Composite decking vs wood and extreme weather

Here in the UK, we’ve unfortunately become accustomed to bad weather and extreme conditions; so making sure your garden can tackle these diverse weather conditions is a must! Wood used to be the sought-after choice for decking and home improvement, why is composite decking taking over?

Wood is expensive

Using wood to create a suitable decking for your garden is all well and good when you take into account it’s natural beauty, however, pushing past its difficulty to maintain and it’s extortionate cost, wood is far more inferior to weathering than composite decking. While both wood and composite decking can retain large amounts of heat, using wood to create decking would put you at risk of your decking cracking, splitting or even changing colour on a hot summers day. There is a reason why composite decking is the leading choice for decking and why it has become so customary across gardens in the UK over the past years, the reasons are simple. Composite decking doesn’t split or crack in sunny weather because unlike wood decking which can inherit paints and stains, composite decking receives a layer of UV protection which protects the material from the scorching summer heat of the sun.

Tackling rain

Using wood decking in the UK can be very demanding as maintaining and applying coats of protection to wood can be time consuming and frustrating, especially living in a country that rains as much as we do! Without treating your wood decking, water can become quickly trapped within cracks and joints which can freeze with low temperatures and expand causing the wood to crack, in addition to this, water can also cause mold to grow beneath the surface which could eventually overtime could cause the decking to smell. Composite decking materials can tackle rain whilst avoiding moisture being absorbed as it is made from wood fibers and two types of polypropylene whilst also disregarding any toxic chemicals or preservatives.

Low maintenance

Alongside being extremely weather resistant, composite decking costs less over its lifetime than wood does, (taking into account maintenance costs) and requires less time to be spent each year maintaining the material, the time spent on wood decking per year is 16-32 hours and only 2-4 hours per year for composite decking. Furthermore, composite decking is far safer than wood as it is slip resistant and splinter-free making it a safer option for pets and children.

Composite decking is a clear choice for families with the low cost, high-quality deck that won’t split, rot, crack or fade. If you’re looking to improve your outdoor space and looking to make the most of this warm summer visit https://www.theoutdoorlook.co.uk/ for a high-quality decking to suit your needs, we’re the cheapest in the UK!