Faulty Decking

carolyn2905

Hello you lovely lot. I paid £4k to get some composite decking laid in my garden about 4 years ago. I did this so it wouldn’t need as much maintenance as wood. About 2 years ago the planks started to curl up at the ends so I got the joiner back who then told me that the recommended distance between the boards had changed and should have been 300 instead of 600. He lifted some planks and added extra support. I contacted him again in June this year because the planks had lifted again to the point that someone is going to hurt themselves. Some have also split. He got the local manager of the national supplier up to look at them, who agreed that the planks were faulty but they had stopped using the company that made them because they never got back when there were queries. The upshot of all this is that my joiner has said he will come back, when he has time, and try to fix it with the 10 planks that the supplier has remaining, which is nowhere near enough. 

I saved for a long time to get this done and it just needs ripped up because it’s so dangerous. What can I do? I live in Scotland 

Alderbank

Did you (1) pay the joiner £4K to supply and fit, or (2) buy the decking yourself and make separate arrangements for fitting by a joiner?

If (2) is the problem incorrect installation (joists at 600mm instead of 300mm) or an inherent fault with the planks which were installed correctly?
If (2), who was the supplier?

How did you pay?

If that brand of composite decking is unsatisfactory why would your joiner want to repair with the same sort?

born_again

carolyn2905 said:

Hello you lovely lot. I paid £4k to get some composite decking laid in my garden about 4 years ago. I did this so it wouldn’t need as much maintenance as wood. About 2 years ago the planks started to curl up at the ends so I got the joiner back who then told me that the recommended distance between the boards had changed and should have been 300 instead of 600. He lifted some planks and added extra support. I contacted him again in June this year because the planks had lifted again to the point that someone is going to hurt themselves. Some have also split. He got the local manager of the national supplier up to look at them, who agreed that the planks were faulty but they had stopped using the company that made them because they never got back when there were queries. The upshot of all this is that my joiner has said he will come back, when he has time, and try to fix it with the 10 planks that the supplier has remaining, which is nowhere near enough. 

I saved for a long time to get this done and it just needs ripped up because it’s so dangerous. What can I do? I live in Scotland 

Is that M/M between boards?
How is that going to stop them curling up?

Even if that is between ends I can't see any board expanding 1 foot as that is what 300 m/m or 30 cm is... At that the gap is down right dangerous, never mind when doubling it...

Sounds to me like support is not in the right place or not sufficient to support the usage.


There are two types of spacing for your composite decking boards, namely side-to-side spacing and end-to-end spacing. For side-to-side, you will need to put anywhere from 3mm to 6mm. As for the end-to-end spacing of composite decking boards, you need to have 6mm to 8mm.

https://ultradecking.co.uk/do-you-leave-gaps-between-composite-decking-boards/

Alderbank

I agree, what the OP actually wrote doesn't make sense.

I assumed she means the decking joists which support the decking planks and run perpendicular to them. Excessive downward flexing between the joists when people walk on them will force the ends of the planks to 'spring' upwards and over time this upward force will loosen the end fixings, either pulling the nails partly out or tearing the composite material, especially if the deck boards are nailed close to the end.

This would tie in with what the OP says,'He lifted some planks and added extra support. I contacted him again in June this year because the planks had lifted again...Some have also split.'

600mm joist spacing would be too great for softwood decking. With composite it depends on the manufacturer. Some say 400mm max.

Hopefully the OP will return with more information.

carolyn2905

Alderbank said:

Did you (1) pay the joiner £4K to supply and fit, or (2) buy the decking yourself and make separate arrangements for fitting by a joiner?

If (2) is the problem incorrect installation (joists at 600mm instead of 300mm) or an inherent fault with the planks which were installed correctly?
If (2), who was the supplier?

How did you pay?

If that brand of composite decking is unsatisfactory why would your joiner want to repair with the same sort?

I paid the joiner to supply and fit the decking. 

The joiner spaced the joists at 600mm but when I asked him to come back the first time he said he had checked and the company had changed their recommended distance to 300mm. 

The supplier was Jewsons. The manager agreed that the decking should not have warped like it had. 

I paid for the works by bank transfer. 

I agree that the same decking should not be used. Also 10 planks will not be enough. 

The last email I got from the joiner in June said:

So Jewson has just been in touch, and they can’t get anywhere with the manufacturer, so they have ten boards in stock.

So I will come back and lift the decking and relay and replace as much as I can with the boards supplied.

Will get back to you when we can do it. 

carolyn2905

Alderbank said:

I agree, what the OP actually wrote doesn't make sense.

I assumed she means the decking joists which support the decking planks and run perpendicular to them. Excessive downward flexing between the joists when people walk on them will force the ends of the planks to 'spring' upwards and over time this upward force will loosen the end fixings, either pulling the nails partly out or tearing the composite material, especially if the deck boards are nailed close to the end.

This would tie in with what the OP says,'He lifted some planks and added extra support. I contacted him again in June this year because the planks had lifted again...Some have also split.'

600mm joist spacing would be too great for softwood decking. With composite it depends on the manufacturer. Some say 400mm max.

Hopefully the OP will return with more information.

I’m sorry, I didn’t know the correct terms to use. I’m afraid I know nothing about these things 😁

I was meaning the distance between the supporting joists. I wish I could post an image to show just how bad and dangerous it is. 

Aylesbury_Duck

The good news is that you contracted the joiner to supply and fit, so any problems with the supplier and manufacturer are his to deal with.  Keep working constructively with him, because he has a duty to make good on any problems arising from poor workmanship or substandard materials.

greyteam1959

The joists should never have been laid at 600 mm spacings.
https://neotimber.com/decking/advice/installation/subframe/composite-joists/