Where timber works best
In the leafy, sheltered gardens around Ward Jackson Park and in villages like Hart and Elwick, a timber deck can look beautiful and last well. On the most exposed sites near the sea, wind-driven rain and salt are harder on timber, and we'd often suggest composite or hardwood rather than softwood.
Hardwood
Dense hardwoods are stable, resist rot naturally and stay flat. They're pre-drilled and screwed with stainless screws, which avoids staining from tannins and stands up to sea air. Hardwood can be oiled to keep its colour or left to weather to silver grey.
Treated softwood
The lower-cost option. Pressure-treated softwood looks fresh when new but needs cleaning and treatment every year. In exposed gardens it's more prone to cupping and splitting as it wets and dries repeatedly.
Fixed firmly
We screw every board into every joist, use ground-contact timber for the frame, and set posts on concrete pads. On raised sections we add diagonal bracing. Good airflow underneath helps timber dry out between showers, which reduces movement and rot.
Questions answered
Does timber warp in an exposed garden?
Softwood can cup and twist as it wets and dries. Hardwood is much more stable. Good ventilation underneath and firm fixing help either kind.
Which timber stands up best to Hartlepool winters?
Dense hardwood, by a distance. If you want real wood near the coast, it's the one we'd recommend.
