Decking or patio? opinions sought

[Drich]

I’m looking for advice/opinions on how to make better use of a patch of land by the side of the house. This area is very shaded and was originally covered with a damp membrane covered with stones. There is a slight gradient towards the house, and when I had a survey done the surveyor did note high damp levels in this area, although on further investigation there was no evidence of damp in the property.



In terms of use after development, the area would have very little traffic and would largely be a storage area.



The two options I am considering are decking or a patio. I am leaning towards decking although If I did this, I would want to fit it above the DPC. This is because I am going to install a decking pathway around the garden and would like it at the same level. The other reason for installing decking is I want to avoid digging out, mainly because my house is built on a slope with steps down from the road level to the front door. This makes removing large quantities of waste very difficult, and there are likely some roots under the soil, which seems like a hard clay.



So is a patio leading from the existing patio better? Can I get away with decking? Are there other options worth considering?

 

[Notch7]

yes you could do decking

maybe make some concrete pads and set in some stainless studding to create adjustable legs for joists to fit to -depends how much height you have

timber decking tends to go green in shady areas and gets slippery -so you could look at composite decking

 

[Odds]

It's a stoopid idea.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

Where is your DPC? Above or below the two courses of grey bricks? If it's below then I suggest you dig out next to the house whatever else you do. The soil down the side is either bridging it or very close to doing so.

 

[foxhole]

Decking in shade will quickly become a green slippery leg breaker.

 

[Drich]

Where is your DPC? Above or below the two courses of grey bricks? If it's below then I suggest you dig out next to the house whatever else you do. The soil down the side is either bridging it or very close to doing so.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I had considered doing a bit of digging out to at least flatten the area (or ideally a slight run off towards the fence). The soil as it stands doesn't breach the bottom of the DPC (and the house is 40 years old with 1 previous owner, so I think if damp were an issue here, it would have manifested by now).

 

[Drich]

Decking in shade will quickly become a green slippery leg breaker.

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I had considered this but the area will largely contain garden tools and the like that will mainly be used in summer, and other than that the area will get no traffic. I agree it's a negative, but it's not a major consideration.

 

[Drich]

yes you could do decking

maybe make some concrete pads and set in some stainless studding to create adjustable legs for joists to fit to -depends how much height you have

timber decking tends to go green in shady areas and gets slippery -so you could look at composite decking

I assume this is so the (wooden) support posts don't rot at the base? If so, it's a good suggestions, thanks.

 

[cwhaley]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I had considered this but the area will largely contain garden tools and the like that will mainly be used in summer, and other than that the area will get no traffic. I agree it's a negative, but it's not a major consideration.

The garden tools will create even more shade and trap moisture. That will lead to the formation of mould, moss and mildew.

For me, a patio all day long! Utility slabs are far cheaper than the decorative ones and will look nice down there -- certainly a lot less maintenance and faff than decking.

 

[Drich]

The garden tools will create even more shade and trap moisture. That will lead to the formation of mould, moss and mildew.

Yes, this is a good point I hadn't fully considered.

For putting a patio down there how shallow could I get away with digging out? considering the location and lack of foot fall.

 

[cwhaley]

Yes, this is a good point I hadn't fully considered.

For putting a patio down there how shallow could I get away with digging out? considering the location and lack of foot fall.

All depends on your soil and ground. I've laid a patio on about 50mm of MOT, 25mm of sand and cement and it's still dead level 5 years later.

You want to dig out 150mm below that DPC, then you'll need to dig out more for the MOT/hardcore, sand/cement and finally the slabs. Maybe 250mm - 300mm? Loads of guidance on MOT depths on Paving Expert.

Not sure how big the rest of your garden is, but you might be surprised how easy it is to get rid of soil. It can be put on borders and spread out quite easily!

 

[Drich]

All depends on your soil and ground. I've laid a patio on about 50mm of MOT, 25mm of sand and cement and it's still dead level 5 years later.

Useful to know. I've dug out and laid a patio before and didn't have any problems. The ground in the picture is very hard - I couldn't get a spade in more than an inch anywhere I tried to dig in, so I suspect I may be able to get away with a shallower base but I'll know more when I dig out the tree stump and replace the wooden fence posts to the right of the ground.

 

[Odds]

You're better off cutting the stump as level with the ground as possible, giving it a couple o' knocks with a lumpie, then paving over it. Digging it out will be more trouble - and mess - than it's worth.
Oh, and reverse the slope away from the house so rain doesn't gather along the brickwork.

 

[Drich]

You're better off cutting the stump as level with the ground as possible, giving it a couple o' knocks with a lumpie, then paving over it. Digging it out will be more trouble - and mess - than it's worth.
Oh, and reverse the slope away from the house so rain doesn't gather along the brickwork.

The tree stump has been there quite w while and is fairly rotten, so I'll have a poke around and see. Nice to have another option though.

and yes, I'll reverse the slope whatever I do. We got some high external damp readings in that area on survey, and stripping back the stones and DPM that where there before it's obvious to see why.