How to fit composite decking?

Fitting composite decking is similar to installing timber decking, but there are some small differences in terms of the gaps you need to leave between boards and the screws you use. We’ll go through a quick guide to show you the process involved in fitting composite decking so you can decide whether it’s something you want to do yourself. Prepare the area Prepare the area according to our instructions in the previous FAQs – or you can use an existing patio or concrete base if you have one. Measure and mark out the area using chalk (if using an existing base). Assemble the decking frame Build the outer frame as we show in our FAQs above; if the area you have planned is longer than your joists, you’ll need to join them together. When you’ve built the frame and it’s secure, ensure that it’s at the right level for water runoff and add risers, slabs or treated off-cuts of timber at 500mm intervals if you need to. Add joists The spacing of your joists will depend on the type of design you have chosen for your composite decking. If you’re laying arched boards horizontally, you’ll need to space the joists 300mm apart. Lay your composite decking boards If you’ve not got an overhang or it’s a fixed deck, fit starter clips along the outside edge of the frame and secure with screws provided with the composite decking. If you are working with an overhang, put the first board into position not exceeding 25mm. If you’re adding a fascia, put an off-cut of board under the overhang so you know it’ll be flush with the fascia. Pre-drill all fixing points, measuring in 30mm from the edge of the board. Secure the board to the joist below with composite decking screws. Slide a hidden fastener clip in so it sits within the groove of the deck board. It needs to be in the centre of the joist to keep the boards secure and ensure an expansion gap of 6mm. Tighten the clips until just tight, and repeat so there’s a clip at every joist. Add the next board, ensuring that the fastener clips sit within the groove – make sure you don’t force it. Repeat step 3. Continue steps 3 and 4 until you’re at the final board, which you should secure in the same way as you did the first. Add a fascia board If you’re adding a fascia, measure in 40mm from each end and add two guide marks: one at 40mm from the top and the other at 40mm from the bottom. Connect the marks, then mark at 300mm intervals down the board. Drill pilot holes, then put the fascia board into position. You need to make sure that there’s a 40mm ventilation gap between the bottom of the fascia and the ground. Ask someone to hold the board level until you’ve finished securing it with composite decking screws; you can get colour-matched ones so they don’t look unsightly at the end of your decking. Not so sure you want to carry out such a big project yourself? Get quotes from decking pros who will be able to fit composite decking much more quickly and easily.

Wooden Decking in Wokingham

Compare Wooden Decking Prices in Wokingham

Wooden Decking in Wokingham

Wooden decking is an increasingly fashionable option for creating outdoor seating areas in gardens. Due to the natural beauty of wood, they can be very beautiful spaces which can be used year round by installing additional heating and illumination. Wooden decking is often installed in locations in front of patio or French doors where they can create a smooth transition between interior and exterior spaces. Wooden decking is available in any size or shape to suit any area. Curved designs or large areas connected by pathways can create a striking effect. Wooden decking is reasonably quick to install and causes minimal disruption, especially when compared to alternatives like patio or paving. It could even be installed over the top of a pre-existing patio. It is important however to make certain that your wooden decking is structurally sound and able to take the weight of any furniture or plants that you want to use on the decking. There is a array of species of wood that can be used in wooden decking. Generally decking is made of hardwood, but there are softwoods available that fulfil the durability specifications. As hardwood decking will require maintenance, which generally requires annual cleaning and staining for weather proofing, composite woods have become popular for use in wooden decking as they are more robust and require much less maintenance.

Average Wooden decking cost in Wokingham

The typical cost of Wooden decking is £1500. Costs can change based upon the materials and the firm hired. The upper price range can be as high as £1725. The material costs are commonly approximately £375

Average price per Wooden decking job in 2025

Avg. price low	Avg. price low £663
Avg. price	Avg. price £2,050
Avg. price high	Avg. price high £3,363

£3500

£2625

£1750

£875

£0

Prices based on actual Wooden decking costs for Wokingham, as reported by local LeadsDoWork members.

Wooden decking installation cost in Wokingham 2025

	Labour cost	£1,050
	Material cost	£375
	Waste removal	£75

Time frame: 1-4 days

Wooden decking searches in April 2025

Choose your search type

No. of estimated projects Estimates by cities and towns

Wooden decking Projects in Wokingham in March 2025

941

Requests for quotations in Wokingham in March 2025

0

Requests for Wooden decking quotations in Wokingham in March 2025. 0% change from February 2025.

0

Requests for Wooden decking quotations in Berkshire in March 2025. 0% change from February 2025.

Source: Numbers calculated based on the search volumes in major search engines

Wooden decking searches in cities and towns near Wokingham March 2025

Wooden decking near you

Choose locations

Towns and Cities near Wokingham Other locations within South East

Wokingham

Wokingham is a market town in the Berkshire, in the South East of England. The town includes a population of 30,403 and was previously a borough until the 1974 reorganisation of local government. The town had also been voted as the top place to live in the UK, in a 2007 Halifax Estate Agents poll. To increase or maintain home value in Wokingham, do a comparison of house enhancement quotations from vetted specialists in the region.

Looking for Wooden decking in Wokingham?

Get free quotes from local carpenters

Get free quotes

Wooden decking pros in Wokingham

Latest review

Brigitte R., GU15

Garden | Decking in Camberley

Start Date: Immediate

Post a similar request >

14 Sep

Garden | Decking

Basingstoke - RG24

Enquiry from: Sarah L

Start Date: Immediate

we are a lettings agent and are looking for someone to repair some decking do you charge to quote? are you the property owner: owner of the property property type: detached what level of service do y...

Post a similar request >

25 Aug

Garden | Decking

Reading - RG4

Enquiry from: Iain S

Start Date: Immediate

we have a deck approx 10m x 4m which could do with being cleaned and treated/oiled - it’s 11 years old but still in a good state, but we would like to have it cleaned/treated to preserve it for a wh...

Post a similar request >

14 Jul

Garden | Decking

Hook - RG27

Enquiry from: Anne W

Start Date: Immediate

weeding, digging, cut back, general tidying up are you the property owner: tenant (with permission) property type: semi detached do you have a: medium size garden garden type: front garden, side garde...

Post a similar request >

06 Jul

Garden | Decking

Reading - RG30

Enquiry from: Margaret R

Start Date: Immediate

hi, i would like to have composite decking installed on the patio,which already has bricks layout and front and back garden slabs paving. i prefer the job to be done the beginning of the this month...

Post a similar request >

30 Jun

Reading - RG31

Enquiry from: Denise L

Start Date: Immediate

Post a similar request >

10 Mar

Garden | Decking

Reading - RG31

Enquiry from: Denise L

Start Date: Immediate

Post a similar request >

22 Jun

Garden | Decking

Basingstoke - RG24

Enquiry from: Fiona Z

Start Date: Immediate

Customer visited the mygardeningprices.co.uk site and submitted an enquiry. Property type: Semi detached, Work description: Decking n patio

Post a similar request >

Local & reliable carpenters near me

Tell us about your wooden decking project

Answer a few quick questions, so we can match you with local carpenters who can help.

Find up to 4 carpenters in Wokingham

Get free, no-obligation local wooden decking quotes from 4 verified carpenters working in Wokingham.

Hire with confidence

Compare customer reviews, services and prices, and choose the right tradesperson for you.

Our reviews

Average

Would highly recommend

Would highly recommend, they found me a firm which I was happy with a quote they give me and went ahead and had my job done within 2 days of enquiring.

Good easy way to find a selection of…

Good easy way to find a selection of trades you need all in one place.

Love LeadsDoWork it's a big part of my …

Love LeadsDoWork it's a big part of my Business I would recommend to anyone

FAQs

Yes, although you should make sure that the terrace or decking is able to support the weight of a hot tub. Usually, you will need to have a structural survey carried out on the area. Seek the advise of a hot tub retailer or installer about the logistics of installing one at your property.

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.

Fitting composite decking is similar to installing timber decking, but there are some small differences in terms of the gaps you need to leave between boards and the screws you use. We’ll go through a quick guide to show you the process involved in fitting composite decking so you can decide whether it’s something you want to do yourself. Prepare the area Prepare the area according to our instructions in the previous FAQs – or you can use an existing patio or concrete base if you have one. Measure and mark out the area using chalk (if using an existing base). Assemble the decking frame Build the outer frame as we show in our FAQs above; if the area you have planned is longer than your joists, you’ll need to join them together. When you’ve built the frame and it’s secure, ensure that it’s at the right level for water runoff and add risers, slabs or treated off-cuts of timber at 500mm intervals if you need to. Add joists The spacing of your joists will depend on the type of design you have chosen for your composite decking. If you’re laying arched boards horizontally, you’ll need to space the joists 300mm apart. Lay your composite decking boards

If you’ve not got an overhang or it’s a fixed deck, fit starter clips along the outside edge of the frame and secure with screws provided with the composite decking. If you are working with an overhang, put the first board into position not exceeding 25mm. If you’re adding a fascia, put an off-cut of board under the overhang so you know it’ll be flush with the fascia.
Pre-drill all fixing points, measuring in 30mm from the edge of the board. Secure the board to the joist below with composite decking screws.
Slide a hidden fastener clip in so it sits within the groove of the deck board. It needs to be in the centre of the joist to keep the boards secure and ensure an expansion gap of 6mm. Tighten the clips until just tight, and repeat so there’s a clip at every joist.
Add the next board, ensuring that the fastener clips sit within the groove – make sure you don’t force it. Repeat step 3.
Continue steps 3 and 4 until you’re at the final board, which you should secure in the same way as you did the first.

Add a fascia board If you’re adding a fascia, measure in 40mm from each end and add two guide marks: one at 40mm from the top and the other at 40mm from the bottom. Connect the marks, then mark at 300mm intervals down the board. Drill pilot holes, then put the fascia board into position. You need to make sure that there’s a 40mm ventilation gap between the bottom of the fascia and the ground. Ask someone to hold the board level until you’ve finished securing it with composite decking screws; you can get colour-matched ones so they don’t look unsightly at the end of your decking. Not so sure you want to carry out such a big project yourself? Get quotes from decking pros who will be able to fit composite decking much more quickly and easily.

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.

Other Top Projects in Wokingham

Customer Reviews

Overall rating:

Wokingham Wooden decking installers are rated 4.5 out of 5 based on 26 reviews of 167 pros.

The LeadsDoWork rating and review is an overall rating based on verified reviews and feedback from the customers with Wooden decking projects that have been connected with Wooden decking pros to help them. All Wooden decking contractors All Wokingham Wooden decking contractors

Are you a carpenter in Wokingham?

We can help you get more wooden decking work with our qualified job leads and boost your business.

Join today

Wooden Decking in Wokingham

Compare Wooden Decking Prices in Wokingham

Wooden Decking in Wokingham

Average Wooden decking cost in Wokingham

Average price per Wooden decking job in 2025

Wooden decking installation cost in Wokingham 2025

Wooden decking searches in April 2025

Wooden decking Projects in Wokingham in March 2025

941

0

0

Wooden decking searches in cities and towns near Wokingham March 2025

Wooden decking near you

Wokingham

Looking for Wooden decking in Wokingham?

Get free quotes from local carpenters

Wooden decking pros in Wokingham