The area had previously been an old unsafe patio, with a brief to turn it
into an outside room. The answer - A raised deck and pergola which helped to
give the Mediterranean feel required by the client. Top Deck Decking staff built
the project.
A slightly raised terrace deck from doorway was highlighted by a split level
pergola. A decking staircase down to the garden completed the project. The
decking timbers, pergola and fence were all constructed using tanalised softwood
timber. The tanalith treatment will ensure the longevity of all components.
The images above show the building of the basic
sub-deck frame. In this operation, the framework was constructed at ground
level, before raising up to finished level and then 'installed with suitable
4x4in (100x100mm) timber supports bolted through to the deck frame. The left
hand side of the joist frame, was bolted through to the supports of the
fence to increase rigidity.
The front edge of the deck -
which overhung the lower garden slightly - was supported with timber posts
concreted into the ground. A strong deck sub frame was was even more
necessary in this case, as it also acted as upright support for the pergola
feature.
This before and after pair of pictures shows the pergola feature off quite
well. A little bit of thought before actually building the deck, allowed for
the pergola to be an integral part of the deck design, and helped to negate
the boxed-in feeling that would otherwise have been the case. The pergola
was built from 4x2in (100x50mm) construction joists, supported by a cross
beam of 6x2in (150x50mm) softwood joists. A simple angular cut to the
protruding ends of the cross members of the pergola mirrored the simplicity
of the whole project. A more ornate end cut could have been achieved using a
hand held eclectric jig saw.
The garage - previously painted - can now be softened, and
the glare from the white walls reduced by foliage hanging from the deck pergola.
As can be seen, there is a lot of white surrounding the deck, which whilst it
will cause glare, will reflect the heat considerably.
A staircase basically constructed from 8x2in (200x50mm)
side stringers, allows for safe and easy access to deck and garden alike. Sturdy
balustrades completed the deck project, and just a few days of sunshine later,
the colour of all timbers can be seen to have faded to a pleasing honey brown.
