Do you remember when every house had to have decking out the back

Rabidlamb

Every hardware store would be full of the stuff.
Papers were full of lads that would fit it.
I took off like free heroin, everyone had to have it with fancier hand rails & built in flower boxes.
Now look at it, the miserable green death trap that it is, only good for the fire I'd say.
Jaysus we bought into some ****e back in the day.

John Doe1

1st world problems

Hande hoche!

simpler times really.

Seachmall

What's the difference between a deck and a <insert minority here>?

A deck can support a family.

naoise80

I still have decking out the back.

I clean and treat it once a year and it looks great.

What's your problem?

syklops

I'm all for it to be honest. Considering the amount of rain we get its nice having an area outside that doesn't turn into a swamp 5 months of the year.

I don't know how much it cost but I am sure the cost of it is miniscule compared to many other boomtime essentials. Like 4 euro coffees and croatian holiday homes.

My name is URL

Do you remember when every house had to have decking out the back?

No I don't remember that

Kev_2012

Went into B&Q the other day, and some c**t in an orange vest asked me if I wanted decking, luckily I got in the first punch.

telekon

Do I remember 4 years ago?


Yes. Yes, I do.

ejmaztec

Do you remember when every house had to have a sh1t-bucket in a shed out the back?

snubbleste

I can remember back to when every house had a patio..

MonkeyTennis

Decking is so like totally 2008.

Sergeant

I remember the avocado coloured bathroom suite.

Hande hoche!

Sergeant wrote: »

I remember the avocado coloured bathroom suite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWoWHzq21tA

TeddyTedson

I remember when people were putting flat screen over the fireplace and on the ceiling too. People are funny creatures.

Mickey H

We once made decking out of pallets to piss our neighbours off.

Fun times.

Gophur

Couldn't the OP come up with something other than a re-cycled Ross O'Carroll Kelly joke?

syklops

Gophur wrote: »

Couldn't the OP come up with something other than a re-cycled Ross O'Carroll Kelly joke?

Apparently not.

We once made decking out of pallets to piss our neighbours off.

Thats actually a really good idea.

Mickey H

syklops wrote: »

Thats actually a really good idea.

Thank you Syklops. It looked good too and all. Only thing you could build in a city without planning permission.

foxyboxer

Deckland Declan?

The McWilliams stereotype?

Son Of A Vidic

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Do you remember when every house had to have decking out the back

Every house? Are you well? I don't what country you were living in, but it certainly wasn't Ireland. Now there were a few muppets alright, who thought the Island of Ireland had moved into the Mediterranean climatic zone. So they installed decking, forgetting of course about the incessant rain, moss build up, rats and weathering ect.

tfitzgerald

I Know a lot of people who put hot tubs on their decking . Don't know how often they are used but I would say a not a lot

Apolloyon

I got a decking once. Eleven stitches and a broken collarbone. Better now though.

amacachi

I don't live south of Dublin in a new-money area so no, I don't remember every house having to have decking.

Blikes

...with little solar powered lamps all around it. Ah Good times.

deandean

Do i remember 4 years ago? Hell yah, getting 160 euro per square metre for installing decking, I made a feckin mint. Paslode nailer at 7am Bang! Bang! Good times.

Temptamperu

I like to hide corpses under my decking... its getting a bit full under there though.

later12

Aside from the fact that decking seems to have been the reserve of a minority, and not the majority, of Irish homeowners, there is some implicit suggestion in the OP's post that there's something wrong with decking -- or what it stands for.

Decking stands for narcissistic consumerism, it seems. It stands for people wanting things they have never been able to afford. It's not so much that laying these planks of wood in your back garden is particularly grand or opulent by European standards, it's that these sorts of forays into consumerism are something that is largely a new frontier for the Irish consumer group.

People like to look back on the celtic tiger period and recollect expensive household furniture and expensive holidays as though it was some sort of mad folly. Not necessarily. In many cases, it was just Irish people catching up with the rest of the world, just as our economy 'caught up' with the rest of the world from about 1986 onwards. (The entire Celtic Tiger period was a long episode in playing catch-up).

Regardless of whether you think such items, or leisure expenses, were necessary (and I would say they often are, for leisure is an important feature of human development and a requirement for a happy, productive society) the point is that this sort of behaviour was not the reserve of the Irish.

If you want to roll your eyes at something, roll them at consumerism in general.

But as far as I can see, the Irish were merely catching up with what is common practice elsewhere in many parts of Europe (and I include Northern Europe) and in the rest of the developed world. And such was, and is, their right.

Wattle

tfitzgerald wrote: »

I Know a lot of people who put hot tubs on their decking . Don't know how often they are used but I would say a not a lot

That one always gives me a chuckle. It was classic Celtic Tiger.

barbiegirl

My hubbie built our deck, the patio area (from bricks a neighbour of his parents were throwing out) and laid the lawn. It all still looks great and the deck is fantastic to eat brekkie on, on the odd sunny summer morning, or to reduce the mess coming in the back door when it's raining.
These things were only ill spent on if they aren't used or appreciated, or indeed looked after.

hardCopy

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Every house? Are you well? I don't what country you were living in, but it certainly wasn't Ireland. Now there were a few muppets alright, who thought the Island of Ireland had moved into the Mediterranean climatic zone. So they installed decking, forgetting of course about the incessant rain, moss build up, rats and weathering ect.

Sure that's what the patio heater was for. Few lemon scented tikki torches to keep the mozzies at bay, massive 5 burner green ceramic hooded Outback Grill and you're sorted.

Murt10

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Now look at it, the miserable green death trap that it is, only good for the fire I'd say.

Green death trap. Too right, it's full of arsenic.

Burning it on the fire is a big No No. unless your partial to poisioning.



Edit. Even worse that I thought.

Burning:Incineration of CCA wood does not destroy arsenic. It is incredible, but a single 12 foot 2 x 6 contains about 27 grams of Arsenic - enough arsenic to kill 250 adults. Burning CCA wood releases the chemical bond holding Arsenic in the wood, and just one Tablespoon of ash from a CCA wood fire contains a lethal dose of Arsenic. Worse yet, Arsenic gives no warning: it does not have a specific taste or odor to warn you of its presence. No one disputes that the ash from burning CCA wood is highly toxic: It is illegal to burn CCA wood in all 50 states. This has serious implications for firefighters, cleanup and landfill operations.
Even more astonishing, minute amounts of 'fly ash' from burning CCA pressure treated wood, can have serious health consequences. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported on a family that burned CCA in a wood stove for winter heating. Their hair fell out, all family members suffered severe, recurring nosebleeds, extreme fatigue and debilitating headaches. The parents complained about 'blacking out' for periods of several hours, followed by long periods of extreme disorientation. Both children suffered frequent seizures described as 'grand mal'. The symptoms were finally traced to breathing minute amounts of arsenic laden dust leaking from the furnace as fly ash. The family's houseplants and fish died, too, victims of copper poisoning from the same dust. Peters HA, et al: Seasonal exposure to arsenic from burning CCA wood. JAMA 251:(18)2393-96, 1984)



http://www.origen.net/ccawood.html

kylith

I scored a load of free decking a while back

I'm gonna turn it into a fence.

Inbox

I remember when we all had coal bunkers out the back and the coal men were scary.

hawk con

I remember David McWilliams telling the Irish people not to buy decking. How many people thought he was an idiot for saying that at the time? -- I agreed with him when he said it. What did you say at the time?????
But it is easy to get swept away the current, for example, the iPad 3 - I would love one. I have the spare money for, i would feel so cool owning one and i would use it - but the real question is do i really need it. The answer sadly is no. I have an iMac, Macbok & iPhone why would i need it. Sadly. -- 90% of the people (i think) did not want to listen to Mr McWilliams when he talked about decking.

For Forks Sake

hawk con wrote: »

I have an iMac, Macbok & iPhone why would i need it.

I f*cking love stereotypes... first post is to tell people about your Apple products.


Anyhow, back on topic. *looks out back of house, no decking* In your face internet!!

amdublin

hawk con wrote: »

I remember David McWilliams telling the Irish people not to buy decking. How many people thought he was an idiot for saying that at the time? -- I agreed with him when he said it. What did you say at the time?????
But it is easy to get swept away the current, for example, the iPad 3 - I would love one. I have the spare money for, i would feel so cool owning one and i would use it - but the real question is do i really need it. The answer sadly is no. I have an iMac, Macbok & iPhone why would i need it. Sadly. -- 90% of the people (i think) did not want to listen to Mr McWilliams when he talked about decking.

So you didnt get decking or the ipad3. But you did get a whole lot of other stuff??

Congratulations.

hawk con

I agree with For fork sake and Am Am Dublin it is easy get swept away withe current I got carried away a bit too, if we had a great climate here in Ireland i would have decking too. It's the rain that stopped me. besides my computers are nearly 6 years old and i am not replacing them. But yeah you are right, my hands are up i agree with the two of you. ( i use to be here years ago, but lost my pw, so it is not really my first post)

Chuck Stone

Stone wood be better.

hawk con

Exactly stone would have been better.

dubtom

What is this new trend, bashing anything that cost a few bob back in the day when we could afford it. Is this so we all feel somehow responsible for the crap we're in today, as if spending money,even borrowed money,is bad for the economy. I wonder where it came from,this new trend.

fungun

Ive decking. Its great, love it, still looks fab and wouldnt change it.

Teyla Emmagan

Decking insufferably naff IMO. Would drop dead before I'd install a deck.

WoollyRedHat

Do you remember when we all used to sit around listening to the wireless and dancing hiddly hiddly hiddly hoe to the tune of the folk song, and the hearth was hopping and the drink was flowing and the laughter and the innocence of it all. Anyone remember that?

oppenheimer1

Sergeant wrote: »

I remember the avocado coloured bathroom suite.

Theres one of those in my flat

FTGFOP

Murt10 wrote: »

it's full of arsenic.

Burning it on the fire is a big No No.

:eek: Jesus, good to know!

Hande hoche! wrote: »

M&W: avocado bathroom

Genuinely Lol'd!

44leto

I remember when patio heaters became the new rage, that was really celtic tiger madness, yay lets heat the outside.

Fiona

44leto wrote: »

I remember when patio heaters became the new rage, yay lets heat the outside.

Thats probably one of the funniest posts I have read on Boards ever thanks for giving me a giggle today

Chuck Stone

Murt10 wrote: »

Green death trap. Too right, it's full of arsenic.

Burning it on the fire is a big No No. unless your partial to poisioning.

Sweet baby Jesus!

I took down some balustrades for my folks and chopped them up for firewood and they were used too as kindling for lighting coal in an open fire. :eek:

Would balustrades have arsenic in them too? What about pets who might chew on the wood?

SpionJoe

Parents got decking a long time ago, spent about €2k on it and have oiled and treated it every second year since, still in perfect condition and has given the family 10 summers of barbecues and parties.

€2k Decking + €200 for preserve = €2200 % 10 years = Value for money

"You get out what you put in....."

44leto

SpionJoe wrote: »

Parents got decking a long time ago, spent about €2k on it and have oiled and treated it every second year since, still in perfect condition and has given the family 10 summers of barbecues and parties.

€2k Decking + €200 for preserve = €2200 % 10 years = Value for money

"You get out what you put in....."

I disagree no matter how well it is oiled and treated, it ages rapidly and looks unsightly after as little as 3 years.

Once again its a med thing in Irish weather, kind of like another celtic tiger madness, the conservatories. My mate got one, he has 2 double rads in it and his kitchen area is still freezing. But he saved money in that he doesn't have to turn on the fridge.