Composite decking anyone used it?

[evelynj]

Just looking for opinions before I splash out about £5k on some.

Would have liked stone but need to raise the patio about 1.5 ft so this seems the best solution avoiding the problems of wooden decking.

Has anyone got it and do you like it, is it slippy and would you do it again?

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

I looked into it and it looks amazing but soooo expensive. The only problem i can potentially see - apart from being 4 times the cost of wooden decking is that all the supports underneath are wood. In our old place it was this supporting structure that rotted out after about 10-15 years ( we didnt put it down) whilst the top planks were ok - ish ( regularly treated etc).

I would be keen to know if this is an issue as i would LOVE composite decking, keeping wood decking nice was something i could live without.

[evelynj]

I know princess - I stained our bit of old damp decking last year as a patch and its all peeling! Tbh if I got 15 years out of the support it wouldn't be too bad. I much prefer the look of wood but can't be doing with the hassle of it. The stuff I'm looking at is hollow but strong & approx £40 per m2, (possibly mates rates, not sure....)

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

I wasn't sure about the hollow stuff, we had a free sample of solid board and it seemed more durable than wood but £70-80 a m2 - eekk. It was the most expensive one they did but absolutely stunning, damn me and my very expensive tastes ( but low budget!)

[alwaysfancywine]

Just going to camp here as we are having the exact same dilema right now!

[evelynj]

Hmmm, the hollow stuff sample we have is not that hollow & seems pretty strong-will try to find it & take a pic....

[evelynj]

Here's the sample we have, I think I'm going to go for it as I just want to get something done finally & preferably while we may have a day or 2 of sun to enjoy it by! Also the hollow stuff is already so heavy I think it will be fine for us, particularly with such a big raised base. There's a public gardens down the road from us that has used it so going to see it it situ tomorrow, (and then probably straight to order it!)

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Thats a lovely colour, i am currently saving so that in about 10 yrs i can afford to add some decking!! If you go for it, please come back and post a pic.

I think the deep grooves will help channel water away and hopefully mean it wont be slippy. As you can pressure wash and brush it it shouldnt be too much of a problem if it does. Good luck

[evelynj]

The deep grooves aren't too deep tho-I think dh prefers the thin grooves, I'm not too bothered but found some old threads where there was concern over discolouration so have emailed them about this to check it's covered under the 10 yr guarantee & will get a price this avo!

[passmyglass]

Oh good, this is just the thread I need! Any progress Evelynj? And can I ask where people are sourcing it from?

[evelynj]

Hi

I'm awaiting my bro to look under our existing decking to give me the nod for go ahead. The nearby council have used it under a bridge but bizarrely looks like it's been stained as there's a couple of patchy bits. On the back of this I emailed the manufacturers-whiteriver or something? They're an Ireland bard company & asked about staining & fading. Interesting they said there's about a 20% fading in the first 6 weeks before it stabilises. I was glad they were honest about it & on balance still think it's the best solution for us.

[MassDebate]

We have a small section of Millboard composite decking around a pool area (we had some steps built from it). I'd say it's less slippery than our other real wood decking so good for a wet area (and in the rain). We went for it because our wood decking has been a total PITA to maintain so we wanted something hassle free. If I was doing a decked area again I'd definitely use composite rather than wood.

[evelynj]

Thanks mass - a positive review is great to have. Word decking maintenance is awful. We were womdering whether to do steps in it also. How long have you had it down?

[PigletJohn]

Opinions differ, but on the question of wooden legs, I am keen on using Concrete Spur posts (as used on fences) which the wooden legs are bolted to. So the spur is set in the ground (or preferably concrete) and does not rot; the wooden post is 250mm or so above ground level so not in contact with damp earth.

I like to soak the tops and bottoms of posts in Cuprinol wood preserver, especially if they have been cut or trimmed, before fixing, even if they are treated wood.

Leave access to the space under the deck so you can put rat poison down there periodically.

I find decking oil is better than decking stain, but you need to apply several thin coats to build up a protective layer. It is translucent so you see the grain of the wood.

Lay the boards so the grooves run slightly downhill to shed water, and also so you can sweep along them. Trying to brush across grooves is very annoying and ineffective. Some boards have big grooves on one side and narrow grooves on the other.

[evelynj]

Thanks piglet-We're putting the base on concrete patio slabs & probably will use timber but will pass the info to my bro.

I thought the boards should be laid opposite to the direction you'd most walk on them, e.g. To make a + if we're walking out from the house across the deck. I was wondering about this as I'd prefer them the other way for aesthetics, or even running diagonally but not sure if this would be more complicated to lay, not to mention wasteful.

[PigletJohn]

If you're having railings round the sides, they usually have a sort of sill, and if it is laid across the grooves, it is very difficult to sweep, and they tend to get blocked and cause water to accumulate. You may get a lot of leaves and blossom, and in some clean areas, roof-moss.

I don't know another way to prevent that, but see if other ideas come up.

As long as you decide in advance which way the boards will run, you just set out the base to suit.

[MassDebate]

Ours has only been down for about 6 months so can't yet comment on longevity but it's resisted the incessant rain and regular deluges from our pool so far!

[dazzlingdeborahrose]

Ours has been down for almost two years. We used Trex. I was unsure before we started but I'm a convert. It's non-slip, looks good and a good power wash every once in a while is all it needs. I've attached a pic of our deck.

[evelynj]

That looks fab dazzling & a nicer colour than the options we've looked at. Will investigate & price up Trex, ta

[dazzlingdeborahrose]

We've been very pleased with it, Evelyn.

[Matlow]

We used Eco dek and chose dark grey and 6 years on it still looks fantastic. We are going to have an extension built and will have the boards lifted and moved down the garden. Its a bit more expensive than wood but lasts so much longer and doesn't get mossy or rotten. I can highly recommend.

[evelynj]

So we're just about finished the decking & I love it but had a big party yesterday & it seems to stain where any small bits of food have dropped, like a greasy stain, also where dd spilled some bubble mixture. Should we just clean with water? Are there any things that should be really avoided having near it & any tips needed for protecting? I do really love it!

[evelynj]

Here's it is, bit messy though!

[Marmitelover55]

Ooh that looks lovely

[ChubbyPanda]

@evelynj
Hi, i was wondering how your composite decking is holding up?
Did you manage to remove the food stain?

Thanks,
Rita