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Removing decking

ngale54321ngale54321 Posts: 4
in Garden design
Hi, 

I'd be grateful on some advice as to what to do with my garden - I've made a bit of a mess and am not sure how to go about rectifying it! Up until this morning I had a small garden that had patio slabs directly outside the house and the remainder was raised decking with small flower beds around it. The decking is rotting away and appeared to have patio underneath it so I started to remove it today. I was hoping it was flat underneath and I could lay some grass instead as the kids would love that. Turns out it is mainly rubble underneath the decking, so I'm not sure what to do now. I've attached some pictures but would be really grateful for any suggestions at all - I'm at a bit of a loss! 

Many Thanks
Nikki 
«1

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited July 2018
    Welcome Ngale. I think the standard response might be to replace the decking and structure underneath or have it all ripped/dug out. I have a similar quandary at present. When you prod under the rubble, is there earth under there? Is there some kind of foundation / concrete? If you get someone in to do the work - replace or dig out - it can cost quite a bit.

    Is there a clear reason that the decking is there to start with? Are you on a slope? How much sun do you get during the day? Do you have any issues with damp?

    If you still have the boards, you can put them back for a while, as you decide what to do. I have put some wood over my rotten boards so nobody will fall through, until they are replaced.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's quite common for decking to have a load of cr*p underneath, as it's the easiest way to hide a multitude of sins. 
    I'd say the same as Fire- put the boards back down - it isn't too difficult even if you have little diy skill. Any really duff ones you can discard. 
    It looks to be quite a big area that's decked, so could you 'fence off' one end for now, to  let the kids play, and concentrate on sorting the other half? I'd pick the sunniest bit initially if you want to have grass, as it'll do better in those situations. A few sturdy bags or containers to shift the rubble into [or a small skip if your budget allows ] then dig or fork over and add topsoil, then sow seed  later in the year, or get it turfed [again depending on budget] 
    I appreciate that I've made that sound very easy, but I know only too well how much hard graft is involved, having 'created' gardens several times from blank canvases. 
    Much of it comes down to budget, time and the ability to roll up sleeves. Do you have someone who could help with the digging/lifting and general labouring?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ngale54321ngale54321 Posts: 4
    Hi Fire, thanks for your response. It is a bit of a quandry! There is earth underneath as the front of the decking is held up by posts dug into the ground. I'm wondering if I can use this to build some kind of supporting structure? 

  • ngale54321ngale54321 Posts: 4
    Thanks Fairygirl, fencing off half the decking is a great idea - the kids are already itching to get out in the garden again! 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Ngale, is there a small/zero budget? Decking is tricky because it will almost inevitably need replacing after 10-15 years. There is no getting around it, really. Using wood preservative can help prolong the life of the wood somewhat. You can go for plastics, but that is another, expensive, story.

    Grass would do well with lots of sun.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    We built a nice sized deck [not huge]  in a previous garden after building an extension. It was elevated [ because the house was ] and the garden was sloping, so the girls played on it all the time. They had a little playhouse in one part of the plot too, and they didn't really miss grass  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    My decking currently looks much like yours, Ngale. Rotted above and below. 
  • ngale54321ngale54321 Posts: 4
    Yes, its quite a small budget, interesting that the lifespan is 10-15 years for decking. We had been painting our with wood preservative but it is pretty rotten now in place- mainly due to a water feature that was placed in the corner of the decking before we removed it (my son kept trying to drink the water  :s )

    I was wondering about simply replacing the decking and popping a play house on it instead - I think the kids would love that :-)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's worth investing in good quality deck boards. Ours was done when my youngest was 3 or 4 yrs old. She's about to be 21. I know the deck's still in great condition as I live round the corner now, and the  house was recently sold by the people who bought it from us. I saw the photos!
    I don't have any pix of that garden I'm afraid, apart from ones with that daughter in them. This was the day she started school  ;)

    You can see the depth of the boards we used  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    For sure using good quality boards, preserving, good ventilation and keeping the boards pretty dry, will make them last longer. I had lots of plant pots, a greenhouse and bags of compost on mine for years. Not very smart.
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