What Is Composite Decking?

Composite decking is quickly becoming the largest timber deck alternative on the market. So what is it? And why is it becoming so popular?

Composite decking is a man-made building product made up of mix of wood fibers, plastics and a small amount of bonding agents.  This mix is heated, formed into board shaped lengths and then cooled. The resulting boards need far less maintenance than traditional wood decking whilst looking more authentic than plastic alternatives.

What are the benefits of composite wood decking?

Composite has one large benefit over traditional wood decking: it needs far less maintenance.

The plastic content of the material means that the boards become more durable and resistant to rot, damp and insects. The boards never have to be sealed, stained or painted and even in direct sunlight they won't warp or crack. They are splinter free with an additional plastic capping, composite decking boards become stain and fade resistant.

The boards have minimal water absorption which means they are highly slip resistant and can be used around pools and wet areas. Due to the increased durability of the boards composite decking has a much longer lifespan than its wooden ancestors, our own ranges come with a 15-25 year guarantee, but we would expect them to last much longer.

Although they might be slightly more costly when you initially purchase them, composite decking continues to look great year after year and has virtually no upkeep costs. In short, composite decking needs far less maintenance than traditional wood decking which means you can spend less time up keeping your space and more time enjoying your garden. 

Types of Composite Decking

There are currently two types of composite decking on the market, capped and uncapped.

Uncapped boards tend to be cheaper. Although the material is resistant and hard wearing, they do not come with the same protection against staining and colour fading.  This means that in the first couple of months the boards may fade a small amount as residual tannins (wood oils) leach out from the board after being exposed to the environment.

Capped composite boards come with an exterior plastic coating, this plastic coating mean that the boards become highly resistant against fading and staining. The boards are easy to wipe clean and keep their colour when exposed to the environment.

Composite boards come in hollow and solid varieties.  Hollow boards tend to have hollow chambers running throughout the length of the plank, whilst solid boards are stronger and heavier than the hollow boards. Both hollow and solid boards are available through EnviroBuild.

Installation of composite decking uses the same method of installation as traditional wooden decking, however many new boards including our own range, have the added benefit of grooves in the side of the decking which means that hidden fasteners can easily be slipped in between the boards during installation. This means that installation is often faster than laying a traditional timber deck and you'll have no visible screws.

EnviroBuild Composite Decking

EnviroBuild currently has two high quality Hyperion decking ranges: Pioneer and Frontier. 

Pioneer is our hollow board range, these boards come in 5 natural shades and 2.2m or 4m lengths. They are highly durable, anti-splinter and anti-slip. Their reversible design means that you can choose to have a natural wood pattern or a grooved board for your deck.  They also come with a 15 year limited residential warranty.

Frontier is our solid board range, these boards come in 4 natural shades and have a plastic capping around the edge of the board. The plastic capping means that these boards are super resistant to staining and fading. This range comes with a 25 year limited residential warranty.

EnviroBuild's Environmental impact

Here at EnviroBuild we value two things, quality and sustainability. All of our composite decking is designed to the highest standard; we want to make sure that you receive great quality boards that will make a wonderful addition to your outdoor space.

We also are passionate about sustainability, and have made it out mission to specialise in environmentally friendly construction material.  Unlike a lot of composite decking companies, our boards are made from FSC certified wood and recycled plastic which would otherwise end up in landfill sites. Not one tree has been cut down manufacturing our Hyperion decking products, and they are 100% recyclable.