Decking Installers Folkestone

Design the terrace around movement and seating

Measure furniture, door openings and the route into the garden. Decide where steps should lead and how people move around the terrace. A raised platform needs consideration of structure and edge protection alongside the boards.

Record the height relative to surrounding ground and any change in level across the site. Explain whether the deck replaces an old structure or forms a new area.

Compare timber and composite using samples

Timber provides grain and natural variation, with care appropriate to the selected timber. Composite offers a different appearance and fixing system, often with less routine finishing. Both still need suitable cleaning and support.

Look at samples outdoors, including texture and colour, and confirm the product is appropriate for your intended use. Ask about expansion, ventilation, fixings and the manufacturer’s frame requirements.

Know the drawbacks of composite

Composite is not maintenance-free. Boards can become hot in strong sun, change appearance as they weather, and require specific installation gaps and cleaning. Performance and warranty terms differ between products.

Compare initial cost, surface feel and the possibility of visible replacement boards over time. A long product warranty is not automatically the same as a workmanship warranty or a promise covering every part of the deck.

Assess the frame and complete the edges

Replacing boards requires checking the supporting structure. Concealed decay or inadequate connections may mean the frame also needs work. Clarify the retained elements and how they will be inspected before installation.

Steps, fascia and any railing or balustrade should be planned together. Our St Margaret’s Bay composite deck and glass balustrade project provides a genuine nearby example, labelled with its location rather than presented as a Folkestone installation.

Planning includes more than deck height

For qualifying English houses, official guidance includes a height limit of 30cm, coverage conditions and position relative to the principal elevation. Designated areas, listed buildings and restricted development rights need further checks.

A garden deck and balcony work are different proposals. Where the structure is elevated, attached to a building or part of a larger development, establish the relevant requirements before work. Do not use a single height rule as complete permission advice.

Price the complete 20m² deck

A 20m² area still needs a defined height, frame, boards, steps and edges. Access, old-deck removal and ground conditions affect the total. Compare the full installation rather than the cost of boards alone.

Confirm the programme after the scope is assessed. Follow the product’s aftercare for cleaning and ongoing inspection, with steps and fixings checked periodically. Send dimensions and photographs for a useful quotation.

Plan the adjoining garden features

Discuss patio installers in Folkestone, garden fencing in Folkestone, turfing and new lawns in Folkestone. Agree levels, access and the order of work together where the project includes several improvements.

Read the complete decking conditions

Planning Portal: decking gives the full conditions, including height, coverage, location and property restrictions.

Questions about decking installers in Folkestone