How to lay decking boards

There is no better way to enhance your garden than building a deck from which to enjoy the fruits of your labour and it’s easier than you might think.

Getting started

1) Get the right materials in place, you'll need some if not all of the following:

  • Materials
  • Weed killer
  • Timber posts
  • Deck Bearers
  • Decking Joists
  • Timber Decking boards
  • Dry concrete
  • Support brackets
  • Deck fasteners (we'd recommend CAMO hidden deck fasteners)
  • Framing anchors
  • Timber finish paint or oil

2) Get a plan together including the dimensions and make sure you have factored in obstacles such as door openings, wastewater pipes etc.

3) Calculate the area of your deck in square metres and work out how many packs of decking board you will need to cover the area (usually decking packs will tell you the surface area one pack will cover). Work out how many deck fasteners you will need.

4) Once you have prepared the ground and built the framework you are ready to lay the boards!

How to build a deck

Laying decking used to be a time-consuming process: with lots of marking outlines, drilling joists, lining up pre-drilled decking boards and spending half the day trying to fish out your spacer which always inevitably falls down through the cracks between the deck boards.

With the ingenious CAMO hidden decking fastening system, all that hassle is a thing of the past.

1) Lay your first decking board on your frame. Start with the first board on an outside corner, away from the house and any other buildings. For a good finish allow the boards to overhang the end and side beams of the frame by about 12 -18mm.

2) Affix each board using two deck fasteners along the end beam of the deck.

3) Now that you have your first board in place the CAMO system really kicks in, because first off there is no need for a spacer! Simply place the CAMO Marksman Pro tool across your next decking board, line up the system over the joists and lock in place.

4) Then attach your CAMO drill bit to your drill, load the CAMO deck fastening screws into the guide holes on each side of the tool, and drill them into place.

Tip: Stagger the decking so that the seams don't all lineup. This will make your deck stronger and it will have a more professional look.

5) Trim the boards using a jigsaw or handsaw.

No more pre-drilling, no more split wood, no more unevenly spaced boards and no more visible deck fasteners. The unique range of CAMO tools, drill bits and perfectly engineered exterior deck fastening screws deliver flawless, blemish-free and totally secure decking with no visible screw holes – and all boards perfectly spaced and aligned.

Laying decking baords

Related Further Reading:

 

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