Composite Decking

Aruffell · 27 Feb 2017 at 16:32

Hi all,

Currently have our house with a 20sq m conservatory and nothing else. My dream is to have composite decking and a platform area with a balustrade etc... but my main questions are:

Why do composite decking vary so much in price (Envirobuild - £45 per m2 to Millboard at £130 per m2)?
How easy would it be for a novice user to fit? I'm not the greatest at DIY but would be willing to give it a go to save money etc...
Any good software that I can design my idea out onto?

Thanks in advance,

Andy

ash_91 · 27 Feb 2017 at 18:49

A lot of the cheap stuff really Shrinks, I've seen quite a few now that long real bad after a couple of years.

Looked into Millboard recently for a job and it's the only one I would consider using

Valo · 27 Feb 2017 at 20:37

I had a composite deck and ramp installed two years ago. I used DuoFuse and have been really happy with the end result. It still looks good now as it did when it was put down.

My railings where made by a blacksmith friend to match in with another set I had made at the front of my home.

Aruffell · 28 Feb 2017 at 07:47

Looks amazing mate. Did you do the install yourself?

SMN · 28 Feb 2017 at 08:45

What a timely thread. Im thinking of rip and replacing my timber decking with composite in the summer, as i'm sick to death of treating it, replacing rotten boards (idiot previous owners used nails instead of screws), etc.

DuoFuse looks great. Would you mind if i asked how much that ^^ cost, railings and lights aside?

1pudding1 · 28 Feb 2017 at 08:58

Yup, same here. Been planning our composite deck for a while now, and after receving a lot of samples had decided to go with Millboard, decided the price would be worth it in the long run. Haven't seen Duofuse before so will be getting some samples of that. Looks handy as we also want a slatted fence/windbreak screen which i see is on their front page too, nice

Did you use composite/plastic joists too as that is my area of concern as I dont want those rotting in 10-15 years?

Mark A · 28 Feb 2017 at 11:20

If you use good quality treated 6x2+ timber it should last longer than 10-15 years. I'tll be fairly sheltered under the composite decking. If you want it to last get some endgrain treatment to paint the cut ends and make sure to buy it from a proper fencing/decking place rather than a DIY shed.

Valo · 28 Feb 2017 at 12:42

Aruffell said:
Looks amazing mate. Did you do the install yourself?

Cheers! No, it was done by a joiner friend who also did the work to the inside.

SMN said:
What a timely thread. Im thinking of rip and replacing my timber decking with composite in the summer, as i'm sick to death of treating it, replacing rotten boards (idiot previous owners used nails instead of screws), etc.

DuoFuse looks great. Would you mind if i asked how much that ^^ cost, railings and lights aside?

It was somewhere about £3500 - £3800 iirc, that also includes his labour.

1pudding1 said:
Yup, same here. Been planning our composite deck for a while now, and after receving a lot of samples had decided to go with Millboard, decided the price would be worth it in the long run. Haven't seen Duofuse before so will be getting some samples of that. Looks handy as we also want a slatted fence/windbreak screen which i see is on their front page too, nice Did you use composite/plastic joists too as that is my area of concern as I dont want those rotting in 10-15 years?

The frame was built out of pressure treated timber, so should be good for the lifespan of the deck.

If anyone is interested actually using Duofuse or getting more info, I got it from my local Eurocell. It doesn't look like it's on their website by name but hopefully they still stock it.