Decking or Paving? (pics included)

Smokey.Bubbles · Post by **Smokey.Bubbles** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:37 pm

Hi all,

Looking for a little advice! My garden is sloped and towards to rear I have an office of which the sliding doors come straight out onto this slope (pic below). I would dearly love to level this area and make it useful as currently it has the foundations of an old greenhouse and shed on it and is a real dumping ground.

I have outlined the type of layout I am looking at in the below post (excuse the amateur mock-up!), however my question is would you deck this area of pave it?

: Rear Garden.jpg (241.72 KiB) Viewed 1125 times

Smokey.Bubbles · Post by **Smokey.Bubbles** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:39 pm

: Mock.PNG (1.38 MiB) Viewed 1122 times

Smokey.Bubbles · Post by **Smokey.Bubbles** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:41 pm

I guess I am asking as a friend recommended decking as cheaper, quicker etc., however my understanding is the wood decking can be a pain to look after and the composite apparently fades!

Because of the build-up required to achieve level I am leaning towards decking, however I would hate to do it and always regret not paving so just wondered what others thoughts are - especially anyone that has done likewise!

ahfix · Post by **ahfix** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 1:43 pm

Personally I would go with paving over decking. I have a patio project on the go and have by hand shoveled 12 ton/bulk bags of hardcore to level out my area.

Looks like you need to raise the front by 30 cm (going by the 3 courses of brick) ? You could make it easy on your self and have a sleeper retaining wall at the front (3 high) and continue that up long the fence starting with three high and then tapering down to one. Once that's done it's case of working out your levels and back filling the area with hardcore.

if you have access a mini digger can lay that out in a day.

ah

stevei · Post by **stevei** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 3:29 pm

Paving every time. Decking can be dangerous in wet weather.

keithski122 · Post by **keithski122** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 7:23 pm

I have decking outside our house and a patio at the end of our garden, the patio is as slippy if not more so than the decking when wet.

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Sun Jul 12, 2020 3:33 pm

keithski122 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 7:23 pm I have decking outside our house and a patio at the end of our garden, the patio is as slippy if not more so than the decking when wet.

Completely agree, if the decking isn't largely in a shaded area then go for decking. Maintenance needed on both.