Decking over water logged garden

lpoolfem · March 2020

Hi all, need some advice on decking a garden which gets water logged in winter (property built in clay area) garden is too big so was hoping to deck half to make it more manageable but am concerned a wooden base will rot due to the surface water in winter. Thanks Rebeca

Dovefromabove · March 2020

Decking will require more management rather than less ... and as well as the problems with rotting and becoming treacherously slippery in the winter mentioned by @pansyface , the space below decking is often colonised by rats who are looking for a winter home.

I would keep the lawn and, unless you want a perfect bowls green, as long as you mow it once a week between April and October (ish) it’ll be very little trouble. 😊

lpoolfem · March 2020

thanks for the advice. I was thinking of having a lazy spa on the decking to the left hand side of the garden. The garden is huge and was hoping with a full time job and a family to make like slightly easier for us.

Fairygirl · March 2020

Hi @Ipoolfem. You could always have a solid base - concrete/hardcore etc, to get a platform that will be raised clear of the waterlogged section, and then your choice of 'covering' depending on preference and budget. The alternative is to get drains put in, which can be hideously expensive.
Decking is rather unpopular on the forum, but I had a deck in a previous garden, and I loved it. The important thing is the aspect - if it isn't south facing, it doesn't get enough sun and light to keep it free of moss/algae, and is therefore slippy. Mine got a little clean every year with a stiff brush and soapy water, and never had a problem. Considering where I am in the country, I had plenty of use from it, and the kids also loved it in the summer holidays.
It's important to use good quality timber too.

lpoolfem · March 2020

My neighbours have them too so we should be fine.

lpoolfem · March 2020

Thanks for the message, yes but just want there to be less of it!

Dovefromabove · March 2020

Most of us make our lawns smaller by enlarging our flower beds

Andy19 · March 2020

You could use steel beams for your decking uprights concreted into the ground as long as your wood is above the water level I've done that before in a garden. I would go for composite decking worth the extra money and non slip.

Fire · March 2020

I love my deck too. It does get slippy in the winter but I don't use it much then. For me it evens out a steep slope, so the area would be pretty much unusable, in my case, without it. I've never had rats or evidence of them, but I do have toads, frogs and sometimes a family of foxes nesting under there.

Papi Jo · March 2020

@ipoolfem

For a garden which gets water logged in winter, creating a swimming-pool might be the solution.

Fairygirl · March 2020

At my last house, the previous owners had installed deck, surrounding the rear area of the house [all on a slope] which included the back door, and the double doors leading from the master bedroom.
The bit beside the bedroom faced north east to south, and was fine, while the rest faced north east to north/north west, and was lethal all year round.

The back door was the main entrance, as the front door wasn't accessible other than on foot from the rear, so it was a very poor choice on their part. Had I stayed there, the bit at the back would have been replaced by the existing gravel, or deep, shallow steps with sleepers and gravel.

Decking over water logged garden

Posts