Garden decking ideas to add interest to your outdoor space When it comes to your outdoor space, one of the first aspects to consider is your patio or terrace area. Garden decking ideas are a wonderful place to start – they help provide zones and boundaries and help set the scene for how and where you want your planting to look. Whichever style of garden landscaping ideas you opt for, there’s certain to be a type of decking to suit. Decking for gardens is decking is quick and relatively cheap to install. The ground beneath doesn’t require levelling, so you can cover an uneven surface, or even an existing terrace. It’s warm underfoot and also good for roof gardens. Wooden decking needs regular oiling to maintain its colour and be aware that cheaper woods tend to warp and move over time. Consider spending a bit more of your budget, to prevent having to spend more further down the line. The other popular option is composite, which is made from resin and reclaimed wood fibres. ‘Composite decking only needs an occasional gentle brush and wash,’ says Ash Read, home and property expert and founder of Living Cozy. Another plus is that it’s UV stable, meaning it won’t fade like natural woods can do. Garden decking ideas There’s a wealth of garden decking ideas to suit all lifestyles, budgets and tastes. You could opt for attractive wood, create imaginative patterns or go environmentally friendly with plastic- and wood-waste blends. 1. Continue the decking onto steps Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles Not every home is built level with the outdoor space, so consider integrating the steps with your scheme. Simply build you outdoor steps in the same timber or composite as the decking you’re using on the terrace area. Steps are notoriously slippy in inclement weather, so make sure to choose an anti-slip material and clean the area regularly to keep natural woods free from algae or moss. 2. Colour match to your house exterior Image credit: Valspar Make a statement by painting your decking to match the colour of your home. ‘When repainting a decking area, preparing your surface is really important to enable you to get the best finish,’ advises Will Thompson, Head of Product Marketing at Valspar Paint. ‘First, clear away all items such as plant pots. Then remove any loose or flaking with paint stripper or by sanding. Then clean your decking with a stiff bristled brush or broom.’ ‘Holes or cracks in the wood can be easily repaired with a wood filler. Once the filler is dry, use sandpaper to sand down the whole surface. To remove the leftover dust and give the whole deck a final clean, wipe it with a Decking Cleaner and let it dry. If you notice spots of bare wood after removing flaking paint, or if you’re drastically changing the colour (for example, going from a dark shade to a lighter one), you will need to apply a primer and undercoat first.’ ‘Once this is dry, it’s time to give your decking a new colourful life. For painting choose the application method that better suits your need among a paint roller or a decking pad. They will both deliver a uniform yet vivid coat of paint. On the other hand, keep brushes for painting in restricted spots.’ 3. Add a brick border Image credit: Future PLC/Nigel Rigden Make your decking area into even more of a visibly zoned space by adding a border. Think practically and use paving or bricks, as they can typically be cleaned using similar substances to the decking. Flowerbeds make pretty borders, too, but make sure you leave enough gaps for people to move easily between zones without trampling any of your blooms. 4. Integrate space for a firepit Image credit: Future PLC/David Brittain What even is an outdoor space without a firepit these days? Take this into consideration right from the off by building in space for your evenings around the fire. Not only does this set a lovely focal point to your terrace, but having the firepit on stones you won’t be have to be worried about having to sweep up ash remnants, or be concerned about lively sparks. 5. Contrast with your fencing style Image credit: Havwoods Cool, composite woods make a perfect contrast with weathered wood boards. Choose one to make up your outdoor decking, and the other for your fencing. This way, you get a stylish look and get the best of both materials. Our natural inclination would be composite on the decking and real woods for the fence area. 6. Choose bleached woods for a lighter feel Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore Keep a smaller space light and bright by using bleached woods. Eyes won’t be overly drawn to your decking, which would highlight the petite dimensions of your patio. Maximise the effect by painting external walls or fences white. 7. Zone dedicated garden areas Image credit: Future PLC/Alisdair Mcintosh Zoning our outdoor spaces is a popular way to make a garden reflect how we live indoors, an outdoor living room idea of sorts. Using two different flooring choices helps the give the garden a sense of purpose, a clear indication of a different zones. A dedicated dining area benefits from an easy clean decking, a play area lends itself to be on a lawn to cushion play and a relaxation zone complete with fire pit is most suitably finished with paving slabs. 8. Add a decking area to a garden room Image credit: Future PLC/Claire Lloyd Davies Create a dedicated outdoor area for a garden room by laying a decking area beyond the retracting doors. The frontage provides a space to sit outside, making it an extensive of the extra living space. Frame the compact decking area with simple yet thoughtful planted borders, that separate the decking and the structure from the remaining garden. Don’t forget to complete the effect with dramatic garden lighting ideas for the perfect decked garden that will…

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