How to lay decking

Running measurements are a great way to ensure the spacing of your deck remains accurate. Using a tape measure, measure 475mm from the house and mark with a permanent marker. Continue until you’ve completed the entire length of the deck.

From here, we’re going to measure the length from the house to the edge of the frame, adding 20mm either side for overhang.

It’s now time to cut and lay our intermediate boards to size. Using a tape measure, mark the length on each board and cut each board to size using a mitre saw.

Start laying the boards on your deck. An easy way to lay your decking is to place every fifth board down first. Don’t forget to reference your pre-drawn marks for accuracy.

For this project, we’ll be doing a 5mm gap in our deck for airflow. Once every fifth board is placed, stagger the rest of the boards ensuring both ends of the boards are on a joist so you can secure them with ease.

To ensure the screws are in-line, use a chalk line to mark this out. It may be helpful to get a friend or family member to help. Simply pull the string, and when you’re ready, lift and let go.

To avoid splitting the timber, we need to pre-drill holes into each of the boards. Carefully pre-drill two holes using an impact drill.

Using a drill driver, drill a screw into each hole. Always ensure that the joins in each board are staggered and occur on top of the joist.

Repeat steps five through seven down the length of your deck until all the boards are secure. Leave some extra length overhanging on your boards so that you can cut them to size with a saw after completing this step.

Once your boards are all screwed in, it’s time to cut the edges. Use a straight edge as a guide to ensure an even cut – this could be a leftover piece of timber that you line up along the edge of your deck. Use your tape measure to spot-check that the timber is same distance from the edge at a number of points, and then mark the line you’re going to cut along.

Once that’s done, grab your circular saw and saw along the marked line for a clean edge. You may find it easier if a friend or family member is standing on the spare piece of timber so that it doesn’t move while you’re using it as a guide.

Now it’s time to attach the screening. Place a wedge at the top and place the board beneath this, working your way from the top to the bottom.

The final step in our seven-part series on How to Build a Deck is how to add a step.