There has been plenty of discussions about the benefits of getting decking this year, with people from timber suppliers, design magazines and radio presenters waxing lyrical about the growing trend to hit Southend and Essex decking market.
Regardless, timber decking remains the predominant force, occupying around 90% of the market and continuing to grow in popularity all over the UK.
With much in depth discussions circulating about timber and composite decking, it can be difficult to build up a clear idea of what the differences between the two.
Here is a quick breakdown of what you should know:
1) Staying Power
Composite decking products boasts high levels of durability, having been specially engineered to be fade, stain, scratch and molde resistant. The material ‘Trex‘ backs this up by providing a limited 25-year guarantee to residential customers and a limited 10-year guarantee to commercial customers.
Apart from being strong enough to withstand light or heavy weights without damaging, hardwood trees such as redwood and cedar produces wood that has natural resistance to harsh climate conditions and even bugs and moulds, enabling them to last for a very long period of time.
Aside from that, softwoods such as pine are treated with special types of safe chemicals in order to prevent termite invasion, rot and other threatening timber issues which may reduce the their lifespan.
2) Aesthetics and Sustainability
Most decking materials have a particularly strong appeal to customers with sustainability in mind. Almost all composite decking boards are made from recycled materials – Trex recycles 1.5 billion shopping bags every year and has never felled a tree for deck manufacture in its 20-year history. Pretty impressive stuff!
Sustainability has been a watchword in the timber industry for many years now, and softwood decking normally tends to have been cut from trees that grow back incredibly quickly. The decking supplied by Southend Decking Fitters ensures that all its timber decks are supplied from sustainable sources and uses certified systems to provide traceability from forest to finished product.
With regard to look and feel, wood boasts of a rustic, naturally appealing appearance that enables it to give your property the much-needed aesthetic value and authentic charm. There is a wide range of patterns, textures, shapes, and colours, providing you the opportunity to choose the right one that matches well with your existing space. On top of that, you can ask your deck manufacturer to provide a personalised and amazing bespoke design that suits your personal taste.
3) Zero Maintenance (Almost)
Composite decks are pretty much maintenance free, needing just a basic clean every now and again with a specific composite deck cleaner or even just a combination of soapy, hot water and a soft bristle brush, on a ‘every other year’ basis – believe it or not – a quality that even stone can’t compete with!
Composite decks require no staining and will almost always retain their colour for many years.
Stains and cleaning are both part of the parcel of owning timber decking, and without staining, timber decks can turn grey – cleaning is important to remove molde and moss from the wood.
4) Easy Installation Decking
Many different composite decking products are being fitted with fixings that really allow for a speedy installation process. Having said that, like all the other benefits of composite decking, this comes at a premium – composite decking products tend to be much more expensive than their timber equivalents.
Sometimes you may not even need to call for a professional to change decks, updating it yourself is a snap with deck tiles that quickly cover weathered wood decks, cracked concrete surfaces, porches, or walkways. In one morning, you can create a great looking outdoor structure that will last all year round.
To conclude on this point,uUnlike paving or landscaping, it’s pretty quick to build and install, however if you choose not to bother setting this up yourself, having it done by professionals means you won’t have to be bothered by construction for a while and you can enjoy your decking as soon as possible.
5) Inexpensive Investment
While composite products claim to be less likely to warp, split or rot, timber boasts an authenticity that composite can never quite match. As much as composite decking products are always advancing in their attempts to replicate the look of timber, there is still nothing quite like the look and feel (and smell) of genuine hardwood or softwood decking.
Of course, this varies on the materials you use, your decking design and installation process, but decking doesn’t have to cost the moon and the earth. Contrary to what most people believe, you don’t have to blow all your savings for a decked area. Far from it!
If you’re interested in a decked area to enhance your garden and family or social life, get in touch with us at Southend Decking Fitters. We stock high quality timber and composite related products to give you a decked area that’ll be the envy of all your neighbours!