Everything you need to know about finding a Decking Supplier

Decking has become a must-have accessory for any outdoor area, providing a safe and stable environment on which to entertain or relax. The components used to build a timber deck are many and varied, with man-made composites now a real contender to traditional natural timber varieties.

Decking Materials Varieties:

Starting with the decking floor, here are some of your available options:

• Hardwood decking: This has traditionally been the most popular choice for past decking projects, and it is still a great option because natural hardwood looks beautiful if it is properly maintained and re-finished on an annual basis. The varieties include cedar, jarrah, ironbark and redwood. 
• Softwood decking: These have the advantage of being easily constructed. The lend themselves to straightforward painting or varnishing, but need much more frequent inspection and should be re-surfaced twice a year. Warping, splintering and rotting occur very quickly if a vigilant eye isn’t kept on every part, including the sub-surface.
• Aluminium decking: Often installed in high fire risk or heavy salt spray affected areas, aluminium decking is easy to maintain and not subject to warping or cracking. New timber-look varieties are being made to avoid glare and are ideal for first storey construction because they are lighter than hardwood.
• Composite Decking: The environmentalist’s choice in “timber” decking, composite materials are comprised of waste wood and plastics to create a natural looking wood finish which is much more weather resistant than softwood and even hardwood. These slats are finished in a wood grain or slip-resistant finish.
• PVC Decking: This is the ultimate in weather resistant options and will never split, crack, splinter or rot. White ants are never going to be a problem either. While being ideal for even the most hostile environment like in salt spray affected areas, PVC is not without its installation problems as it requires completely different fixings and methods to wood or even composite decking.

Availability of Decking Materials

Timber decking materials are available at any good hardware store or specialist building supplier. They can also be supplied by a builder or decking tradesperson. It pays to decide well ahead of time what building materials you want to use for your decking project and to find out as many pros and cons for each type of material before beginning the job.

Balustrade Considerations

Careful consideration of the balustrades you will be using is important and should be based on:

• Maintaining a view: Use glass or polycarbonate. There are many ways to fix these see-through materials to minimise the impact on the view.
• To prevent falling: Use wood balustrade in any configuration, either as evenly spaced vertical slats or in a criss-cross configuration. 
• To encourage air flow: Use stainless steel flagpole wire. This option is maintenance free, allows almost unobstructed view and no restriction to breeze or sunlight. This is ideal in areas that receive full sunlight, especially in the afternoons.

With a bit of planning – and of course planning permission, you can add real value to your home with creations made with the huge range of modern timber decking materials available to you.