Decking in Eston

On this page: decking in Eston, covering the houses, the clay ground, the listed buildings and planning, and what affects price.

The homes

Eston ward is split almost evenly between semis and terraces. The 2021 Census counted 38.4% of homes as semi-detached, 36.1% terraced, 13.8% flats and 9.8% detached. 49.5% of households own their home and 32.7% rent from a council or housing association, one of the highest shares on this site. 35.7% of households have no car or van.

The High Street, Jubilee Road and Station Road meet near the centre, with Church Mount, Gladstone Street, Lodge Road and Dorman Road close by. Christ Church and Eston Congregational Church are on the main streets, Bankfields and Whale Hill primary schools serve the estates named after them, and the Cleveland Ironstone Eston Mines Obelisk stands a few hundred metres from the High Street.

Terraced houses here usually have a rear yard, sometimes with a back lane behind. The semis on the estates have lawns, often with a fence on each side and a gate to the front. Either can take a deck, and in a small garden a deck often makes the most practical seating space because it stays usable when the grass is wet.

Ground and drainage

The British Geological Survey's 1:50,000 map shows till over the Jurassic Redcar Mudstone Formation under Eston. Till is a stiff glacial clay with stones in it. It carries footings well once you're through the topsoil, but it drains slowly, so lawns hold water after rain.

We dig post holes below the soft upper layer and set the posts in concrete. Under the deck, a weed membrane and a layer of gravel let water soak away, and the frame stays clear of the soil so air can move underneath. That keeps the joists dry and the boards flat.

Sheep Beck runs a few hundred metres from the centre, but the Environment Agency's Flood Map for Planning shows no Flood Zone 2 or 3 within 300 metres, so river flooding isn't usually a concern.

Planning in Eston

planning.data.gov.uk shows no conservation area in Eston. There are listed buildings, though, all Grade II: the Stapylton Arms, The Ship Inn, Christ Church, several houses on the High Street (45, 47 and 49, 74 to 78, 82, and 84 and 86), a blacksmith's workshop, the war memorial railings and gate, and a powder magazine with its blast walls. A few old tombstones at the Church of St Helen are listed too.

For everyone else, the Planning Portal's national rules apply. A deck is normally permitted development if it's no more than 30cm above the ground and, with any other extensions and outbuildings, covers no more than half the garden. Raised decks need planning permission, as does any deck at a flat or maisonette. At a listed building, there's no permitted development allowance for decking.

With a third of homes socially rented, it's worth saying clearly: tenants need written permission from their landlord or housing association before any work. We're happy to provide a drawing and a quote to support that request.

Deck ideas for Eston

For a terrace yard, a low deck fitted between the walls, with a hatch over the drain and a planter at the end, turns a hard surface into a warm floor. Pressure-treated softwood keeps costs down, and a grooved or anti-slip board helps in a shaded yard.

On a semi, a deck the width of the back of the house, around three metres deep, gives room for a table without taking all the lawn. A single wide step down, with an edge light, makes it safe after dark. Composite is the lowest-maintenance option if you'd rather not oil timber. Because Eston is a few miles inland, salt is less of an issue than on the seafront, so treated softwood lasts well with an oil every year or two. See timber decking, composite decking and decking repairs.

Budget

We price after a visit. Size, height, board choice, steps, lighting, removal of an old deck or patio, and access through the house or a back lane all affect the figure. Our decking costs guide explains how a quote is built up.

Around Eston

• Ormesby: a short way to the west.
• Guisborough: to the south-east, a market town.
• Dormanstown: to the north-east, near Redcar.

See the areas page for the rest.

FAQs about decking in Eston

Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, TS045 and TS054, Eston ward (Nomis); planning.data.gov.uk: listed buildings and conservation areas; BGS Geology Viewer 1:50,000; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning; OpenStreetMap; Planning Portal: decking.