Question 1

How much is decking?

Accepted Answer

How much decking costs depends on the type of material you go for, how big you want your decking to be and where you live in the country. But typically, the cost of decking is between £1,200 - £1,800. The most popular material for decking is pre-treated softwood, which will set you back around £1,000 for 15m2. Hardwood is more expensive but is more durable, and will cost approximately £2,000 for the same amount. Homeowners are also beginning to choose composite decking, which is made from recycled plastic and wood fibres, and is low-maintenance and eco-friendly. This will cost around £1,600 for 15m2, while uPVC which is also a low-maintenance option costs around £600. People tend to choose composite over uPVC because it looks more like natural timber. If you’re a competent DIYer, you might want to have a go at laying decking yourself which will set you back around £1,000 for a standard softwood timber deck. We think it’s worth paying the extra £600 for a professional to lay your decking, since they will be able to do it much more quickly. If you do want to try it yourself, we recommend leaving at least a whole weekend open to do it, but it’s likely to take you longer. Factor in the possibility of having to take time off work to complete it and it might be more cost-effective to leave it to the pros.

Question 2

How to build a shed base?

Accepted Answer

You need a firm, level base for your shed to ensure that it stays structurally sound – without one, doors will sag, walls will lean and it won’t last you as long. But how do you build a shed base and what should you make it from? Timber shed bases A timber shed base is made from pressure-treated timber and has metal spikes that you hammer into the ground to keep it in place. You can often buy them with your shed installation kit, but they also come separately, often in 6x4 or 7x5 sizes. To build a timber shed base, you’ll drill holes then fit screws in the timber until the entire frame is built. Remember to check it’s square, then fix L-shaped feet to the inside of the frame. If you’re putting your shed on a hard surface like concrete, this is all you need to do. If you’re putting the base on soft ground, hammer in spikes at each corner until they’re level with the top of the base, then secure the spikes to the base with screws. Then you can position the shed floor onto the base. How to build a plastic shed base A plastic shed base is a simple and quick way to build a shed base. You can lay it on level concrete or paving slabs, but adding sharp sand on top will help keep it more secure. They come in a kit containing plastic grids. To build your plastic base, first measure out the site and hammer a peg into each corner and tie with string or builder’s line. Make it slightly larger than the shed base to help with drainage. Then cut into the lawn and remove the turf, making sure it’s level. Lay down a membrane sheet and weigh it down if it’s windy. Then lay out the number of plastic grids you need, then remove the locking pins and clip all the grids together. Once they’re all connected, put the locking pins back in the centre of the grids. Put your shed floor on top and you’re done! Concrete or paved shed bases For a concrete base or a shed base made from paving slabs, you’ll need to dig a sub-base. For concrete bases, you’ll need to dig down 150mm so you can add 75mm of compact hardcore under 75mm of concrete. For paved shed bases, you’ll want it to be about 120mm deep for 50mm of compact hardcore and the paving slabs. How to build a shed base out of paving slabs Mix sand and cement together to make mortar or use a pre-mixed one Use a trowel to lay mortar for 1 slab at a time on the sub-base and lift a damp-sided slab onto the mortar, using a piece of timber and club hammer to tap the slab into position carefully. Continue to lay the first row of slabs Make equally-sized spacers in all the joints in the slabs to ensure they’re the same size, checking it’s level as you go along Next lay slabs along the two adjacent outer edges, filling in the central area row by row Leave the mortar to set according to the instructions or for at least 48 hours before filling in the joints with mortar or paving grout Building a shed base from concrete Create a wooden frame around your shed base area (also called formwork) to stop the concrete from spreading Mix pre-mixed concrete with water or use 1 part cement to 5 parts ballast Wet the sub-base using a watering can with a rose on the end Pour the concrete onto the framed base starting in one corner Push the blade of a shovel up and down in the edges of the concrete to get rid of air bubbles Use a rake to spread the concrete, leaving it around 18mm higher than the top of the frame. Work in sections of around 1-1.m2 Compact the concrete using a straight piece of timber that’s longer than the width of the base. Move the timber along the site, hitting it along at about half of its thickness at a time until the surface is evenly ridged Remove excess concrete and level the surface by sliding the timber back and forwards from the edge that you started. Fill in any depressions and repeat until even Run an edging trowel along the frame to round off exposed edges of the concrete and prevent chipping Cover the concrete with a plastic sheet raised on wooden supports to allow slow drying. Weigh it down with bricks Once the concrete is set, you can install your shed and remove the wooden frame with a crowbar Don’t fancy having a go at building a shed base yourself? Get a range of quotes from a professional and see how much it will cost.

Question 3

How to lay decking?

Accepted Answer

Laying simple, ground-level decking may sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. With careful planning and preparation, you can lay decking that you’ll be proud to show off to neighbours, family and friends. Here are a few tips to get you started. Plan carefully Draw out a plan, to scale, on paper. This will help you to know how many boards you’ll need and ensure that you don’t end up having to cut anything to fit. Prepare the area Measure out the site according to your plan and hammer a peg into each corner, then tie string around each peg to help you see what you’re working with. If you’re not laying on existing slabs, dig into the ground, lifting out turf if it’s there, and check that the site is level. Then add concrete slabs for more stability or lay weed-control fabric over the ground and cover with gravel to further prevent weed growth. Build your sub-frame Since a lot of people ask this, we’ve got a more detailed guide in the FAQ below. Lay your deck boards Start in one corner of the sub-frame and position the first board across the inner joists. You want the deck board in the opposite direction to the inner joists, ensuring that it’s flush with the frame. Position any end-to-end joins between the deck boards halfway across an inner joist so you can screw both boards into the joist for stability. Make sure you keep a gap of between 5-8mm to allow for expansion of the wood. Begin to screw your deck boards to the joists. You’ll need to secure the deck board to every joist is covers along your deck frame. Use two screws for every joist. Mark where you’re going to add your screws, ensuring that they are at least 15mm from the end of the board and 20mm from the outside edges. Drill pilot holes for the screws, being careful to only drill through the deck board and not the joist. Then screw the decking screws into the holes. Continue to screw in the deck boards, ensuring you leave the correct expansion gap. You can stagger the deck board joins across the deck for more strength. Sand down any cut ends if you need to before applying decking preserver to protect the timber from rotting. Although this is a simplified set of instructions, it’s enough for you to see whether you want to attempt to lay decking yourself – and if you don’t, you can get in touch with professionals who will be happy to give you a quote.

Question 4

How to dismantle a shed?

Accepted Answer

It can seem daunting to dismantle a shed when you want to get a new one or just get rid of it for good. Every shed is different and is likely to have been put together in a different way, but there are some general rules that you can follow to make dismantling a shed a simple task. Remove fascias and trims Unscrew or prise off the screws and nails fixing the trims and fascias to your shed. Take off doors and remove windows Unscrew hinges from doors and take them off. Remove all metalwork once the door is off. If you’ve got frames on your windows, unscrew these, and remove the panes. Be extra careful if your windows are made of glass. Take off the roof Prise off the tacks from the roofing felt and take the felt off – you can’t reuse it, so you’ll need to throw it away. Unscrew the screws on the roof boards and slide them off the shed’s frame – you might need a friend to help you do this. Take out the roof brace (optional) If your roof has a brace, unscrew the brackets that hold it to the side of the shed. Remember not to lean on anything once you’ve taken the brace off as the walls might be wobbly. Unscrew the frame from the floor Remove all the screws that are holding the shed to the base, remembering not to lean on the walls. Unscrew the frame corners Starting at the corner of the front gable, remove the screws where the panels meet. Once a panel is free, lift it carefully out of the way so you can carry on with the others. Tidy up all your tools and debris, clearing the area to make it safe, and you’re done!

Question 5

How to build decking on a slope?

Accepted Answer

You might think that building decking on a slope is a no-go, but it’s actually a great way to help you make use of your garden when the ground is sloping. It will provide you with a level surface that you can BBQ on as well as dine alfresco without finding that your meal is rolling down the table. But how do you build decking on a slope? Our guide in the FAQ above, ‘How to build a raised deck’, is the perfect solution – but we’ll break it down here if you just want to get an idea of what’s involved. Dig out the area If you’re laying on soil or turf, you’ll need to dig it out. Dig down and remove all the turf from the area and ensure that there are no weeds or stones in the area you’re going to build your decking on. Since you’re building on a slope, it will be hard to get it level, but dig out to a depth of 50mm and lay weed-control fabric with gravel over the top. Add posts and set with concrete Make holes for posts and add them in, ensuring they’re longer than you need. Make sure they’re level, then fill the holes with a concrete mix to set them in place. Build the outer frame Make sure you always work at the top of the slope when you’re building your decking, and measure where the highest point of the decking will be. Secure the 4 sides of the outer frame and factor in a 2mm fall for every metre of decking so rainwater can run off. Add joists Secure joists along your frame at 400mm intervals. If you get to the last joist and there will be more than a 400mm gap left at the end, add in an extra one for support. Lay your deck boards Screw your deck boards to the joists, ensuring that the deck boards are running in the opposite direction to the joists. For timber boards, you need to make sure you leave an expansion gap of 5-8mm. These steps should give you an idea of whether you want to have a go at building decking on a slope, or whether you want to leave it to the pros.

Question 6

How to felt a shed roof?

Accepted Answer

Whether you want to felt a new shed roof or you’re re-felting your existing shed roof, it’s simple when you know how. Read our quick guide to see how easy it is. Remove any existing fascia boards Remove the fascia boards and the old felt if you’re re-felting. Measure the shed roof Measure the roof, taking into account that you should leave around 50mm for overlaps at the eaves and 75mm at the gable ends. You’ll probably need 3 pieces of felt, but some smaller sheds only need 2. Apply felt to the roof Once you’ve cut the felt to size, apply the each piece to the roof, pulling it tight. Then nail along the length of the roof at 100mm intervals. For nails at the bottom edge, they can be wider – around 300mm. If you’re adding a piece of felt in the middle of the shed along the apex, fix it using adhesive, then nail it at the lower edge at 50mm intervals. Tidy up the overhangs Fold down the felt at each overhang and nail it securely. Cut a slit in the overhang at the apex using a pen knife, then fold that down and nail at 100mm intervals along the gable. If you like, you can add fascia boards to keep the shed looking neat. Use wood nails to secure them and then trim away any excess felt. That’s it. It sounds scary, but it won’t take you long to felt your shed roof as long as you follow instructions carefully.

Question 7

How much decking do I need?

Accepted Answer

How much decking you need will – of course – depend on how big you plan your deck to be. There is an equation to help you work out how many deck boards you need. It’s a little complicated until you’ve been shown how it works, but once you know how to do it it’s easy to work out how much decking you need for any project. The equation takes into account the recommended 10% wastage and includes the expansion gaps that are required, which is between 5-8mm along the length of the deck boards (EGL, or expansion gap length) and 3mm along the ends of the deck boards (EGW, or expansion gap width) for timber. It also assumes you’re laying your decking horizontally, as if you’re looking for a diagonal or chevron design you’ll need more deck boards. Let’s go through an example, assuming you have a 10m x 6m area that you want to cover with decking made from timber boards that are 2.4m long and 144mm wide. We’ll use the EGL of 5mm and EGW of 3mm. Calculate the surface area for your decking Multiply the length (L) of your decking area by the width (W): L x W = Decking Surface Area (DSA) in m2 10 x 6 = 60m2 Work out the coverage of your deck boards Add your deck board width (DBW) to the expansion gap length (EGL), then add the deck board length (DBL) to the expansion gap width (EGW). Then multiply these numbers. (DBW + EGL) x (DBL + EGW) = Single Board Coverage (SBC) 0.144m + 0.005m = 0.149m 2.4m + 0.003m = 2.403m 0.149 x 2.403 = 0.358m2 Calculate the number of deck boards you need Multiply the SBC by 1.1 to allow for 10% wastage. Then, divide the DSA by the SBC. DSA / SCB x 1.1 = Total number of boards required 60m2 / 0.358m2 x 1.1 = 184.36 boards – so round up to 185 so you’re not left short. If that all seems a bit complicated for you, let a professional do the maths – they will be able to give you an idea of how much decking you’ll need in no time.

Question 8

How to lay decking on uneven ground?

Accepted Answer

There are two ways to lay decking on uneven ground. We’ve explained how to build a raised deck in our FAQ ‘How to build a raised deck’ above, and that’s great for uneven ground or sloped gardens. But there’s another way that you can lay decking on uneven ground if you don’t want a raised deck: you can create a level supporting base. We’ll go through the basics here. Materials you’ll need Paving slabs – old or cheap ones are fine Timber for the frame and legs Type 1 MOT hardcore How to lay decking on uneven ground Mark out the area as we explain in ‘How to lay decking’. Then, dig to 200mm below where you want to surface of the decking to be. Add a 50mm layer of hardcore and make sure it’s compact. Build the decking sub-frame as we describe in ‘How to build a deck frame’. Lay out paving slabs along the edges and in the centre of the area. This will help to spread the weight of the decking. Set the decking frame on the slabs, checking for high or low points and adding off-cuts of timber where needed. Don’t forget to sand and seal these off-cuts with decking preservative. Add your joists and then the deck boards, leaving the recommended gaps of expansion of between 5-8mm. Building your decking on top of paving slabs is a good way to get it level, but you still may not be able to get as good a finish as if a professional did it. If you’re in any doubt, get in contact with some decking specialists and see what they would recommend.

Carpenter job	Carpenter cost in 2025
Kitchen Fitting in Waterlooville	£975-£2,495
Carpenters and joiners in Waterlooville	£375-£575
Plasterboard dry lining in Waterlooville	£638-£978
Wood flooring in Waterlooville	£750-£1,150
Wooden decking in Waterlooville	£1,125-£1,725
Garden shed in Waterlooville	£450-£690
Wooden window repair in Waterlooville	£320-£480

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