Is a composite decking better than timber decking?
Timber decking
Pro's
Depending on your choice, natural timber can be less expensive than composites and comes in a wide range of colours and textures. From reds through to brown, pinks, cream and yellow. Some woods can even weather to a nice silver colour with a lovely silver patina.
Timber deck boards are usually cooler than composites boards underfoot with some timbers being suitable for 29 BAL fire zones.
Con's
Timber deck boards need regular re oiling at about 12 months intervals. You should budget between $40 and $70 a sq metre to maintain your deck on an annual basis.
If not maintained properly, timber deck boards can spinter and rot and become very uncomfortable to walk on. Most timber deck boards are not suitable for decks that are closer than 40 centmetres to the ground.
Composite decking
Pro's
Composite deck boards are more resistant to stains and mould than timber decks. Good quality deck boards are are capped to reduce fading and scuffing and scratching and only need to be occasionally washed down to keep that ‘as new’ look. Acid washing and re oiling every 12 months is a thing of the past.
Modern composite boards won’t warp or rot and are environmentally friendly. They are usually sourced from recycled material. A trex deck of 45 square metres for instance, will contain aproximately 140,000 recycled plastic bags.
Not only do they look good, they are ideal for the Sydney climate and will last up to 25 years or more.
Con's
Good quality composite deck boards can be more expensive to buy than comparable timber deck boards. If a board is damaged, it can’t be sanded back but will need to be replaced. On a very hot day, they will be warmer (by 4-6 dgrees) than a timber deck board.
Whats the difference between a composite and timber decking?
