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Im in a tenement(ground floor) so I've a bit of garden at the front, surrounded by a 6' high hedge.
Im thinking of either putting down decking, that I can do myself, or more expensively having a firm come in and pave over it.
The garden(if we can call it that) is north facing and never gets the sun.
It measures about 30'x8'(widest)
I'd like decking,because i can do it myself and save a packet, but north facing and with more moisture about these days, moss and other moisture type nasties will make prone to rot, and it will probably need yearly maintenance. Paving on the other hand looks good and is easy to maintain as you can just brush it with bleach etc.
Money isnt a huge issue here, but i like these types of projects and i didnt just buy a festool plunge saw for nothing 😕
Who prefers what ?, and anyone in the same position, what did you do ?.
Sorry, grass just isnt an option, I'd rather just buy plants in pots and put them about the place, binning them when they whither and easy to replace with new ones. Im really not the gardener type.
Grass or gravel. Anything else causes issues with water runnoff
What are you going to do with it ?
Gravel - don’t get small stuff as small gravel = kitty litter (*get bigger sharp edged stuff, their bottoms don’t like sharp edges) also put down Terram (? I think) as it’s much better than the black weed stuff and if its near a hedge/tree etc etc it will slowly get filled with compost……
Astro grass is getting better and you can put pots etc on it.
Paving without a concrete base + time/heavy weight use = crazy paving.
They do plastic/composite decking.
They are now doing outdoor carpets. I did not say this was a good idea.
Resin bonded gravel - I wasn’t allowed to use this as the mrs didn’t like it.
Friends don't let friends install decking.
I'd go with a patio. Consider load it's likely to see and whether you can use a more permeable foundation for it.
If you want to play with power tools, build yourself some planters.
Im really not the gardener type.
What about a semi wild meadow type garden?
Good for bees and butterfly's and that kinda jazz.
Pretty much zero maintenance and good for the environment.
I like decking, have a biggish one about 24x20’ in the back, but it gets sun and airflow, but still needs near a full day scrubbing and treating each spring. At about 15 years old, it’s showing its age too and we’ll need new boards next year or the one after, no idea about the posts and frame until we lift some boards. North facing, hedged in, I wouldn’t.
We did similar with light coloured 25mm gravel, a bench and lots of potted trees, tubs etc. Has transformed it from unusable space to a nice place to sit.
Friends don’t let friends install decking.
Oh yes they do, they even help them build them...
But not on a north facing garden with hedges.
Personally i'd flatten it, heavy duty weed membrane (so the rain goes straight through) then a good load of gravel and a couple of patches of large paving slabs, levelled on the gravel, big enough to make a useable feature of them and a path between them.
My dads got that on a large patch of useless ground between his house and the boundary wall, all it's done for the last 200 years is grow moss, or have a rusting hulk of a car sat there dripping fluids (what was there when he moved in).
Paving is easy if you are laying plain slabs which are a uniform thinkness.
It isn't necessary to have a concrete base. I laid , or rather relaid, 3x2ft "council" slabs on a bed of sharp sand 30 years ago and they are still level.
You need to level and compact the sand. I jus raked it, walked over it on my heels, raked it lightly again until more or less uniform level. Then laid the slabs. Sometimes I needed to lift them and add/remove sand to keep the level but it wasn't hard. Even compacted sand will be water permable.
But you don't need to pave the whole thing. Enough space for a table and chairs then do the rest with large gravel or bark over a weedproof membrane then scatter a few planters about.
I thought about gravel, but we get a lot of windblown seeds taking root, and i think its just going to cause more maintenance as opposed to a solid surface. Plus Im pretty handy with the old brush 😀
If you want to play with power tools, build yourself some planters.
Im a qualified cabinetmake*r.I've a small home workshop thats cost me about £7k to fit out. Full range of machinery,
But thanks for that note of confidence 😆
* Actually I should clarify. Im a qualified(4 years at college to degree standard, plus HND in furniture design and cabinetmaking is part and parcel of that. So I suppose i should refer to my position as a furniture designer.
...but we get a lot of windblown seeds taking root
An hour or two weeding a couple of times a year when the seedlings are big enough to get hold of.
"Installing" gravel will save a load of time v paving/decking.
Build yourself some Frank Lloyd Wright planters? Pots or plant shrubs through the membrane
Put weed suppressant material down with some gravel on top.
Then just plant a few hundred heathers.
It will take a once a year pull up anything that's not a heather. It's insect/water run-off/heat island friendly.
Buying different season of heather will give you all sorts of interest through the year.
Just an idle thought: if you’re really into wood working, could keeping the deck maintained be a project that you enjoy rather than a chore?
By decking do you mean soaking wet green treated crap or some nice reclaimed teak from a yacht deck?
I'd imagine one would hold your interest more than the other.
Another vote for gravel.
Loads of choices, looks nice, is good for drainage and is very easy.
You can break it up with planters etc.
At our other place we have an area at the front that was grass. We dug it up and put gravel down - it's now a hassle free parking space.
Very little grows in it and what does is easy to pull out.
I spray a bit of it once a year and that's all it needs.
Gravel does not go slimey/green, rot or need jetwashing/scrubbing/bleaching.
A nice colour will brighten the area up even in the middle of winter.
I thought about gravel, but we get a lot of windblown seeds taking root
How do you know.... Have you got a gravel area already?
(Roots can't get a grip in gravel and are therefore easy to pull out)
I'd agree with gravel, or slate, or a mix. You can potentially 'zone' it into different patterns/colours, breaking it up with some larger stones, reclaimed timber/sleepers/bricks etc. Build some planters or pop some pots around the place.
By decking do you mean soaking wet green treated crap or some nice reclaimed teak from a yacht deck?
I took a brief look at teak, but thus far and without any in depth research its rather expensive.
The lower grades of oak are another option. This seems to be probably about enough timber, resawn into strips at about 1" thick.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175137968366 A fair price too, and Glasgow based.
There was also this, but at the top end of what I'd be looking to spend though thats not the problem. The problem is its a job lot and theres 5 tons of it. 5 cubic meters he reckons, but I've nowhere to store this much timber, and tbh this is the type of bargain i hate missing out on. Really need 3 or 4 people to go in with me, hire a big truck and then where the hell do you store it. Great but I'll have to pass it by
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144661125280?hash=item21ae7998a0:g:baMAAOSwr-hi4lkR also in Glasgow
You can potentially ‘zone’ it into different patterns/colours, breaking it up with some larger stones, reclaimed timber/sleepers/bricks etc. Build some planters or pop some pots around the place.
Nice idea, especially the bigger section timbers, could come up with seating, and big stones too are something I'd like to have. But maybe make it too busy.
Weeds may not take root in gravel. But I've got some creeping shite that's an absolute nightmare to get rid of.
To be fair, it's probably due to the membrane breaking down. But it's a shit nonetheless.
I took a brief look at teak, but thus far and without any in depth research its rather expensive.
People keep saying boats are cheap. Take the deck and flog the rest 🤣
Grid and gravel for the drainage with pedestals and paving slabs on top for the finish you want?
Another vote for gravel.
Easy to level. Easy to keep weeds down, spray a few times during spring and summer. Pull up any big weeds. Done.
I like decking but this doesn't sound the ideal location