All Decked out
What is the better building material to use around the home?
Composite timber, hardwood or softwood timber can be used for decking and screening, but they each have a range of advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of so you can determine what product will represent the best value for your specific project.
Treated pine timber is light and easy to fix. It can be painted or stained and is relatively cheap. Unfortunately, it expands as it gains moisture and warps or bows easily, and quite often has lots of knots and other imperfections. It splinters and degrades quickly as it is susceptible to rotting, so it might only be suitable for a short-life project.
Merbau and spotted gum are popular hardwood timbers used for decking and screening in Australia. They are durable, mostly resistant to termites and rot and generally look good. Although both are popular hardwood timber options in Australia, it’s important to know what might steer consumers away from this choice.
Merbau and most hardwood timbers contain a high level of tannin or oil. Over time these tannins can leach out of the timber and stain surrounding areas. Tannin stains are nearly impossible to remove from rendered walls or concrete paths.
The unfortunate truth about merbau and other exotic timbers is that historically, parts of the logging industry have logged this resource using destructive and ecologically unsound practices. Although sustainable sourcing is common now, the slow-growing nature of hardwood species that are harvested from rainforests is still an ongoing concern, leading to reduced rainforest habitat.
Like any natural timber decking, merbau and spotted gum require regular maintenance, including staining and sealing to retain their finish and prolong their lifespan. This can be a time-consuming and costly job. Most merbau decks require an annual application of one to two coats of high-quality deck oil. Once you add in the cost of the labour for cleaning, prepping and oiling the deck, as well as the price of the chemical and oil products, the “real” costs over the lifetime of the product increase significantly.
Consumers are rarely told about the costs of properly maintaining a timber deck; a quick look at the number of decking oils and treatments at your local timber store will give you an idea why. Although a hardwood timber deck may appear cheaper at the outset, once you add in maintenance costs year after year, it becomes a significant cost burden over time.
Composite timber is a great alternative to traditional hardwood or softwood timber for those different projects around your home. Composite timber decking is usually made from a combination of cellulose fibres and recycled plastic. Binding agents and pigments are added, as well as chemicals to protect the decking from our harsh Australian climate.
The added pigments lead to a vast array of colour options and more recent advances in composite timber production have seen the development of co-extruded composite timber decking options or “capped” decking boards. The capped decking has a full polymer skin around a composite timber core, and
this allows for extra features like easy cleaning, more vibrant and blended colours, reduced scratching and a variety of surface finishes.
Composite timber decking can be made with higher levels of fire resistance for installations in bushfire-prone areas as well as coarse, non-slip finishes. Most composite decking provides a concealed fixing option which, combined with long lengths, means it is easier and faster to install than most hardwood timbers that are mostly supplied in shorter, variable lengths.
Although typically more expensive per square metre when compared to hardwood timber, the composite timber is supplied fully finished and ready to install and requires a fraction of the maintenance that natural timber requires, leading to huge savings over time.
Ultimately, choosing the best material for your outdoor deck or screen will require a little bit of investigation to make sure the option you choose provides the best value. At Futurewood we have a large range of composite timber decking and screening options and a helpful customer service team that can answer most of the questions you might have about your decking or screening project. We recommend you seek advice regarding any approvals required for a building project like a large deck. We also have good working relationships with builders around the country and they can assist you with approvals and answer any questions about the building process. Give me a call on 1300 484 308.
As the son of one of the directors of Futurewood, Louis Major has quite literally grown up around composite timber. Louis is heavily involved in helping customers of larger commercial projects as well as small backyard projects. He can answer questions about the relative value of composite timber compared to other decking and screening materials and how best to lay out a deck or screen. He can also provide information on overall deck design, reducing waste, or even the utilisation of an adjustableheight aluminium subframe. futurewood.com.au