How to fit composite decking?

Fitting composite decking is similar to installing timber decking, but there are some small differences in terms of the gaps you need to leave between boards and the screws you use. We’ll go through a quick guide to show you the process involved in fitting composite decking so you can decide whether it’s something you want to do yourself. Prepare the area Prepare the area according to our instructions in the previous FAQs – or you can use an existing patio or concrete base if you have one. Measure and mark out the area using chalk (if using an existing base). Assemble the decking frame Build the outer frame as we show in our FAQs above; if the area you have planned is longer than your joists, you’ll need to join them together. When you’ve built the frame and it’s secure, ensure that it’s at the right level for water runoff and add risers, slabs or treated off-cuts of timber at 500mm intervals if you need to. Add joists The spacing of your joists will depend on the type of design you have chosen for your composite decking. If you’re laying arched boards horizontally, you’ll need to space the joists 300mm apart. Lay your composite decking boards If you’ve not got an overhang or it’s a fixed deck, fit starter clips along the outside edge of the frame and secure with screws provided with the composite decking. If you are working with an overhang, put the first board into position not exceeding 25mm. If you’re adding a fascia, put an off-cut of board under the overhang so you know it’ll be flush with the fascia. Pre-drill all fixing points, measuring in 30mm from the edge of the board. Secure the board to the joist below with composite decking screws. Slide a hidden fastener clip in so it sits within the groove of the deck board. It needs to be in the centre of the joist to keep the boards secure and ensure an expansion gap of 6mm. Tighten the clips until just tight, and repeat so there’s a clip at every joist. Add the next board, ensuring that the fastener clips sit within the groove – make sure you don’t force it. Repeat step 3. Continue steps 3 and 4 until you’re at the final board, which you should secure in the same way as you did the first. Add a fascia board If you’re adding a fascia, measure in 40mm from each end and add two guide marks: one at 40mm from the top and the other at 40mm from the bottom. Connect the marks, then mark at 300mm intervals down the board. Drill pilot holes, then put the fascia board into position. You need to make sure that there’s a 40mm ventilation gap between the bottom of the fascia and the ground. Ask someone to hold the board level until you’ve finished securing it with composite decking screws; you can get colour-matched ones so they don’t look unsightly at the end of your decking. Not so sure you want to carry out such a big project yourself? Get quotes from decking pros who will be able to fit composite decking much more quickly and easily.

Wooden Decking in Lancaster

Discover Wooden Decking Prices in Lancaster

Wooden Decking in Lancaster

Wooden decking is an increasingly common option for providing outdoor seating areas in gardens. Because of the natural beauty of wood, they can be very beautiful areas which can be used year round by adding outside heating and lighting. Wooden decking is usually installed in locations in front of patio or French doors where they can create a smooth transition between interior and exterior spaces. Wooden decking can come in any size or shape to fit any area. Curved designs or large areas connected by pathways can produce an attractive effect. Wooden decking is relatively easy to install and causes minimal disruption, especially in comparison to alternate options like patio or paving. It can even be installed over the top of an existing patio. It is necessary however to be sure that your wooden decking is structurally sound and able to take the load of any furniture or plants that you want to use on the decking. There is a array of types of wood that can be used in wooden decking. Typically decking is constructed from hardwood, but there are softwoods available that fulfil the durability specifications. As hardwood decking will require maintenance, which typically entails yearly cleaning and staining for weather proofing, composite woods are becoming popular for use in wooden decking as they are more robust and require significantly less maintenance.

Average Wooden decking cost in Lancaster

The typical cost of Wooden decking is £1500. Costs can change based upon the materials and the firm hired. The upper price range can be as high as £1725. The material costs are commonly approximately £375

Average price per Wooden decking job in 2026

Avg. price low	Avg. price low £1,125
Avg. price	Avg. price £1,500
Avg. price high	Avg. price high £1,725

£1900

£1425

£950

£475

£0

Prices based on actual Wooden decking costs for Lancaster, as reported by local LeadsDoWork members.

Wooden decking installation cost in Lancaster 2026

	Labour cost	£1,050
	Material cost	£375
	Waste removal	£75

Time frame: 1-4 days

Wooden decking searches in June 2026

Choose your search type

No. of estimated projects Estimates by cities and towns

Wooden decking Projects in Lancaster in May 2026

2,251

Requests for quotations in Lancaster in May 2026

0

Requests for Wooden decking quotations in Lancaster in May 2026. 0% change from April 2026.

0

Requests for Wooden decking quotations in Lancashire in May 2026. 0% change from April 2026.

Source: Numbers calculated based on the search volumes in major search engines

Wooden decking searches in cities and towns near Lancaster May 2026

Wooden decking near you

Choose locations

Towns and Cities near Lancaster Other locations within North West

Lancaster

Lancaster is a small English city which has a population of around 45,000. The city gained standing simply because of its unique ties to the British monarchy and it's situated on the North West coast of the country. Within the city you'll find a variety of homes from the Norman era right through to present day homes. If perhaps you're looking to have house enhancements carried out in Lancaster, be sure to review quotations from reputable companies in the city and make sure of getting a fantastic job carried out.

Looking for Wooden decking in Lancaster?

Get free quotes from local carpenters

Post a similar request >

03 Aug

Lancaster - LA1

Enquiry from: D M

Start Date: Immediate

Home owner Customers description : raised decking apron 52 Sq meter Please contact to appoint

Post a similar request >

Local & reliable carpenters near me

Tell us about your wooden decking project

Answer a few quick questions, so we can match you with local carpenters who can help.

Find up to 4 carpenters in Lancaster

Get free, no-obligation local wooden decking quotes from 4 verified carpenters working in Lancaster.

Hire with confidence

Compare customer reviews, services and prices, and choose the right tradesperson for you.

Our reviews

Average

Would highly recommend

Would highly recommend, they found me a firm which I was happy with a quote they give me and went ahead and had my job done within 2 days of enquiring.

Good easy way to find a selection of…

Good easy way to find a selection of trades you need all in one place.

Love Local Quotes it's a big part of my …

Love Local Quotes it's a big part of my Business I would recommend to anyone

FAQs

How much decking you need will – of course – depend on how big you plan your deck to be. There is an equation to help you work out how many deck boards you need. It’s a little complicated until you’ve been shown how it works, but once you know how to do it it’s easy to work out how much decking you need for any project. The equation takes into account the recommended 10% wastage and includes the expansion gaps that are required, which is between 5-8mm along the length of the deck boards (EGL, or expansion gap length) and 3mm along the ends of the deck boards (EGW, or expansion gap width) for timber. It also assumes you’re laying your decking horizontally, as if you’re looking for a diagonal or chevron design you’ll need more deck boards. Let’s go through an example, assuming you have a 10m x 6m area that you want to cover with decking made from timber boards that are 2.4m long and 144mm wide. We’ll use the EGL of 5mm and EGW of 3mm.

Calculate the surface area for your decking Multiply the length (L) of your decking area by the width (W): L x W = Decking Surface Area (DSA) in m² 10 x 6 = 60m²
Work out the coverage of your deck boards Add your deck board width (DBW) to the expansion gap length (EGL), then add the deck board length (DBL) to the expansion gap width (EGW). Then multiply these numbers. (DBW + EGL) x (DBL + EGW) = Single Board Coverage (SBC) 0.144m + 0.005m = 0.149m 2.4m + 0.003m = 2.403m 0.149 x 2.403 = 0.358m²
Calculate the number of deck boards you need Multiply the SBC by 1.1 to allow for 10% wastage. Then, divide the DSA by the SBC. DSA / SCB x 1.1 = Total number of boards required 60m² / 0.358m² x 1.1 = 184.36 boards – so round up to 185 so you’re not left short.

If that all seems a bit complicated for you, let a professional do the maths – they will be able to give you an idea of how much decking you’ll need in no time.

If your deck isn’t going to be flat to the ground, it’s a good idea to have some kind of balustrade to avoid any tripping. If the gap between the deck and the ground is less than 600mm, use a 900mm balustrade. If it’s higher than 600mm, the balustrade should be 1100mm tall.

Usually, slipperiness is caused by algae or dirt on top of the deck or terrace. A full cleaning treatment should restore the natural grip of the wood or stone. If slipperiness is a persistent problem, consider installing grip mats in high traffic areas of the deck.

Fitting composite decking is similar to installing timber decking, but there are some small differences in terms of the gaps you need to leave between boards and the screws you use. We’ll go through a quick guide to show you the process involved in fitting composite decking so you can decide whether it’s something you want to do yourself. Prepare the area Prepare the area according to our instructions in the previous FAQs – or you can use an existing patio or concrete base if you have one. Measure and mark out the area using chalk (if using an existing base). Assemble the decking frame Build the outer frame as we show in our FAQs above; if the area you have planned is longer than your joists, you’ll need to join them together. When you’ve built the frame and it’s secure, ensure that it’s at the right level for water runoff and add risers, slabs or treated off-cuts of timber at 500mm intervals if you need to. Add joists The spacing of your joists will depend on the type of design you have chosen for your composite decking. If you’re laying arched boards horizontally, you’ll need to space the joists 300mm apart. Lay your composite decking boards

If you’ve not got an overhang or it’s a fixed deck, fit starter clips along the outside edge of the frame and secure with screws provided with the composite decking. If you are working with an overhang, put the first board into position not exceeding 25mm. If you’re adding a fascia, put an off-cut of board under the overhang so you know it’ll be flush with the fascia.
Pre-drill all fixing points, measuring in 30mm from the edge of the board. Secure the board to the joist below with composite decking screws.
Slide a hidden fastener clip in so it sits within the groove of the deck board. It needs to be in the centre of the joist to keep the boards secure and ensure an expansion gap of 6mm. Tighten the clips until just tight, and repeat so there’s a clip at every joist.
Add the next board, ensuring that the fastener clips sit within the groove – make sure you don’t force it. Repeat step 3.
Continue steps 3 and 4 until you’re at the final board, which you should secure in the same way as you did the first.

Add a fascia board If you’re adding a fascia, measure in 40mm from each end and add two guide marks: one at 40mm from the top and the other at 40mm from the bottom. Connect the marks, then mark at 300mm intervals down the board. Drill pilot holes, then put the fascia board into position. You need to make sure that there’s a 40mm ventilation gap between the bottom of the fascia and the ground. Ask someone to hold the board level until you’ve finished securing it with composite decking screws; you can get colour-matched ones so they don’t look unsightly at the end of your decking. Not so sure you want to carry out such a big project yourself? Get quotes from decking pros who will be able to fit composite decking much more quickly and easily.

Other Top Projects in Lancaster

Customer Reviews

Overall rating:

Lancaster Wooden decking installers are rated 4.5 out of 5 based on 3 reviews of 6 pros.

The LeadsDoWork rating and review is an overall rating based on verified reviews and feedback from the customers with Wooden decking projects that have been connected with Wooden decking pros to help them. All Wooden decking contractors All Lancaster Wooden decking contractors

Are you a carpenter in Lancaster?

We can help you get more wooden decking work with our qualified job leads and boost your business.

Join today