The Essential Finishing Touches for Your Project

Yes, you do. Clips are essential for creating a secure connection between your decking boards and the subframe. We highly recommend purchasing the clips from your board supplier, as they are designed to fit the board’s groove perfectly. This ensures the best possible fit and guarantees you don’t void your warranty.

You might need extra fencing boards depending on the height of your existing concrete gravel board. Most kits assume you have a standard 300 mm (1 ft) gravel board. If you have a shorter 150 mm gravel board, you will likely need to order one extra fence board per panel to compensate for the missing height. If you have no gravel board, then two boards will need to be ordered.

When it comes to ground-level decks, ensuring good drainage and airflow is crucial for longevity. In our experience, laying timber joists directly on the ground isn’t the best method, as they can absorb moisture and rot. The best options are to use composite battens, which are moisture-resistant, or adjustable pedestals to raise your timber frame slightly off the ground.

In our experience, bullnose boards are the better choice for long-term durability. However, they must be factored into the initial design and cannot be an afterthought, as they are installed first. For example, if your main boards are running parallel to the edge, a bullnose board can’t be used unless you create a “picture frame” border.

Trims are a great, flexible option for covering edges after the deck is laid, but over time, they can come loose and may need to be re-fixed with screws.

In our experience, and for the best long-term results, composite battens are the ideal choice for a cladding subframe. This is due to their excellent moisture resistance, which ensures your frame and structure will never rot, decay, or weaken over time. This provides maximum strength and durability compared to timber.

This choice depends on the final look you want and your future needs. In our experience:

Slim Metal Clips: These provide the best seamless finish, allowing boards to be fitted closer together with minimal gaps. Because of this, close attention must be paid to the 3 mm side-to-side expansion gap during installation. The main drawback is that if you need to lift a board from the middle of the deck later, you may have to remove several boards to access it.

Plastic T-Clips: These create a slightly wider, more traditional gap, which allows for better expansion and drainage. Crucially, they allow you to easily replace a single board anywhere on your deck after installation, as the screws are often accessible.