Welcome to my trade tips.
Now there is many ways you can improve your home and add value to it, one great way is
to construct your own decking area.
Now thanks to Silverline's wide range of hand and power tools.
It has never been easier to do it yourself.
The first stage of the construction is to set the area out where you're going to build
the decking.
If it happens to be on soft ground you are going too have to lay some pad foundations.
Using your string line, start to mark out the full area and shape of your decking.
Hammer some steaks in to the ground to hold your string line in place.
The ground here is soft gravel so I am going to need to lay some pad foundations.
Dig some small holes, around 300mm square by 300mm deep.
Mix up some wet concrete and pour or shovel until the hole is full.
The concrete pad foundations need to be every meter apart.
Now the next stage is to build and fit the subframe, and this is what you are going to
attach the decking planks to.
The subframe structure can be built from 4 inch by 2 inch sawn tanalised timber.
Drawn your clearance holes 400mm apart along the full length of the ledger beam.
Set your height and mark it on the wall where you want the frame to sit, it wants to be
at least 150mm above an damp proof course.
Using a masonry drill bit and a hammer action drill, drill through the clearance holes in
to the brickwork.
Apply a wall plug and hammer it in tight.
Start to drive in your bolts through the clearance holes, then when it is offered up to the brickwork
continue to drive the bolts through the beam to bite tightly into the wall plugs.
Now the main ledger beam is firmly fixed level to the wall you can start to mark up and lay
out where you need your joist hangers.
These want to be 500mm apart and will hold the joist to the main ledger beam, Screw them
down with 40mm galvanised screws.
Start to cut all of your joists to the required length.
Laying them out across the area sitting one end into the joist hanger and placing another
joist hanger on the opposite end.
Fit another 4 inch by 2 inch beam on the front section.
This acts as a bearer beam and holds the other ends of the joists and hangers in place.
Noggins can be cut down to size from offcuts of timber and then screwed in between each
joist to stop them twisting.
You can stagger them tom ake it easier to screw together.
Using a crow bar and some wooden chocks, jack up the frame until it is level.
Fix some more offcuts of timber to the side of your joists directly over the area of your
pad foundations.
This helps reinforce the joist to take any weight.
Then apply wood treatment to any recently cut timber.
You can construct your subframe to any shape and size.
I am going to trim back the corner.
Set your angle and place a straight length of timber across the top of the joists then
mark up using a pencil.
Trim back using a good sharp hand saw.
Then apply another bearer beam to the cut angled edge of the joist.
Now that is the subframe complete, the next stage is the final stage, and that is to screw
down all the decking planks firmly into position.
Clamp and screw the first decking plank to the front of the bearing beam to act as a
facia board.
Apply the top decking planks making sure that all joints sit directly on the joists below.
Measure and cut the next piece using a circular saw.
When positioning your decking you are going to need to use spacers these slot in between
each plank for a consistent gap.
These come with the Kreg decking system which has a specially designed guide to help drill
in screws diagonally through the edge of each plank.
All planks need to be screwed down on both edges in to the joists below to firmly hold
them in to position.
Using your pencil draw around any obstacles that happen to be in the way.
Clamp down your marked up plank to a stable work bench then using a jig saw cut around
the shape tat you require.
Continue laying and fixing down your decking planks leaving an overhang on the corner where
you are about to create the angle.
Run your string line across the corner where you are about to cut.
Place the spirit level on top of the line and mark with a pencil.
Using a circular saw cut across the line to create the perfect shape of your decking area.
And finally, fit the rest of your decking planks until it is complete.
Always remember to use your spacers and firmly screw down each plank to the joist below.
Not forgetting to apply wood preserver to all the cut edges.
Now hopefully my trade tips will have inspired you and given you the confidence to do it
yourself.
Remember, if you have got any DIY related questions or you need any information on the
tools please visit the website, silverlinetools.com.