours. This means that you can choose a colour that works well and complements the design of your garden.

Similarly, timber decking boards are a great option as these can be stained or painted in arrangements of different colours, allowing you to create a completely unique look in your garden. You can choose to stick to just one solid colour or create an even more striking look by combining two or more colours. For example, you may want to consider merging white and navy to create a nautical design or grey and black to create a stylish, contemporary look. Timber decking costs are relatively low in comparison to various other materials.

If you are artistic enough, you may even want to consider creating a completely unique decking area with a bespoke design. Consider getting creative and painting a pattern or a mural on your decking to make it completely unique and interesting. If you do this, you can be certain nobody else will have the same decking design as you.

In the same fashion, you may choose to create a two-tone look by painting the decking boards a different colour from the fencing, railing, or balustrades that surround the decking area. Consider using contemporary colours such as whites and greys or mix up the appearance by contrasting natural wood with a bold colour.

How do I keep my decking clean?

Before you do any work on your deck, like treating it, you will need to clean it. There are several ways to clean a deck. You can use a chemical formula that will quickly work and doesn’t require much effort from you. However, these cleaning solutions can be damaging to surrounding plants, so it’s important to cover them up beforehand.

If you don’t want to use chemicals, a stiff brush and a pressure washer can work wonders. If your decking boards are mouldy, this method is not recommended. It’s essential that you treat and clean mould off your deck before cleaning it.

It is important to keep on top of cleaning and maintaining your deck to help protect it. This can help to ensure that your deck last for a much longer time. Cleaning and maintaining your deck can help protect it from things that may cause damage to the wood.

If there are wet leaves present on the wood, these can allow moisture to seep into the grain. You can prevent this from becoming an issue by keeping on top of sweeping the deck.

If you have any food stains or other debris present on the deck, you should aim to remove these as soon as possible. This will prevent bugs from making a home on the deck and potentially causing damage.

It is very important that you inspect your decking regularly to make sure it’s still in good condition. The longer you have the decking, the more susceptible it will be to damage. By keeping on top of inspecting your deck regularly, you can identify any potential issues and address them before they become a much larger problem.

If you notice that water is accumulating on top of your deck, use a broom or squeegee to push the water off your deck before it causes damage such as mould, rotting, or structural damage.

If you notice any of the nails in your deck are becoming loose, or that features such as railings or stairs are becoming wobbly, you can add some additional support to these to prevent these issues from becoming a much bigger problem.

Try to inspect your deck once a month to check for any potential damage or issues that may cause damage down the line. If you spot any issues, make sure you rectify them as soon as possible to ensure your deck stays in the best possible condition.

Tips for applying decking stain or oil

• Be sure to do a patch test and allow the stain or oil to dry completely before working on the full project. This will give you a good idea of how the product will look on your decking boards when it is dry and how it reacts with the material.
• Stir the contents of the oil or stain tin thoroughly. You should do this for at least a few minutes before the application. This will help to ensure that the important ingredients and colour pigments are distributed evenly rather than all being concentrated at the bottom of the tin.
• You should only apply decking stain or oil on a dry weather day and avoid applying it during the cold winter months. If the weather is damp or too cold, then this could have a negative effect on the application and could affect the final appearance of the product.
• Keep a lookout for special offers and end-of-season sales. Decking stains and oils can be purchased for a discount, usually towards the end of summer. This will allow you to stock up for the following year and save some money.

Final Thoughts

Garden decking can improve your garden in many ways, including improving its appearance, providing an additional seating area, and providing you with a dedicated space for entertaining. There are many different types of garden decking and they come in all different styles to suit every garden. If you’re planning on adding decking to your garden, these ideas should provide you with all the inspiration you need to get started.