Decking in Broadstairs.

Where decking works in Broadstairs

Broadstairs has plenty of decking-friendly gardens: split-level plots on the streets that step down towards the seafront, sea-view terraces overlooking Viking Bay and Stone Bay, and hot-tub bases in holiday-let rear gardens across the town. The decking substrate is typically level chalk once you excavate the topsoil, which gives you a nice firm base for concrete pads under the joist supports.

Materials

Softwood decking (tanalised pine, standard 145mm or 120mm boards) is the workhorse material and the cheapest to supply and build. Life expectancy 8 to 12 years with normal maintenance. Hardwood (Iroko, Ipe, Balau) is the upgrade: costs more, 20 to 25 year working life, no annual staining. Composite (Trex, Millboard, Fiberon) is the premium option: highest material cost, 25+ years, no maintenance beyond a pressure wash.

Substructure

Joists on concrete pads or on a treated timber ledger fixed to a wall. Standard joist spacing 400mm centres for softwood, 300mm for narrow-board hardwood. Weed-suppressant membrane under the deck, ventilation gap around the perimeter, and enough fall (typically 1:80) to move rainwater to the front edge.

Salt-air fixings

On any coastal Broadstairs deck we use A4 stainless deck screws as the standard fixing. Galvanised deck screws corrode in five to eight years on the salt-air belt and the boards start lifting. Stainless is the answer, adds a little to the material cost, and doubles the working life of the fixings.

Turnaround

Standard 12 to 20 square metre garden deck is a two to four day build depending on substructure complexity. Sea-view roof terraces or split-level jobs run longer: five to eight days is typical. Fixed price once we have seen the substrate and worked out the joist plan.