The Pros & Cons Of Wooden, Composite Versus Upvc Decking

Some boards may have specialised anti-slip properties, while others may be best given additional grips and anti-slip tracks. Remember that any composite OR timber decking area – whether they claim to be slip-proof or not – could become slippery due to mould, mildew, and algae growth promoted by wet weather. Both are great for any garden, but we would always recommend looking more into capped boards to give you better peace of mind when it comes to the longevity of your decking area. Composite decking is more expensive to purchase and install, but in the long term you will find that the costs can in fact be less than those needed to buy, install, and care over the years for a timber deck.

What Is Capped Composite Decking?

There is no need for screws with this composite decking board thanks to the hidden-clip system, giving you a clean professional finish. The hollow construction of this decking allows for better heat absorption and reduced weight. Darker coloured composite decking does better at hiding the day to day build-up of dirt, but staining from oil or fat dropped from food eaten on the deck will show up more prominently. It is relatively simple process to clean and remove fatty stains from your wood plastic composite decking. The sooner you can clean the affected area the better as it will make it easier to remove the stain. Surfaces with lighter colours will generally be slightly cooler than darker decks. The insulating properties of Eva-Last® Infinity™ decking make the boards extremely stable.

Why Choose Composite Over Traditional Timber?

Do Composite Fencing Panels Need Space?

With this in mind, the use of composite decking as an alternative to natural timber is increasing in great extent due to its many advantages. All of these advantages are brought about by the continuous technological improvements done in manufacturing composite materials. Most materials including wood and composite woods will heat up in direct sunlight, although different wood solutions are cooler than others.

Having the right blend of good quality timber fibres and high density polymers is critical. If you have ever left softwoods outside, you will find they absorb water, swell, crack and rots quickly. If you leave a harder wood or treated timber outdoors, they last for longer. Often cheap composite decking will be made of softwood timber powders and fibres. These still absorb moisture, making boards swell and crack like traditional softwood timbers. Worse still they are mixed with cheap low grade PVC’s and low density polymers .

Do You Need Help With More Decking Ideas?

All types of decking, when exposed to summer sun over long periods of time will absorb some degree of heat. Whether that's natural timber decking, IPE decking, plastic decking or composite decking. The latter, however, will definitely retain heat for the least amount of time as a result of the advanced technologies that go into producing it. To have the best time outdoors, choose light-colored composite decking boards with a hollow core since these are more resistant to extreme temperature and moisture. They closely resemble wood when it comes to heat retention and dissipation whilst offering all the benefits of composite decking. All kinds of material soak up heat when exposed to direct sunlight.

Why Choose Composite Decking?

• To have the best time outdoors, choose light-colored composite decking boards with a hollow core since these are more resistant to extreme temperature and moisture.
• They closely resemble wood when it comes to heat retention and dissipation whilst offering all the benefits of composite decking.
• Whether that's natural timber decking, IPE decking, plastic decking or composite decking.
• All kinds of material soak up heat when exposed to direct sunlight.
• Even natural wood decking becomes too hot to walk on barefoot when it is exposed to the summer sun over a prolonged period.
• The latter, however, will definitely retain heat for the least amount of time as a result of the advanced technologies that go into producing it.

Some cheaper composite decking boards still have this problem, but when you are dealing with high-quality composite boards like ours here at Ecoscape, you don’t have such a problem with it. Being a particular mixture of recycled materials, such as wood and plastic, automatically merits composite decking with a high level of protection that isn’t naturally present in timber decking. When you think of what your decking is up against, you can see how wooden decking is vulnerable to the effects of rain, snow, frost, heat, pests and insects and this isn’t even mentioning wear and tear. The makers of composite decking mix those materials in a factory with an adhesive and heat the mixture until they combine to form composite decking boards. What the material is ready, they cut them into various shapes so that homeowners can use them to build outdoor decking.

Try Our Colour Selector

The boards are a perfect alternative to timber as they are easy to install, low maintenance, available in 8 colours and are a cheaper option than our competitors. The composite decking boards have an anti-UV agent which helps the boards to resits colour fade, however some natural fading will occur over time but no more than to give an attractive weathered look. The decking boards come in either hollow or solid core construction meaning you can use the hollow for light domestic use or the solid for heavier use or commercial areas. We are sure you will love one of the 8 colours we have available, visit our product page for more information. The next factor that influences how much heat composite decking absorbs is the colour of the actual deck boards. Just like clothing and other materials, darker colours tend to absorb more heat over time.

Is Composite Decking Hot To Walk On?

Therefore, the darker your composite decking, the more heat it will absorb and the warmer it will become. Composite deck boards with a lighter surface tend to retain less heat in comparison to darker finishes. So, if you want to make absolutely certain that your composite deck will be as cool as possible during the summer, greys, cedars and whites are your best option. Natural wood decking, however, can become too hot to walk on barefoot when it is exposed to the summer sun over a prolonged period of time. Not only that, once exposed to high temperatures, wood decking can also shrink, splinter and crack, posing bigger issues than just hot feet.