A deck is a great way to use a patchy, muddy bit of garden. It gives you a dry place to sit, and most people can build one themselves over a weekend or two. Lots of folks pick up their timber and screws from B&Q, so that gets a mention here too. Below is a plain walkthrough, start to finish.

Start With the Spot

Sit in the garden for a while and watch where the sun goes. Morning sun is nice with a cup of tea. Evening sun is nice with a cold drink. Try to get a bit of both.

Look at the ground. Flat and dry is best. If water sits there after rain, there will be trouble later, so fix that first or pick another spot. Keep clear of pipes and drains too.

Think about the back door as well. A deck close to the house gets used all the time. One at the far end of the garden gets forgotten by August.

Push a few pegs into the grass and run string around them. Leave it for a few days. You will soon know if the size feels right. For a first go, keep the shape simple. A square or a rectangle is fine. Fancy curves mean lots more cutting and lots more headaches. Plenty of good decking ideas are just a plain box done well.

Think About Size and Height

How big should it be? Bigger than you think. A table and four chairs take up a lot of room, and you need space to push a chair back. Put a chair inside the pegs and sit on it. That tells you more than any tape measure.

If your garden slopes, raised decking ideas might suit you. The deck sits on taller posts, so the top stays level even when the ground does not. If it ends up high off the ground, add a handrail. Tall decks may also need planning permission, so ask your council before you start.

Have a look at a few more decking ideas online, or over the neighbour’s fence. Steps, a bench, a planter at one end. Pick what you will really use, not what looks good in a photo.

Set a budget early too. Timber adds up faster than you would think.

What You Need to Buy

DIY decking does not take many tools. A tape measure, spirit level, saw, drill and pencil cover most of it. A rubber mallet and a string line help. Wear gloves, glasses and sturdy boots.

For materials, you need three things. Joists for the frame. Decking boards for the top. Outdoor screws to hold it all together. Cheap screws go rusty and leave black streaks, so spend a bit more on those.

Decking boards come in softwood, hardwood and composite. Softwood is cheap and easy to cut. Hardwood looks rich and lasts well. Composite needs hardly any care, but costs more. Staff at B&Q can talk you through the choices and help you work out how much to buy. Get a few spare boards. Everyone makes at least one bad cut.

How to Lay Decking

Here is how to lay decking, one step at a time.

First, clear the ground. Dig out the grass, level the soil and roll out some weed fabric. Spread gravel over the top.

Second, build the frame. This is the boring part, but it matters most. Lay the joists with even gaps between them and check each one with the spirit level. A wonky frame gives you a wonky deck, and there is no fixing that later. Rest the frame on slabs so it does not sit in wet soil. Wet soil rots wood.

Third, screw down the boards. Start at one edge. Leave a small gap between each board, about the width of a screw, so rain can drain away. Drill little pilot holes first, or the ends will split. Check the line every few boards. If it starts to drift, fix it early.

Last, trim the ends and tidy the edge. Cut boards on a bench, not on the lawn.

Make It Feel Nice

Once the boards are down, put on some decking oil or stain. Do it about once a year, or the wood goes grey and starts to split.

Then add the fun stuff. Pots, solar lights, a rug, a parasol. Solar lights need no wiring, which is handy. With raised decking ideas, you can build a bench along the edge and save space. Good DIY decking should feel like an outdoor room, not just a platform.

Keep it clean too. Sweep off the leaves so damp does not sit on the wood. Scrub away moss with a stiff brush. A pressure washer can damage the surface, so skip it. Tighten any screws that pop up.

Final Thoughts

A deck takes a bit of work, but it is worth it. Take your time with the frame, because everything sits on top of it. If that part is straight, the rest goes quickly.

Plenty of people buy their wood at B&Q. It is handy to walk around and look at the decking boards in daylight, since the colour in a photo is never quite the same. This site has no link with the brand, just so that is clear.

Bring a mate, a flask of tea and a long weekend. Once you have done how to lay decking the first time, the second time is much easier. Then put out a chair and enjoy it. If you are making a shopping list, B&Q is a fair place to start.