Replacement of old Paved Patio and Step

The paving edges projecting into the lawn were rounded which minimised the usable space on the upper level and left awkward and unusable space on the lower level where not only did the space not get used but also it was almost impossible to get the lawn to grow in.Like all of our decking projects, the main goal was to increase the usable space, make it as low maintainence as possible, and improve the appearance.

The paving was difficult to keep clean, grout constantly needed to be repaired, and it was not very user friendly for a premium garden where a smooth, flat surface which is easy to keep clean surface was required. Maintenance for patios is very different from a Trex Deck, where only a mop and a hose is required. When this is combined with a long life warranty it means decades of low maintenance living which is one of the primary attractions of our decking installations.

Planning the Decking and Step Layout and Design

To increase the usable space, you have to be ruthless in your planning. If you have awkward corners and edges in your terrace this forces you to position rectangular furniture into the middle of the terrace, this reduces your usable space. The edging has to be planned with the end-use in mind. Rounded edges work very well when part of the intended walkways, so leading to or from steps, or with built in or custom furniture.

For a terrace this size, it is large enough to have at least 2 room sized areas as well as access to the lower garden. The 2 most popular room areas would be a dining area and a lounge area with sofas, coffee table, and chairs. For access to the lower garden, you need to make the stairs as flexible as possible for any combination of future furniture positioning. The easiest way to do this is with wide stairs as it gives you as much flexibility as possible for furniture positioning without limiting access to the lawn area.

Trex Lineage Biscayne Composite Decking

The decking specified for this project was Trex Lineage Biscayne.

Trex Lineage decking comes with a 50 Year Warranty. It is a Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) decking board which is Capped. The Trex capping has their proprietary Sun Comfortable technology making it cooler under bare feet than other WPC and PVC Decking boards.

Biscayne has been one of our most popular products since it became available in the UK. The colouring of Biscayne is an almost identical match to wood which has silvered from prolonged UV light. This means the colour of Biscayne is almost always already in most garden colour schemes across the Fencing and any other timber products in the garden, including existing Hardwood Furniture. Biscayne is a non-risk colour as it does not alter the colour scheme of most properties and it is the perfect blended background for the more vibrant colours of planting, feature walls, or furniture. If your budget doesn’t allow for Lineage Biscayne, take a look at Rocky Harbor in the Trex Enhance Naturals range as the colours are very similar.

Explore the Trex Decking and Railing Range at https://uk.trex.com/

Outdure Aluminium Decking Frame

We had between 50-70mm clearance for our decking frame. This limits options to timber, composite, or alumimium. We could have used 50 x 50mm timber, however this would certainly rot swiftly due to a lack of air circulation under this deck. 50 x 50mm composite (HDPE Plastic) would have also worked, however this material expands and contracts significantly as well as being highly flexible, meaning it would require far more support pedastals. The best option for these types of projects is Aluminium Framing.

We specified 45 x 45 Outdure Aluminium Framing for this project, with 45 x 135mm Framing for the Steps. Aluminium has the same advantages HDPE Plastic framing does, it is immune to wood rot and insect attack. Aluminium deck framing also has almost no expansion and contraction meaning the frame will stay where it is without movement over time.

Aluminium Deck Framing is also far more rigid meaning less pedestal supports are required. The Outdure Aluminium Frame also comes with its own system of corner and fascia brackets meaning and the joists are 5.8mt length, meaning assembly is far faster than HDPE Plastic Frames.

Outdure Aluminium Framing comes with a 30 Year Guarantee, the longest Guarantee available in the UK for any decking frame options.

Explore the Outdure Aluminium Decking Frame system at https://www.outdure.com/uk/

The post Trex Lineage Composite Decking in Watford WD17 appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

This Composite Decking project in West Hampstead NW6 included the installation of Trex Composite Decking. Oilcanfinish also built a custom balcony and staircase using Composite decking in combination with Hardwood Ballustrades and Posts. We also cladded the sides of the staircase, making the area under the stairs a storage shed to to provide usable storage space, always a premium in London gardens.

The Bespoke Hardwood Ballustrades were also manufactured and installed by Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

The client was looking for a low maintenance option which blended over time with its natural surroundings. All timber turns silvers over time due to UV Light from the sun. Matching this silvered timber with a low maintenance composite decking colour is easy with Trex as they have 2-3 board options from their Signature, Transcend Lineage, and Enhance Naturals ranges designed specifically to maych this colour.

Decking Products selected

The client selected Trex Transcend Lineage composite decking in the colour Biscayne for their Upper Balcony and Staircase. 

For the lower level decking, the client selected Trex Enhance Naturals composite decking in the colour Toasted Sand. 

For the Ballustrades, the client selected a tropical hardwood, we installed Sapelle Posts, Handrail and Baserails, and Spindles.

Over time, UV Light will turn the ballustrades silver making them a perfect match with the Trex Lineage Biscayne decking.

Framing & Simpsons Strong Tie

We have a set system for installing balconies based on strict building standards in North West USA which are more specific than the UK. It specifically enhanced the Post and Bearer sections of the build. Our posts do not go into the ground, they go onto a freshly poured concrete footing and are attached with Simpson Strong Tie Post Shoes which elevate the post off the concrete pad to allow water to drain off. This increases the length of service for the post. 

The second element is to rest our double bearers on top of the posts to force the weight transfer down the length of the post to the concrete pad. To do this we notch the top of our posts to slot in our double bearers. Side mounted framing timber (screwed or bolted to the side of the posts) forces the weight onto the screw itself, not down the post. If you screw fails, the whole project fails. No side mounted bearers are permitted.

So no posts installed into the ground, and all posts and bearers are connected to the frame using Simpson Strong Tie steel structural brackets and post shoes.

Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living are TrexPro Platinum level installers, the highest level within the Trex Approved Installer program.

Visit our main Balcony & Terrace Decking Page for more case studies.

Visit Trex UK for more decking ideas

The post Trex Lineage Biscayne | Composite Decking in West Hampstead NW6 appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.