This propery in Wimbledon SW19 required our composite decking services to design and install a durable garden deck to replace their old unsafe timber deck.The client wanted an aluminium decking frame which would not rot or deteriorate due to insect attack.

We installed Millboard Duospan Aluminium with a combination of Millboard Composite Posts and Millboard Duolift Risers and Self-Levellers.

We raised the deck slightly to provide a smoother transition through the patio doors. Elevation changes create trip hazards so we limited the change in height to closely match the height of the interior flooring.

The decking selected was Millboard Golden Oak for its durabiliy and natural timber appearance, without the maintenance timber requires.Millboard Bullnose boards were installed along the exterior edges by the rest of the garden and steps. This provides a smoother, more attractive finish without any sharp edges.

Millboard Bullnose boards were also added by the steps to replicate the design elements of interior staircases and steps.We used Millboard Curved Edge Fascia for the Tree Surround to again provide a clean finish to the tree which is the main garden feature. The client also had us replace part of their bamboo privacy fencing.

Millboard Aluminium Framing comes with a 25 year guarantee which, when combined with the same guarantee on the decking and our own Oilcanfinish Workmanship Guarantee ensures the clients investment in their property is safe.

Oilcanfinish are Millboard Approved Installers covering the South West London region in Wimbledon and the surrounding area.

If you are planning a similar Millboard decking project in Wimbledon and want to guarantee it is built to last, get in touch with Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living. We are generally booked a few months in advance.

enquiry@oilcanfinish.com

Oilcanfinish are Millboard Approved Installers covering the South West London region in Wimbledon and the surrounding area. Visit Millboard by clicking here to explore their full decking range.

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The post Millboard Golden Oak | Composite Decking Services in Wimbledon SW19 appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

Medium sized front gardens, especially on wider properties like this one, are often underused. Vehicles have to be considered, a clear walking path, and some planters and beds to soften the look and feel.Bikes, scooters, prams, and Recycling Bins.

Most houses now have 3-5 recycling bins. As collections moved from 1 week to 2 weeks, recycling bins had to become larger. They now dominate a section of the front garden and as important as recycling bins are, they are ugly. Recycling bins destroy designed garden schemes, stand well above beautiful plants ensuring they are visible, and are unfortunately a variety of colours and sizes.

Pram wheels get dirty, unpacking them completely seems a bit pointless, and having them dominate the front entrance to a home also raises its own interior design questions.

Bikes and Scooters are never clean. Never. But always required for every journey.

The idea behind this project was to make use of an area of the garden which was completely unused, tidy up the property boundary in an attractive, modern design style. The fencing was designed to suit both the client and their neighbors and afford both of them some privacy.

The multiuse Bin Store and Shed solved the rest of the issues.

For the fencing, due to the 1.5mt difference in elevation between the two properties, we had to utilise 3.9mt fence posts. Naturally we used Jacksons Fencing posts as they come with a 25 year Jakcure Service Life Guarantee. These posts are the main support structure for the entire project and are the last thing you want to replace. Each fence post also has adjustable Stainless Steel Resin Bolts, with washers and nuts on both sides of the post, attaching them to the wall, as well as being concreted into the ground. Having the posts 15cm from the wall, with washers and nuts on either side of the posts, allows for minor adjustments to be made over time if required. Easy, one tool maintenance, with only a spanner required.

The contemporary screen fence is made of 20x44mm Chamfered and Planed Smooth Redwood Slats from Champion Timber. These slats are smooth to the touch amd are treated to Use Class 4 against insect attack and wood rot, the highest level used in residential environments (Use Class 5 is used primarily in Marine environments). The slats are attached with Stainless Steel nails to avoid the unsightly rust lines that will form over time when Carbon Steel nails are used, regardless if they are Painted, Coated, or Galvanised.

The bin store has 5 bays with top and front opening doors. To secure the front and divider sections of the bin store over time, we sunk a 50x125mm Composite Joist in the ground with Composite Posts. Composite Materials are ideal for underground uses like this as they will never rot. We attached the front sections of our bin store to this buried Composite Bearer to prevent movement over time to keep the doors in good working order. Again, if adjustments are required the fixings are accessible.

The Storage Shed at the end of the bin store was built slightly differently. We had to keep the same Slatted appearance, but it’s function was slightly more important. The top of the Shed has a Waterproof Polycarbonate Sheet which keeps everything dry inside. On top of the Polycarbonate sheet we have a Slat Panel to keep the appearance consistent.

The door to the Bin Store was larger and a slightly odd shape compared to the Bin Store Doors, so it was constructed out of light weight, rust free alumimium.

For the hardware, we used Stainless Steel Parliament Hinges for all doors, 22 hinges in total, with stainless steel screws. This again prevents rust from damaging the appearance. Aluminium is one of the few metals which does not cause Galvanic Corrossion when it is in direct contact with Stainless Steel.

We used small tube handles on the Bin Store Doors to keep their appearance minimal, and a Stainless Steel switch deadbolt latch for the Shed.

This was a bespoke project to meet the specific needs of this property and clients. The main obstacle to this project was the elevation change at ground level. It slopes in 2 different directions towards the front door of the house. The front of the bin store is taller than the back of the bin store, hence the angle on the shed door.

The advantage of bespoke is that everything is made to suit the specific space and no space is wasted. The disadvantage of bespoke is usually the cost when compared to factory made products, however it is not a like for like comparison as one is unique to the space it resides, and the other is a fast-built box which has to fit into the space.

If you like the idea of a solidly constructed Bin Store, but have a level ground surface already, take a look at Jacksons Fencing Bin Stores which also come with a 25 Year Guarantee and are straightforward to assemble significantly reducing the cost.

The post Bespoke Slat Fencing in Wimbledon SW19 by Oilcanfinish appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

The previous fencing had begun to rot and the old double gates had dropped and fallen out of alignment with eachother making it impossible to close them securely. The clients regularly use the side gate, as the weekly tradesmen entrance for the gardening team. The brick piers were in various states, with some having failed mortar which required resetting and one to the left of the double gates being completely out of level. This post was deemed to be outside the scope of this project,

As always, we recommended Jacksons Fencing products for their quality, detail, and 25 Year Jakcure Service Life Guarantee. All materials had to be customised on site to fit the area. The bays between the brick piers on this bespoke fencing project in Wimbledon SW19 were all different heights and widths so standard products would not work. If you are familiar with SW19 post code, this property is at the top of a steep hill leading from Ridgeway and Wimbledon Village down to Wimbledon town centre, so to offset the varying height changes on the street, It was decided the top line would be consistent on either side of the entry for consistency.

The double gates are hung on galvanised steel posts which have been clad with matching timber to the gates. The gates themselves have a galvanised steel frame within the body of the doors to prevent them from dropping over their lifespan. They have also been factory fitted with a Jacksons Fencing J Lock which is keyed on both sides. They also have drop bolts for both gates to make it east to secure the property. The posts and centre drop bolts have been cleaned up with freshly laid tarmac to provide an easy to clean and maintain area.

The clients also had an old Oak Pedestrian side gate which we refinished taking off decades of stains and greyed wood fibres bring it back to its former glory,

Visit Oilcanfinish Outdoor Livings main Fencing Page for more details on our fencing options.

Visit Jacksons Fencing to view their product lines in more detail at https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/

The post Bespoke Jacksons Fencing in Wimbledon SW19 appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

This garden project was nearly complete redo. The old garden had been designed well, with Decking coming out from the kitchen extention, 2 brick planter beds Framing the Decking steps, and then paving going to the back area where there was a shed on a concrete slab. The main issue was the Bamboo had taken over significant parts of the garden making most of the space unusable, the Decking frame was rotted out and unsafe, and the rendering on the brick Planters was cracked and broken off in sections.

The first part of the project was to remove the old decking, and install their new fencing and rear gate. For the Fencing the clients selected Jacksons Fencing in Featheredge Panels with a matching Jacksons Fencing Gate.

During the fencing build the clients decided to have all of the Bamboo removed, This is a significant task so a specialist company came in to dig this out. The Bamboo had grown under the concrete pad of the shed so the shed and concrete was also removed.Once this was done they also replaced their rear doors with new bi-fold doors, then a rendering specialist came back and did the rear wall and re-rendered the 2 raised beds.Then it was back to us to build the new decking frame.

For the Decking Frame we used Jacksons Fencing Decking Joists with their 25 Year Service Life Guarantee. The frame was supported by 3 rows of Bearers set onto notched composite Posts cemented into the ground. All Joists were taped using Walther Strong Joist Tape to protect the tops of the Joists from excess water damage. Finally we added our Landscaping Fabric and Gravel to prevent weed growth under the deck.

For the Decking the clients chose the always stylish Millboard Enhanced Grain Decking boards with Bullnose Boards for the exterior border and leading edge of the steps. They selected Ashwood, one of Millboard new colours introduced in 2024.

Explore the Jacksons Fencing Range here: www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk

Explore the Millboard Enhanced Grain Decking Range here: https://www.millboard.com/en-gb/composite-decking-collections/enhanced-grain/antique-oak

Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living are premium decking and fencing contractors based in Wimbledon SW19. We are Jacksons Fencing Approved Installers and Millboard Approved Installers. Get in touch to plan your next project at enquiry@oilcanfinish.com

Want to see some of our other projects? Click here.

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Everyone is looking for good ways to maximize their usable space. The idea of outdoor living is to increase your usable space by making the outdoors part of your daily life and this requires smooth transitions between the different zones, such as from the house to the decking, anf the decking to lawn for example. To achieve this, careful planning is needed. Who will be using the space, and how will they be using it?

Properties and their gardens around London are generally small in comparison to the rest of the country. This limits what you can do compared to houses in the countryside. Most London gardens, especially in terraced houses, would have 2 or maybe 3 zones, or spaces, often made smaller with the additions and kitchen extensions.

Garden Zone 1: Dining

The first zone, or area of your garden, is immediately outside the back doors. If you add 3-4 meters of Flooring, generally installed at the same level as the interior flooring, you have started on your inside/outside living journey. I mention 3-4 meters of Flooring as this permits a dining table and 4 chairs. When planning please remember the chairs do have to be backed up for people to sit at them. If you do not build out a flooring area at least 3-4 meters you are making a path.

Gallery of House to Zone 1 Transitions

Keeping these 2 spaces, the interior and the first garden area, at the same elevation makes it feel comfortable to move between the two spaces. These is especially true for young children, seniors, or those with disabilities. It may come as no surprise that we work with these groups of customers on a regular basis. One thing young families and people with disabilities have in common is that their gardens require careful planning. Making the transition from the inside to the outside as easy as possible, and keeping the elevation the same between the interior and the first area in the garden, encourages everyone to get outside. 

If the interior of the house is higher than the garden lawn area, which is often the case after a kitchen and dining room extention, then Decking makes the best option as opposed to paving. 

Although Natural Stone or Porcelain Paving is incredibly durable, it does require building up the ground level to the interior if you are trying to match the two flooring levels. In some cases this means adding significant amounts of crushed Gravel, or MOT, to ensure the paving does not shift or move and separate over time.

Garden Zone 2: Main garden area

The transition between are 1 and area 2 are where you add your elevation changes such as steps or Ramps. If adding Ramps add a Handrail. If the elevation change is 600mm or more you are required to add a Ballustrade. Getting this section right, including the transition, will assist in your resale value.

Gallery of Staircases and Steps (Zone 1 to 2 Transitions)

How you finish this area is hugely dependent on who is living in the house and using the space, however the best solution is to give this zone to nature in one way or another. A natural lawn and grass is what we always recommend, combined with flower beds and planting, is always ideal to break up the floored zone by the back of the house and the Retreat Zone at the back of the garden. We never recommend artificial turf. 

Natural grass is a lesson in perseverance, the rewards of hard work, keeping something living alive, understanding and learning about nature and eco-systems. Worms and snails and bees and bugs are required. Decomposition is required. If you do have children this is where they learn about how things grow and possibly about how to maintain a garden, and why it is important. There is no point having an electric car out front, recycling every week, and having artificial turf in your garden. The subbase for artificial turf changes the composition of the soil underneath it and also even leads to increased chance of flooding in the neighbors properties. Not to mention artificial turf will spend 10-20 years in a garden and then sits in a landfill for thousands of years once it smells so badly of urine it had to be thrown away, leaving the artificial turf problem for hundreds of future generations to resolve once it has passed its usefulness. We feel this is the wrong way to do gardens which is why after a few installs of the stuff years ago, we stopped recommending and installing it.

So yes, we prefer natural lawns. Flower beds are always good dotted around the property. This is also a good place to run a path to connect the first and third area. If doing this in a straight line it maximises the central space which is good for kids, you may as well run this along the side that doesn’t get much sun and give the sunny side of the garden to the flower beds.

This is probably the area you would probably want to have a bbq and/or a bench, so add a small space For this between the path and the fence.

If you don’t have kids using the garden, you can really make this connecting area more interesting and play with the visuals of your garden to make it appear larger, hiding the back area of the garden by using a winding path, taller trees and planting. 

Other options to separate usable spaces is using partitions such as Trellis Fencing, Arbors, raised Planter Beds, or Hedges. This greatly helps section off areas and provides privacy and reduces visibility. This is key depending on how you wish to use the Back Garden Area, or section 3.

Garden Zone 3: The Retreat area

Maximise your usable space by finishing the end of your garden. This is the area where you can create an office or workshop, a yoga retreat or workout space, a completely separate Dining and Entertaining area, or a games area. In an ideal work you combine two of these. This is certainly where people will go to take a private phone call so it should have some outdoor seating. This is the reading area, the glass of wine area, the private retreat. Your own interests and hobbies grow in this area.

The back of the garden often has completely different natural lighting than the walk out immediately behind your house meaning it is used in a different way because of the difference in daylight.

The main obstacle is often uneven, muddy or unusable ground level . To make it work long term, finish the walls (fencing) first, then add paving or decking depending on your desired elevation and finish. We always recommend Decking, Porcelain, or sealed Natural Stone for this area as it is easiest to clean. You won’t clean this area as frequently as the area immediately adjacent to the house. Composite Decking is by far the easiest material to clean. 

One of the most popular current trends it a combination Shed & Gazebo area. The best solution for bikes, lawn mowers, and all the little bits is off the ground storage for bikes, or in the small shed section, and then the Gazebo area which would have a covered roof would be the separate covered area for Dining or a Workout area.

Keeping the garden tidy

One of the most important parts of keeping your garden tidy is adopting a minimalist attitude and planning for storage. If you aren’t going to use something in the next 12 months for sure, give it away. Managing clutter will make your garden far easier to maintain and keep clean and tidy.

However, don’t leave the storage decisions to the very end once everything is finished as you will then be cutting into your perfect garden and you will also be doing so after your budget has run out. Plan your storage from the start.

One item to mention is that we often see the areas between the Shed and the Fence completely filled in. It should not be. It can be kept clear with weed control Membrane and Gravel. It doesn’t have to be a work of art, however the important thing is not to use this small narrow corridor as a storage area. This area is for air circulation around your shed. If you fill it up, you will remove the air circulation for both your Shed and your Fence and both will rot prematurely. Keep it clear. Use your local recycling centre to get rid of the excess garbage. We often find the Car Roof Rack, bicycles, unused timber offcuts, paving slabs, and sheet materials stored in this area. This is a terrible idea. Get rid of them or store them inside. By the time you try to use them they will be stained beyond repair anyways.

Looking for ideas? Try some of the links below:

Jacksons Fencing Bin Stores, Pergolas, and Retreats

The post Design your Garden Zones appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

There was an old timber deck in position which had seen better days. The plan was to install a low maintenance deck, in almost an identical position to the previous Decking, lowering it by approximately 15cm to incorporate one more row of the paving steps coming down from the back patio.

The main reason the old decking had failed was the frame, it was timber, it had an out of date support method which relied fully on the connecting screws bearing all of the weight, and the joists were too far apart. All timber frames will eventually rot on low level decks in the UK, it is just a question of how long it will take.

To avoid those occurring again, the clients opted for a composite frame which is rot free, This frame was set onto several rows of composite bearers, which were seated on composite posts cemented into the ground.

The decking itself is Millboard Enhanced Grain Decking in their Golden Oak colour. This gives a light, natural looking finish which is easy to clean, has very high slip resistance, and comes with a 25 year warranty,

When you combine Millboard Composite decking Boards with a Millboard composite frame the result is a lasting installation which they will be enjoying for decades,

Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living are Millboard Approved Installers. We have all gone through Millboards training program and our projects are inspected on a regular basis to ensure we continue to meet or exceed Millboard installation techniques.

Visit www.Millboard.co.uk for more information on their Decking and Cladding products and order samples.

View our main decking information here.

The post Millboard Composite Decking in Wimbledon SW19 | Enhanced Grain Golden Oak appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

The front garden Fencing had rotted out and the gate was almost unusable. They opted for Jacksons Fencing with matching Gate. Having had us install Jacksons Fencing at their previous property they knew exactly what they wanted here when we arrived.

In the rear garden, there was a timber deck which was set below ground level so the decking Boards were level with the Paving. This looks superb when new, however it does require composite or aluminium Framing due to the low levels of air circulation in these types of decks. In this instance, the frame had rotten out in sections and the decking was dangerous.

The last piece of the puzzle was an old Trellis section which had seen better days. We showed our clients a similar project we had carried out the previous year and the Trellis Partition Wall was also added to the project.

Trellis Partition Screen Wall

For this section of the Garden Remodel we used Jacksons Fencing Vertical Tongue & Groove Fencing at 90 cm height for the bottom section and Jacksons Fencing Premier Trellis Panels for the top combined with their Posts, Gravel Boards and Capping Rails. This sections off the 2 areas of the garden, creates a space for climbing plants if desired, with an easy to navigate walk through. We left the walk through area exactly 1.03mt wide in case the clients decide to add a Jacksons Fencing Trellis Gate in the future.

Riven Sandstone Paving

We replaced the decking with Londonstone Riven Sandstone Paving to match the rest of the paving which was installed. There was a step made of timber decking to the lounge door which we also replaced, building a brick wall step which matches the steps to the kitchen in terms of design, colour, and layout. This paving is sitting on a compacted bed of MOT Type1 to prevent movement over time. We also extended the inset planter bed to match the other side of the rear garden. The paving was pointed with a natural looking Pointing Compound which replicates a Sand and Cement Mortar mix without the naturally occurring cracking which often occurs.

Front Garden Jacksons Tongue & Groove Fencing and Brook Gate

For the front garden we replaced the old gate which was catching on the paving as it had dropped, and removed the old fencing. We installed Jacksons Fencing Vertical Tongue & Groove Panel Fencing with one section trimmed to match the neighbors slat Fencing angle. The entry was finished with a Jacksons Fencing Brook Gate with a Stainless Steel Long Throw Keyed Lock. We always add a Capping Rail above our Gate installs to reduce the chance of movement over time which most gates experience. The Capping Rail keeps both posts the identical distance they should be regardless of timber expansion or contraction meaning the hinges and locks won’t require seasonal adjustments.

Jacksons Fencing Approved Installers

All Jacksons Fencing Timber products come with a 25 Year Service Life Guarantee, the only guarantee of its kind in the UK. Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living are a Jacksons Fencing Approved Installer. We also offer a 2 Year Installation Guarantee that warranties our installations are free of defects and if one is found, we will repair at no additional charge.

Due to the range of styles, quality of product, warranty, and aftercare service, we only recommend and install Jacksons Fencing for our Garden Remodel projects,

Jacksons Fencing have a network of the best Installers throughout the UK. If your property is too far from Wimbledon SW19 for us to carry out your work, Jacksons will find one of their Approved Fence Contractors closer to you.

https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/installation-and-advice/approved-fence-installation

Visit Londonstone for more Paving ideas. They have showrooms throughout Southwest London

Contact us to schedule a visit to discuss your property plans.

The post Garden Remodel Project Murray Road Wimbledon SW19 appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

The post Trex Composite Decking in Wimbledon SW19 appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

The previous wood plastic composite decking had been installed without any expansion gaps and was made using low quality decking. When low quality decking is manufactured it has the incorrect balance between wood and plastic and also low quality wood and plastic, meaning it shrinks and expands as seasonal temperatures change.

The client selected Millboard Smoked Oak for their flooring. Millboard Decking has one of the lowest expansion rates available in the UK, meaning it maintains its dimensions regardless of the weather.

We added lighting and boxed in the Olive Tree to ensure the soil stays in place.

Millboard Enhanced Grain Smoked Oak Decking

The post Millboard Courtyard Decking in Wimbledon SW19 appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

The client brief was to change their patio to something more usable. It was highly unlevel sloping significantly away from the house down to the lawn area. It was laid with paving slabs which were sitting on several different layers of concrete with some very old brick paving 20cm below the existing slabs.

Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living are a Millboard Approved Installer in Wimbledon SW19

The client decided on a split level deck which would extend from one fence to the other with a single step down from the kitchen to allow the side access lane to be level with the deck making moving Bikes into and out of the garden step-free.

The main deck is Millboard Enhanced Grain in Coppered Oak. We used Millboard Bullnose Boards to offer a very attractive edging solution for this split level deck and steps with it’s rounded finish profile. We also used the new Millboard Enhanced Grain SB Boards for the picture frames. This allowed us to project the Bullnose Board over the elevation change and narrow the same board run back smoothly where the Bullnose Board met the side wall. The front edge of the deck was finished with Millboard Rigid Fascias.

One of the advantages of Millboard is the fact that it contains no wood, which means it does not expand or contract as the temperature and humidity changes which helps keep mitre joints closed and gaps between Decking Boards stay consistent.

For the Framing we used Supreme Concrete Dekposts for a rot free support system combined with 50×150 mm Use Class 4 Timber Joists. We taped these joists with Walther Strong Joist Tape to protect the tops from water damage over time, and to hide the wood Framing.

The end result is a low maintenance deck with a very high slip resistance, one of the advantages of Millboard Enhanced Grain. Scuffs and scratches can be reported with Millboard Touch Up Paint. Millboard is also very easy to clean.

Explore all Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living Decking recommendations.

Explore Millboard Decking Range at https://millboard.co.uk/decking

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