It is a timber deck built as part of the structure rather than a separate product, so the posts, frame and deck are designed to line up. You get a level, finished floor across the footprint of the veranda in the same pressure-treated redwood and the same finish as the frame above it. That means no patio slabs, no separate deck kit and no gap between two things that were never meant to meet.

No. The decking base gives the structure its own level surface, which is the main reason people choose this version over a post-in-ground pergola. What you do need is reasonably firm, well drained ground that has been cleared and levelled. If you are fitting a roof kit we recommend fixing the structure down, either by concreting the posts in or by using our bolt-down feet, so it stays put in wind.

Five square sizes are stocked: 2.4m x 2.4m, 3m x 3m, 3.6m x 3.6m, 4.2m x 4.2m and 4.8m x 4.8m, each in Light Green or Rustic Brown. Both finishes cost the same, so choose on how the timber sits against your wall and planting rather than on price. If the space you have does not match one of the five, custom sizes are available and we will quote against your measurements.

Yes. Both are chosen as options on the same order. Roof kits come in clear, opal or bronze polycarbonate with brown or white glazing bars, and selecting one builds a 5 degree pitch into the structure for rainwater run-off. Heavy-duty rebated privacy screening can be specified on one side or two, which is what most people use to block a neighbouring window or cut the wind across an open garden.

Less than untreated wood, but it is not maintenance-free. Pressure treatment protects the timber against rot and insect attack from the inside. The surface colour is a different matter: sun and rain will lighten it over time, and a re-coat with a quality exterior wood treatment every two to three years keeps the Light Green or Rustic Brown looking as it did on day one. A wash down each spring is usually all else it asks for.