What Is Composite Decking?

Lanlee Explains

What is Composite Decking?

Composite Decking is quickly overtaking traditional wooden decking as the most popular choice of decking for home-owners across the globe. Boasting to be a low-maintenance, highly durable and eco-friendly alternative to wooden decking, in this article we explore the core differences between wooden and composite decking.

Composition

Wooden Decking 

What Wooden Decking is made of is really in the name, although there are a few different types of wooden deck that you can purchase which all have different features and vary in price. 

The most commonly used decking material is 'Pressure Treated Timber'. It is the most affordable & widely used material and is chemically treated to resist rot and decay. Pressure treated decking requires regular maintenance too, this may include an annual power wash and an application of stain or clear wood preservative every two or three years.

Composite Decking

Composite Decking products blend waste wood fibre & recycled plastics, adding in waxes, fibreglass, and preservatives to form wood like boards.

Features

Wooden Decking

A natural wooden deck has beautiful aesthetic quality which many UPVC and Composite Decking brands try to imitate, however nothing can really match the look, feel and even smell of natural wood. 

Wooden decking has a high strength to weight ratio and, though it does require more maintenance than its composite counterpart, with the right care wooden decking can last just as long, or even longer, than other plastic alternatives.

Composite Decking

Working with composite timber is very similar to working with wood. However, composite lumber has the added benefit of being less likely to split or de-laminate. Composite Decking is also more stain, scratch and mould resistant than wooden decking and so requires much less maintenance.

Sustainability and Environmental Issues

Wooden

Wooden decking without any treatments on it can be easily recycled and bio degrades without any polluting by-products. Plain, untreated wooden decking is non-toxic & extremely strong for its weight.

Unfortunately, once you treat your timber decking it can no longer be recycled or burnt, due to the toxic chemicals found within timber treatments.

Composite

Composite decking products are known to last much longer than timber decking. They make use of materials that may otherwise have ended up in a landfill site. However, the biggest problem with composite decking that it is almost impossible to recycle. This is due to its use of both biological components (such as wood) and technological components (such as plastic) which are inextricably blended.

Cost

Wooden Decking is a lot cheaper to buy than composite, however unlike with composite, you will have to pay money for treatments and stains to keep your decking weather resistant and looking nice whereas most Composite Decking types only require to be washed with soap and water.

Average Life time

Wooden Decking

Depending on how well you maintain it, wooden decking can last anything from 15-30 years, however the average lifetime is about 20 years. Rot, algae growth, warping  and splintering can all contribute to rapid ageing of wooden decking so it is important to take the correct measures to try and prevent these for as long as possible. These measures can be simple things such as cleaning your decking once a month with a quality decking cleaner. 

Composite Decking 

Most manufacturers offer a 20 year warranty on their composite decking, however  unlike wooden decking, composite boards do not tend to rot, splinter or warp. When composite decking ages the colour tends to fade overtime and it can generally just look less attractive which could cause the home owners to want to replace it after this time.



Sources:

http://greenlivingideas.com/2007/12/17/sustainable-decking-solutions/

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/outdoor-projects/how-to/a7889/should-you-build-your-deck-from-wood-or-plastic-11226815/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_lumber