Decking

Hi I love the look of decking instead of paving. However I am concerned with the spider and other insects that might build nest under the decking. My second choice is polished porcelain. Can anyone advise the advantages and disadvantages of decking ?

Thank you

Decking looks great but does require more upkeep. I've worked with timber for years and love everything about it but this time round, everything outdoors will be concrete, tiles, stone etc.

Have you thought of using timber-look tiles? Similar look - without the maintenance!

I love a timber deck. I had one previously and it was great. We oiled it regularly and it kept just fine. Bugs didn't worry me as I never saw any. I suppose a yearly surface spray underneath could fix that problem.

I love my deck. In fact I just extended it. You don't need a lot of ground clearance for a deck either. Main thing is to ensure that water has somewhere to go, and doesn't pool around the bearers. Treated Pine bearers rated to H4 are supposed to last 20 to 40 years.

Disadvantages, as others have already pointed out, is that they need to be treated with either an oil based or acrylic formulation. And decks that are not under cover require much more frequent maintenance. If your deck is under a pergola and you use one of the better water based acrylic treatments, you could go up to 2 years without having to redo it. Without cover it's a different story however.

I've had both pavers and decking and I'd go with a deck if under cover, and pavers/tiling if not under cover.

The only major disadvantage of wooden decking is the high maintenance costs. However, if you are willing to invest in maintaining your deck in perfect condition, there is no problem. Just make sure you approach the right contractors because the installation process must be done right for it to last for an extended period.

I go for decking just so we don't see insects especially ants......when we had paving the ants were everywhere I know the ants are still there under the deck but they no longer bother me

I'm yet to see them first hand but there appears to be more "timber look" products coming onto the market and now for use as decking rather than just fencing. As mentioned before I do love timber but not sure that I could do it again in my new house - I will have a look at these new products before going the tiling option.

If you want timber, but don't want maintenance, something like ModWood might work; not sure of longevity though.

If you want tiles, and there is a distance from the ground, try steel framing then Hebel; we had to do that as we are in a fire zone, and it's fast to put up.