OUTDOOR LIVING


easier – and more economical – solution. It can be especially useful in waterlogged gardens, creating an all-weather surface which extends the months when we can venture outside. As decking can be constructed to embrace SuDS principles, it allows for the natural drainage of rainwater, rather than it pooling on the surface or being directed to overloaded drainage systems. Naturally, the self-builder will always be concerned about the durability and maintenance needs of timber decking in any garden, waterlogged or not. Nowadays there are plenty of alternatives to timber decking that don’t decay or become slippery in wet weather.


create built-in seating, planters and even dining tables and pergolas. Bullnose edging and fascias add a beautiful finishing touch to any decking proect and allow easy incorporation of under- lip lighting for a professional finish to entertaining spaces.


PROVIDING SOLUTIONS IN TRICKY SPACES ot eeryone has a at rectangle as an outdoor space. It can be challenging to create spaces to relax in when you have a sloping garden. While one option is to do lots of earth moving and hard construction, decking often offers an


A SEAMLESS TRANSITION FROM INSIDE TO OUTSIDE


sing the same ooring across seeral rooms in a house can make a space seem larger and encourage ow from room to room. Increasingly, the same rules are being applied to outside spaces as our gardens become extensions of our inside living and entertaining space. Choosing a decking material that matches the ooring in the room leading to the garden creates a sense of ow between spaces. This was done to great effect by Val, the Instagram designer and renovator (@no5_thehouse) where


he chose decking that matched the timber ooring in his kitchen. The result is an amazing inside/outside extendable entertaining space – the courtyard feels more like a tranquil living room.


THE DURABLE APPEAL OF DECKING Decking has graced our outdoor dining areas for many decades, and for good reason. It has many applications and is well loved by designers and homeowners alike for its beauty and its versatility. Over recent years, we have seen a huge increase in homeowners using their outdoor space not just as a garden, but also as an additional room in the house for entertaining and relaxing and generally enjoying life outside. This often means incorporating heating, lighting, soft furnishings and cooking and dining facilities – all of which are much easier to pull together as a cohesive design with decking underpinning it all. Modern composite materials, with their authentic wood-look appeal and multiple colour options and finishing accessories, have opened up a whole new range of possibilities that will help keep decking as an integral element within all the best gardens.


Guy Douglass is global sales director at Millboard


74 www.sbhonline.co.uk


may/jun 2023


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