E.R.D Paving — Blyth, Northumberland

Timber & Composite Decking
Built to Stay Level
in Blyth & the North East

A raised outdoor room framed on concrete-set posts with correct ventilation and drainage — not softwood joists dropped onto slabs on soil, where the frame rots out and the boards start to bounce.

Decking as a Structure, Not a Surface

Decking is the most effective way to create usable, level outdoor living space on a sloping or awkward garden. Where a patio would need retaining walls and thousands of pounds of imported fill to reach the same level, a properly framed deck spans the fall and gives you a flat platform at door threshold height — with storage underneath rather than tonnes of hardcore.

The part homeowners see is the boards. The part that determines whether the deck lasts five years or twenty-five is the substructure: concrete-set or ground-screw posts, a treated joist frame at the correct centres, ventilation gaps around the perimeter, and a clear route for water to drain away underneath. We build the frame first and to the same standard whether the boards on top are budget softwood or premium capped composite.

We install decking across Blyth, Cramlington, Bedlington, Whitley Bay, Morpeth and throughout North Tyneside, from simple ground-level platforms outside bi-fold doors to multi-level decks with steps, balustrade, integrated lighting and screening. Because we work as landscapers rather than joiners alone, we can tie the deck into paving, sleeper walls, planting and lawn as one coherent scheme rather than a timber platform dropped into an unfinished garden.

Composite has changed the market considerably. Modern capped composite boards resist fading, splintering, algae and staining far better than softwood, need no annual oiling, and cope well with the damp, salt-laden air along the Northumberland coast. Hardwood remains the choice where a genuine timber grain is wanted. We install both, and we will explain honestly which suits your garden, your exposure and your appetite for maintenance.

Why Most Failed Decks Fail Underneath

Joists sitting directly on soil or on loose slabs is the leading cause of premature failure. Timber in permanent contact with damp ground rots from the underside, regardless of treatment grade. Within a few years the frame softens, fixings lose their grip and the boards start to flex underfoot even though they still look sound from above.

Inadequate ventilation is the second issue. A deck needs air moving beneath it. Where the perimeter has been boxed in tightly with no airflow, moisture is trapped under the boards, the frame stays permanently damp, and both timber and composite systems suffer — composite boards can cup and the frame beneath decays silently.

Joist centres set too wide produce the bounce that so many homeowners describe. Softwood decking generally needs joists at 400mm centres, and most composite systems require 300 to 350mm centres, closer still for diagonal board layouts. Frames built at 600mm centres to save timber feel springy on day one and sag permanently within a couple of seasons.

Wrong fixings and no expansion gaps cause visible faults quickly. Non-stainless screws bleed rust stains down the boards, particularly in coastal areas around Blyth and Seaton Sluice. Composite boards laid tight without the manufacturer's end and side gaps expand in summer heat and buckle, leaving ridges that cannot be pushed back down.

Finally, slip resistance is routinely ignored. Smooth, untreated timber in a shaded North East garden becomes genuinely dangerous by the second winter as algae colonises the surface. Grooved boards, textured composite and a sensible cleaning regime are not optional extras on a deck you intend to use all year.

How We Build a Deck

Why Decking Works in North East Gardens

Timber vs Composite, Costs and Maintenance

Costs vary mainly with the board system and the height of the frame. Pressure-treated softwood decking on a ground-level frame typically runs £90 to £130 per square metre installed. Mid-range composite sits around £150 to £200 per square metre, and premium capped composite or hardwood such as balau reaches £200 to £280. Raised decks, multi-level layouts, steps, balustrade and integrated lighting add cost because they add framing, foundations and detail work rather than simply more boards.

On material choice, softwood is the cheapest to install and the most expensive to own: it needs cleaning and re-oiling every one to two years, and even well-maintained it typically gives 10 to 15 years. Capped composite costs more upfront and effectively nothing thereafter, resists fading and staining, will not splinter, and manufacturers commonly warrant it for 20 to 25 years. Hardwood gives the best natural appearance and excellent longevity but needs periodic oiling to hold its colour rather than silvering. For exposed coastal gardens in Blyth, Seaton Sluice, Whitley Bay and Newbiggin we usually steer clients towards capped composite, because salt air is unkind to softwood.

Ventilation and drainage deserve specific attention in the North East climate. We keep the underside of the frame clear of the ground, leave airflow gaps at the perimeter rather than sealing the deck in, and lay membrane and stone beneath so water drains and nothing grows. Where a deck abuts the house we keep the finished surface at least 150mm below the damp proof course, or use a properly detailed drainage channel where a flush threshold is required.

Slip resistance is designed in rather than added later. Reeded or grooved timber, textured composite, anti-slip inserts on steps and a board direction that sheds water away from the house all help. On heavily shaded decks we specify the most textured board in the range, because algae will always favour a north-facing garden with limited airflow.

Maintenance is straightforward but not optional. Sweep leaves and debris out of the board gaps, wash the surface once or twice a year with a soft brush and a deck cleaner, keep planters raised on feet so moisture cannot sit against the boards, and inspect the frame and fixings annually where the deck is raised. Softwood should be re-oiled every one to two years; composite needs nothing beyond washing. Kept this way, a properly framed deck stays level, quiet and safe for decades.