Almost every Builders Merchant or DIY store now carries composite decking in many colors and designs. Nowadays, most people consider timber decking as a last-resort inexpensive choice that is quite temporary since it rots quickly. But first you should know the drawbacks of composite decking before deciding on it for your next decking project.
Composite decking has four drawbacks:
- Fades with sunlight
- Warp in Hot Weather
- Wear Down in High Traffic Areas
- Causes Timber Subframes To Rot and Become Unsafe (The Most Concerning)
You might be wondering then, why composite decking is still sold. In particular, Let us now return to the start of the decking narrative and walk through how all this happened.
Where did the Decking Story start?
Back in the early 1980s, the low-cost and efficient method of creating a neat and orderly outdoor seating area began to be Timber Decking. Inspired by similar applications in boats and marine environments, house owners began a new trend using the same style of wooden decking planks for domestic use.
Dealing with land that was not level and drains complicated the conventional paving-slab-style patio, which was expensive to build.
The then-new concept of building a timber deck over the top of all these anomalies and challenges meant a fast solution could be installed very quickly that was absolutely flat and looked very clean and neat. Not only that, but the relative cost was a fraction of a conventional patio installation.
However, despite ever-improving pressure treatment to help preserve the timber decking planks, it rapidly became obvious that installations were deteriorating swiftly. This not only made the installation and property seem worn and drab but also presented a safety issue as boards grew weak.
Over time a deeper issue became more obvious. As the water dropped through the cracks between the decking and down onto the wood joists, they too began to decay. This meant that the entire construction may become hazardous, and normally would have to be rebuilt within a few years.
This surprise expenditure still catches out many today who naturally attempt to make early savings by selecting for a cheaper wooden-type decking, only to discover the hidden expenses of upkeep and repair arrive sooner and are more than intended!
Does Composite Decking Solve these Issues?
Well, no. Composite decking only fixes a percentage of these difficulties, leaving the most critical concerns with decking unaddressed. These are now becoming more obvious.
Composite (partially plastic) decking is generally made from a mixture of wood and plastic pulp (Sometimes called WPC = Wood Plastic Composite) and shaped into decking boards.
If you are contemplating installing composite decking, then it’s no little investment and you want to be sure it will endure!
Of course, most manufacturers will tell you it has a long lifespan and won’t rot etc…which is true. However, you should also be aware of the following key difficulties that people are increasingly recognizing.
Below we have given out each of the four difficulties with composite decking, and what you can do to prevent them.
Composite Decking fades with sunlight:
Many colored plastic objects will have concerns with discoloration in the sunshine. After only a few years, your composite plastic decking area might start to seem worn out and jaded.
This might detract from the property’s whole appeal. But in almost all climates and surroundings, powder-coated aluminum decking boasts a much longer-lasting color fastness.
Composite Decking Boards Warp in Hot Weather
Any plastic material will soften as the temperature rises, as would be expected. Although composite plastic decking is waterproof, this implies that in hot weather and bright sunshine it may stretch and deform.
Using a structural but single-skin aluminum decking board means that the ventilated aluminum decking board will stay cooler and since it is aluminum it is unlikely to distort even in severe temperatures.
High Traffic Areas: Composite Decking Wear Down
Although the surface of composite decking boards has a pattern, as you may expect plastic is usually soft and wears away.
Usually, even when plastic is included into a WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) combination, the surface is plastic. This implies that any heavier traffic areas will have really ugly worn-down patches.
You should make sure you find out the wear resistance of the decking you want to employ.
An aluminum decking system with an anti-wear design is a much superior option as it will remain looking the same for a long period.
Reasons Timber Subframes Rot and Become Unsafe (Most Concerning)
Just choose the correct decking system and you will save money by employing conventional low-cost wood decking joists. While employing a decking board with an integrated gutter has more cost, regular wood decking joists are significantly less expensive. It will last significantly longer and overall costs less.
Where should you dispose of the water off your deck?
Using a decking board with an incorporated gutter as indicated above makes things simple. Every drop of water will follow the internal gutter to reach the end of your decking section. You may then attach a Decking Gutter allowing you to channel all the rainfall in whichever direction desired. To quickly channel the water around the edges of your decking, utilize either the external or internal decking gutter connectors.
The further advantage is being able to gather mineral-rich rainfall and recycle it for use in gardens or other domestic projects.
