FAQ - Timber decking materials, building techniques
- WPC-Decking vs. Natural Decking
- Best Decking Timber Species
- Timber Decking Treatment
Is composite decking better than timber decking?
Many people would answer ‘yes’ and on the question: ‘does composite decking help preserving the environment?’ these people would answer yes again. In trying to find an impartial answer it is good to know what composite decking actually is. Composite decking or composite wood is a composite of timber fibers (cellulose saw dust) and plastic. The proportion of mixture can contain 50% to 70% wood. This wood-plastic timber is often made of recycled plastic and wood wastes - but not always.
Manufacturers themselves say their wood-plastic composite is a contribution to environmental protection because it is more durable than timber and doesn’t need any preservatives. In fact, composite wood still absorbs water because of its high content of cellulose and that appears to be problematic, so manufacturers try to improve the wood plastic composite by treating it with preservatives and chemicals. Manufacturers claim that their timber substitute is 100% organic because of avoiding deforestation by recycling of waste. In my opinion forests can only be protected by utilisation of wood. Enlarging overall forest regions, so that the amount of utilised wood can also be increased, would be a real contribution to environmental protection. Manufacturers call wood plastic composite 100% recyclable. It might be true however, it is for sure difficult. Composite wood is a compound of an organic and a synthetic material and that is always hard to recycle. I can’t think of any product made of recycled composite wood.
- Important advantages of composite wood are: high resistance to weather, rot, insects, no need for paint (low in maintenance), easy to handle.
- Some disadvantages are: high energy intensive production, more expensive than wood, extremely hot weather could cause a problematic flexibility, really not a natural product, hard to recycle.
Since we are a deck building company, we have no financial interest in promoting either composite decking or real timber but if you want to use wood plastic composite make sure you build the whole structure of composite wood or even steel. A system is only as strong as its weakest member. We have seen old decks where the decking boards looked still okay but the timber structure (joists and bearers) was rotten.