subject: Basic Woodworking Projects - Decking [print this page] Timber, or wood, is still the first preference for furniture and other home and garden projects like decking. However, there is a large variety of sorts of timber to select from. The first alternative is whether you will use hardwood or softwood. Hardwood is a lot more expensive, but it will not decay as quickly as softwood.
Both hardwood and softwood are attractive or can be made to look attractive with a suitable finish. Softwood generally takes more looking after, but can last just as long as hardwood, if it is sealed properly. If you want to paint the wood, then softwood is the better choice, because hardwood does not permit paint to soak in very well, but it will take staining, oiling and thin varnishing.
Once you have decided which type of timber you are going to use, you can think about which variety you want to use. If you are going to use hardwood, you have many alternatives, such as teak, mahogany or oak et cetera. If you want softwood the most common timber used is pine. Whichever you eventually use, select each piece of timber with care. You do not want warped, curved lengths of timber or lengths with an unwarranted number of knots in it. A good carpenter will inspect each length individually.
Then you will require something to hold the decking down. Nails or screws? Screws are almost certainly best because they will not come loose if the timber dries out. If you are using softwood, it will be alright to use stainless steel screws, but if you are using expensive hardwood, then I would use brass screws.
You will almost certainly need three inch screws and they should be neatly countersunk, so that the screw's head is just below the surface of the wood. You can then plug it or not. Yes with steel screws, not with brass screws, but it is really up to your personal inclination.
Prepare the area before you begin. It is probably best to use a concrete or slabbed base. This should be level and above the normal flow of rain water in your garden. If it does get wet, as when you wash it down, the water should fall through the boards and then flow away. You do not want it to stay under the decking so that mosquitoes can reproduce in it.
It is not hard to lay a wooden deck, but it a good idea to obtain a set of decking plans to work by. They will ensure that you do not miss a stage. They will also give you good hints and tips about which materials to use and how to finish your deck so that it does not rot quickly.
Once you have laid your own decking according to the plans, you could put an advert in the local paper and hire your services out to neighbours and locals. Everybody loves the idea of sitting out on their deck or porch in the evening and once you become a regular customer at the builders' merchant or lumber yard, you may meet the criteria for substantial discounts on materials, which will make your pricing more economical.
