Dressing/facing gravel boards with decking

[kjacko]

So,
i'm building a deck and the 2 retaining walls made from conc posts and 2x1ft gravel boards high that will surround the deck are going to be faced with decking boards (vertically) and capped with sleepers.

Any ideas on the best way to do this? I'm concerned about drilling and plugging into the concrete posts and gravel baords as they are reinforced with steel bars inside so i may end up hitting one of those when drilling.
I originally imagined to do it the same way as a stud wall, as in battoning out horizontally and nailing/screwing the boards onto those.

open to suggestions, please and thanks.

 

[big-all]

my thoughts

planters/seating made from decking to cover part off the boards or at the posts backed on to the decking covering the gravel board to hold it in place
and assuming your decking is 143mm ish you will need 2 bits off decking to cover it
you could then add a decking board on top flat to take drinks at around 320mm off the decking will put these drinks out off reach off feet

in other words nothing holding it in place except the mass off the seating or the planters

 

[kjacko]

hmmm.....probably should have mentioned that we want to install led lights into the 'decked wall' so realy needs to be secured to the posts and boards i think.

 

[big-all]

how do you plan on protecting the wire assuming its sticking out the back ??

you could cut the boards to length
screw one off these each end and slide down assuming you have enough gap between post and panel and enough wire to play with on the lamps
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Con...ers Metalwork/Corner Plate/d210/sd2797/p63149

 

[kjacko]

You mean wire for the LEDs?
Well my theory would be that battoning horizontally from post to post then attaching vertical boards perpendicular to the batons would create a cavity as the boards sit within the width of the posts (not flush with them). The wires would feed down in the cavity, underneath the decking and back into the house at low level to join into a spur. My step-son is a sparky and he's already suggested how i, well he will do it.

My main concern (back to the op) is how to attach the batons to the posts within hitting the reinforced steel inside.

 

[big-all]

so are you trying to fix the boards on the face off the posts ??

 

[big-all]

ok read your post further and assume you have arris rails or similar flush on one face rather than 6ft panels in a slot like i had assumed for my suggestions so far

 

[kjacko]

No, your initial assumption is correct. concrete intermediate posts with 6ft x 1ft gravel boards slotted in.

But i bought all the posts and boards as 'seconds' because they were half price, and because the plan was to face them with wood so their cosmetic appearance was unimportant.

 

[kjacko]

big-all, this is the wall in question

new retaining wall

• kjacko
• 21 Mar 2014
• 1

This needs to be dressed with decking, hopefully.

Untitled

• kjacko
• 21 Mar 2014
• 1

Untitled

• kjacko
• 21 Mar 2014
• 1

the bottom bit all around the conservatory will be the decked area.
Both retaining walls will hopefully be faced with vertical decking boards and topped with sleepers....somehow.
Might add a full length 'step' on the shorter of the 2 walls.

The top bit will be levelled and re-turfed.

 

[big-all]

have you thought about painting them
or even run the boards vertical with a baton hooked over the top
or maybe a bit off 2x1 treated sandwiched flat between the gravel boards to screw into

theres a 30% chance you will damage the posts beyond repair by drilling several holes

 

[kjacko]

have you thought about painting them

lol, no way

or even run the boards vertical with a baton hooked over the top

Hmmm....well the boards will be vertical anyway, but kind of hooking them over might be a good idea. Weighted down with the sleepers could keep it in place, and if i did the wall first then laid the deck up to it, it would sandwich the bottom in nicely.

or maybe a bit off 2x1 treated sandwiched flat between the gravel boards to screw into

Yep, could do, similar to batoning out a RSJ prior to plasterboarding it you mean?

theres a 30% chance you will damage the posts beyond repair by drilling several holes

30%? lol, did you calculate that? Yeah, i am concerned about drilling into them tbh.