There’s a lot of factors to take into consideration when it comes to choosing a deck. One of the main ones is a choice of either traditional timber, a composite option or a fibre cement deck. They all have their pros and cons and it’s important that you make an informed decision so you can select the right option to meet the criteria for your job.
Factors to take into consideration to help you choose the right deck:
The design, installation and maintenance of decks are vital to ensure that this part of the home will look fantastic for many years after construction.
- Type of deck build – What’s the subfloor? What is the span between your joists
- Location of the deck – Is it close to the ground or near a pool?
- Is it in a bushfire area and will require a BAL rated product?
- Is a slip rating important to you? This is most common in commercial applications but is also a consideration around a pool.
- What type of look are you trying to achieve?
- Warranty – including fade and stain
- Ongoing maintenance of the product
- Does sustainability matter to you?
- Lifestyle impact on the deck
Let's be honest, there's A LOT to choose from in the decking market and it can get overwhelming with all the options out there!
TIMBER DECKING
Commonly we see people choosing a traditional timber deck for reasons like:
- Matching the deck in with the internal flooring
- Colour - light or darker coloured species
- To accommodate a BAL rating specified for the area
- To meet a budget
| See our previous decking article for some extra tips with dos and dont's. |
But there are other factors to consider that are sometimes missed when choosing a traditional timber deck:
Minimum ground clearance
Good building practice says minimum ground clearance should be adhered to as per the BCA or NCC. However, if you choose a low lying decking close to the ground, best practice recommends having a narrower board in timber, as this will reduce movement of the boards and cupping.
Longer spans
There's a common misconception that the thicker boards, like 22mm, can span 600mm span centres for joists. Unless it's specified or signed off by an engineer, that isn't the case. For a longer span you may consider the which suits this application and has been signed off by an engineer.
| Read about our primed joists and supports |
Characteristics
It is important to understand the characteristics of a specie so you know what to expect. Some will come with natural defects, e.g. gum veins, or susceptibility to surface checking or knots.
Alternative products
There's more than just the common species of Treated Pine, Merbau, Spotted Gum and Blackbutt.
| Find Blonde alternatives |
Characteristics of Hardwood species
Not all hardwoods are the same. For example, mixed hardwood is a mixture of a few species combined, this means that the species can behave differently with regards to shrinkage and has no definitive BAL rating. Compare this against a single species, like Blackbutt, a more popular species, is rated as a class 1 hardwood so you can expect it to be more consistent.
Or species like QLD Spotted Gum and NSW Spotted Gum, Coastal Blackbutt and New England Blackbutt are species that are of 1 type. The characteristics are still the same, but the colour will vary. It’s important to double check this before ordering your product, especially when matching into existing decking or internal flooring.
Durability Class
'Durability classes' explain the life expectancy and predicted performance of your deck in an above ground application. The higher the durability class, the higher the life expectancy. Commonly they will be class 1 or 2. Ask us about these options.
Leaching
Leaching is a natural effect in all timbers! Leaching occurs when timber releases its natural oils and resins when exposed to moisture, Merbau and Spotted Gum are known to do this. It's important that if a material that leaches is selected you should follow the decking oil guidelines to ensure you get the desired effect.
We will be moving some of our decking products to pre oiled offers starting with Spotted Gum. The pre-oiled will help with moisture uptake and therefore reduce some leaching.
Finishing
There's an array of assorted options you can finish your timbers with, from oils to stains. You can chat to us about the different options available to achieve your desired finish.
Composite & fibre cement Decking
It is important to note, that not all composite decking behaves the same and this is reflective of their spans, expansions and whether it's capped or not. NHS has broken down the key pieces for you.
Whether it’s a BAL option, or close to the ground, or a slip rating or a matching screen option we can help you find the perfect fit.
With the colour trends heavily in greys and browns we have a great selection to choose from.
| Read our article on matching decks to internal spaces |
You may really like the aesthetics of a particular composite brand. Will it be fit for purpose for your application? For example. some brands only suit 400mm spans and if you were 100% committed to one of these brands, you will need to adjust your subfloor, which will lead to an increase in labour and material costs.
Building close to the ground
Composites make it easier to build close to the ground*. With a range of products that can be built from 38mm-300mm clearance. We also have a decking available for on-the-ground installation
*clearance for over the ground or concrete will vary per application.
Movement on the deck
One consideration when choosing among various products is furniture and movement on the deck. Some brands that are hard shell composite decks (more plastic looking) will have a higher scratch resistance than that of soft shell (more timber looking) products. Anything can scratch the surface, if one isnt careful and drags across the surface. Putting furniture pads on the bottom of furniture outside, much like you would to protect indoors is a clever idea.*There is not a system around the rating on the capping in the way of hardness
Lifestyle and maintenance
An underrated benefit of composite decking is the minimal ongoing maintenance once it’s installed. Your clients won’t have to keep sanding and oiling their decks once it’s installed!
BAL Rating
There are composite and fibre cement decking products that are suited for areas with high BAL rating. If your project has this consideration, we can provide you with options that can deliver the look.
Decking displays at NHS
We've got the best decking displays in Newcastle! Our Lambton, Beresfield and Cardiff stores, have displays of our range of decking on offer from reputable brands. We even have a comparison guide to help you understand the key points across the various brands to give you a more complete overview of what’s possible.
On show at each store:
- Eva-last
- HardieDeck
- Millboard
- ModWood
- Modwood Xtreme
- NewTechWood
- Trex
When you visit our stores, you can request for samples to take home with you.
We continue to work with our suppliers to expand our range of decking products to suit your projects so if you’re working on a decking project, come into our stores or have a chat with our team and we will be more than happy to find the best solution for you!