Composite decking - yes or no 2 May 2017 at 4:19PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 32 replies 28.2K views

britishboy

as above, i know composite is more expensive, but are there any pros/cons of it? We were considering 2 levels of patio but ive laid decking previously so this would save loads on labour costs.

We're after a pretty modern look for the garden, and have been looking at the grey composite boards

Also, is there a preferred supplier/manufacturer?

TheCyclingProgrammer

If I was installing decking, then composite boards would probably be the first thing I'd consider. Wooden decking needs to be maintained properly otherwise it looks terrible pretty quickly and can also get very slippery.

beaker141

I've got anthracite grey composite boards from http://www.ecodek.co.uk/range/ecodek-products/ for my decking.

It was a lot more expensive than wood though. The main pro I wanted was to avoid my 4 kids getting splinters ! I've had 1 in minor injuries unit on laughing gas to get one out from his aunties house and I can do without that sort of hassle.

It looks good, modern and stylish and matches the door and window colours.

I've got slight concerns about scratches - nothing major so far after a year but I'm conscious it could occur.

I used a wooden sub frame so maybe eventually that will rot, but its tanalised so hopefully good for a long time.

I laid strips of black DPC used for bricks along the joists, to a deflect any water away from the joists and to avoid seeing wood colour through the grey decking.

Mr_Poves

Definitely composite , I've just done ours , a 7m x 3m and a raised 2.5m x 2.5m , you can get all the formed step edges to make it look great , have a look at composite wood company , based in oldham .

Mr_Poves

beaker141 wrote: »

I've got anthracite grey composite boards from http://www.ecodek.co.uk/range/ecodek-products/ for my decking.

It was a lot more expensive than wood though. The main pro I wanted was to avoid my 4 kids getting splinters ! I've had 1 in minor injuries unit on laughing gas to get one out from his aunties house and I can do without that sort of hassle.

It looks good, modern and stylish and matches the door and window colours.

I've got slight concerns about scratches - nothing major so far after a year but I'm conscious it could occur.

I used a wooden sub frame so maybe eventually that will rot, but its tanalised so hopefully good for a long time.

I laid strips of black DPC used for bricks along the joists, to a deflect any water away from the joists and to avoid seeing wood colour through the grey decking.

I used treated on my subframe and used black cuprinol on all the frame as an extra measure .

xyz123

I don't mean to hijack this thread but those who got it, can you share how much it cost. We r looking to replace out wooden one but not sure how much would this cost. Per m2 figures are often misleading so wanted to get some real figures if possible. Thanks

beaker141

xyz123 wrote: »

I don't mean to hijack this thread but those who got it, can you share how much it cost. We r looking to replace out wooden one but not sure how much would this cost. Per m2 figures are often misleading so wanted to get some real figures if possible. Thanks

Whats misleading about sq m costs - I could dig out the absolute cost of my deck, but then I'd have to tell you the exact size so you can work it out !

At the time I bought Ecodek it was £7.20 per metre of deckboard that was 136mm wide - from memory its about £49 per m2.

Add on screws, any edging you want. Then the cost of a subframe if you need one - basically tanalised wooden joists (I think I used 5*2), some decent size screws/bolts to assemble it, some wooden posts to fix it to the ground (I used 3*3 tanalised) and some postfix concrete to secure the posts in the ground and some rawlbolts to fix it to the house wall.

I did 2 sections of decking, 6.7m x 3m and 9m x 1.2m, constructed as above - Ecodek cost was £2400, everything else about £700, so all in just over £3k.

Mr_Poves

boards are 12 feet long and roughly 6 inches wide , pricewise about £28 per board inc hidden fastenings , so for a 12 x 12 deck you would be looking around £700 , plus the cost of the subframe , that's just an example for a rough idea .

happyandcontented

It does fade though, and not in a uniform manner according to our deck fitter.

Dean000000

may I balance this tread by saying - unless you absolutely detest any form of maintenance, I would go hardwood timber.


I know it sounds silly - but I don't half look forward to that first nice weekend of spring to Jet wash, lightly sand and apply two coats of oil to my decking....I genuinely mean that.... its very therapeutic and (for me personally) a great excuse to spend a few hours away from the wife and kids


on a serious - I don't think you can beat the look and feel of a timber deck, so wouldn't (even by choice) go with anything else....


Dunno tho - may just be a caveman attitude...

michaeldavies1

I bought Ash coloured composite decking boards here https://www.dinodecking.co.uk/category/composite-decking-boards/. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

The decking has been down for a full year and still looks brand new here in the UK. We've had a hot summer and it is now -3 degrees (snowing) but my deck still looks pristine!

Pros:
- Weather proof
- Will last a life time
- Looks far better than wood (wood rots and looks uneven after 1 year)
- Safe for children and pets - no splinters!

Cons:
- Slighty more expensive than timber. HOWEVER, I worked out the amount i would spend on staining each year and composite pays for itself over time! Also there's a lot of expensive composite decking retailers, however, I found Dino Decking the lowest priced by far!