Alternatives to wooden decking
Newly-installed wooden decking looks great. But to keep it like this, you need to treat or reseal it every few years. If you want a low-maintenance alternative, you could investigate decking made of composites (wood fibre combined with plastics). This looks and feels pretty much like wood, but won't split or warp if you omit to give it the tender loving care that genuine wood requires.
Solid composite decking boards resemble wood timbers, but are perfectly regular so they are easier than wood to install. The boards are heavy, though, and you need genuine wooden joists to support the structure. The advantages are that solid composites look and feel more like real wood than other composite materials, and they are resistant to insect infestation, and they won’t rot like real wood. The only maintenance that a solid composite deck should need is a thorough clean once a year to remove mildew and dirt.
Hollow composites are just that – boards with a hollow cross section, made of composite materials. These come in different designs to give different surface appearances. They are lighter in weight to work with than solid composites, but can feel a little less like solid wood to walk on.
Vinyl decking
The only maintenance that vinyl decking needs is the occasional spray with a hose or a quick once-over with a mop. Of course, it looks nothing like wood, but it has a clean, minimalist feel. It normally comes in shades of white, grey and light brown. It doesn’t fade or weather like wood – though bear in mind that if you don’t keep it clean it will eventually look tatty, and tatty vinyl looks worse than weathered timber. It’s light and easy to handle when fitting, though it normally needs to be screwed onto a treated wooden frame.
Aluminium decking
Aluminium decking is strong and very rigid to walk on. It’s completely waterproof, so there will be a dry space underneath it, and it will last a lifetime. It doesn’t look pretty but it can be dressed to look quite stylish, and is very practical. Aluminium for decking comes coated with a white or lightly-coloured finish which reflects heat, so it doesn’t get so hot that it’s impossible to walk on in bare feet.
Related Pages | Home Page |
Decking | Timber Decking | Garden Decking | Composite Decking | Decking Lights | Decking Lighting | Decking Prices | LED Decking Lights | Wood Decking | 
Directory 
