is (composite) decking a mistake?

[wethree]

please help me! we THOUGHT we wanted a nice bit of raised wooden decking to flow 'artfully' outside from our kitchen (which has wood look Amtico) to bring the outside in... as they say. turns out wooden decks rot, harbour rats and require cleaning and maintenance rather often. which doesn't really appeal, if i'm honest.

one chap suggested a composite deck material (faux wood, made mostly of plastic) samples arrived and its really rather nice to look at..

however, online again, reveals other problems with this (surfaces can flake, get mouldy and it can trap moisture in the wooden support frame and make that rot??) and so now I'm not sure whether to have a normal patio built instead of a deck. does anyone have any experience or feedback to offer me?

I'm talking about an area about 4m x 3m. please help! we've saved up the money to do this and now, after waiting 7 years, we don't actually know what we want done anymore!

I haven't used it. It looks OK, though it might be slippery when wet.

The timber frame underneath needs to be drained and ventilated to keep dry, and made of pressure-treated timber, just as if you had wood decking.

A good tip is to design decking so that the grooves run the way you will sweep it (not into wall or balustrade) and slope enough for water to run away down the grooves.

Timber decking needs not-quite-constant maintenance to keep it smart.

Rats will live under decking if there is a nearby source of water and if you or your neighbour provide rat food on a rat table bird table

I've built decking at both my previous properties and I wouldn't have it again.

It's too slippery and as Pigletjohn observes I suspect this will still be an issue with with composite.

I've fallen hard several times on it as has my DD so never again.

Have a patio at my new house that only requires the odd pressure wash and will last much longer. I much prefer it.