There is more than one way to arrange the decking to create a unique and aesthetic design. After all, your decking is something that covers your entire deck area leaving a lot of space where you can express yourself. Think of your deck floor as a canvas where you can paint it in any way that pleases you or speaks to you by arranging the deck tiles in a specific fashion.
One of the ways you can arrange your decking in a specific way to create a certain feel or aesthetic is by creating a herringbone decking pattern. A herringbone decking pattern is a staple of European design where you create a pattern by arranging your decking in parallel lines. With the lines in one column sloping one way and the other way around. This is also called a chevron pattern. As a matter of fact, these can be found all around you where this pattern can be seen in woven goods, masonry, parquetry, embroidery, indoor flooring, and outdoor living ideas too. A Herringbone pattern is done by hand, quite like weaving a basket you weave the pattern entirely intricately going piece by piece with added additional support for the angled board. The Diagonal Herringbone design gives the deck a more lavish feel which makes the deck look visually expensive.
This type of design can not only be done on simpler square and rectangle decks but also on more complex shapes such as octagons. These octagons can be decked as an offset pattern following the shapes of the frame. The goal of this pattern is to give the look of a weave or that angled zipper effect meaning you can even do this with square tiles in which your decking direction alternates to create this specific look.
Before you proceed, make sure that you buy good-quality decking materials that are treated against moisture and heat. This means, your average tanzanite stone deck tiles are a great choice for this kind of decking pattern since these last quite literally forever and can weather the storms or heat or even snow. Tanzanite deck tiles are available in many dimensions and colors to suit your every deck style aesthetic and needs. These are also very easy to install and can be ordered online easily. You can even order a sample pack from Tanzite to see what kind of tile would suit you more.
Read more: Deck Railing Designs
However, do remember that this pattern looks visually beautiful but requires a much more complex frame to hold on to it. Consequently, you would need to install more joists which will also raise the total cost of your decking while on the other hand it will definitely be a welcome tradeoff since it will add a lot of personality to your deck and to your yard.
Step 1
Space the support boards properly, this is because if your support boards are placed on an angle then their supporting a herringbone pattern can span more of your decking and longer boards can be placed straight across, cutting cost plus straight boards would need more additional support from the structure to maintain the integrity of it. The row spacing for 2 by 6-inch surface boards at a 45-degree angle is 22 inches on center, maximum. For composite decking, a maximum of 12 inches should suffice.
Step 2
Add additional blocking to support your boards. Place two 2 by 6 inches treated blocking boards between the support boards of the same size at the location where you want this herringbone pattern to happen. Make sure you leave about ½ inch space between the blocking boards.
Step 3
Start by making a triangle out of plywood and place it neatly in the corner of your deck to set the angle for the boards. Lay your surface boards in this diagonal herringbone pattern with a 45-degree measure. Measure carefully and make sure that all the cuts in your decks are properly done and are neat squares. These should be aligned equally and properly along the blocking boards. When done laying down, allow the boards to overhang the edge of the deck. After this, you should trim the edges and secure the boards at the same time.
This pattern requires you to add a substantial amount of blocking to the frame to provide proper support and a solid surface you can fasten to. While using stone deck tiles you should consider adding contrasting colors to add emphasis to your effect. Try your best to avoid working with smaller pieces of decking as arranging these could be a hassle requiring you to put more pieces in place than there should be. The more the parts there are the harder it becomes to keep these in place as their Butt Joints and Miter Cuts can separate over time and small pieces can even loosen and fall out.