Patio or decking is one of the first questions in any garden project. Neither is better in every garden – the right choice comes down to the ground you have, how you’ll use the space and how much looking after you want to do.
Start with the ground
A patio needs a level, solid base. On flat ground that’s straightforward; on a slope it means digging out or building up, often with a retaining wall, which adds work and cost.
Decking sits on a timber frame, so it copes with slopes and uneven ground far more easily. It’s also the natural answer when the back door is well above the lawn: a deck can run out level with the threshold, where a patio would need steps.
How will you use it?
- Heavy furniture, a barbecue or a fire pit – a patio shrugs off weight and heat.
- Somewhere warm underfoot – timber is kinder to bare feet and doesn’t hold the cold.
- A shady, damp corner – paving usually copes better than timber, which can turn slippery where it never dries.
- A raised spot to catch the evening sun – decking can lift you up to it.
Looking after it
A well-laid patio needs a sweep, the odd weed pulled from the joints and an occasional wash. Timber decking needs a little more: a clean every year to keep it from getting slippery, and an oil or stain every year or two if you want to keep its colour. Left untreated, most decking timber weathers to a silver-grey.
What makes either one last
Almost everything that decides how long a patio or deck lasts is hidden. For a patio, it’s the depth and compaction of the sub-base and a slight fall so rain runs away from the house. For decking, it’s the frame: treated timber, sound fixings, joists close enough together, and a gap underneath so air can move and the timber can dry.
Permission
Patios generally don’t need planning permission, though large areas of hard surface at the front of a house have drainage rules. Decking more than 30 centimetres above the ground usually does need permission, because it counts as a raised platform.
Or have both
Plenty of gardens use both: a patio by the house for the table and the barbecue, and a deck further out on the slope or in the sun. We build both, so we can help you decide what goes where. See our patios, decking and fencing, or get in touch to talk about your garden.
