Natural-looking timber composites are an increasingly popular choice for decking applications. So why are people choosing composite timber over natural timber?

There are many reasons why homeowners, renovators and tradespeople are opting for timber look composites over harvested timbers. Many buyers seek to make an environmentally sensitive choice when it comes to selecting products. While some may want to save forests, others may have concerns about disturbing the habitats of animals in the wild when trees are harvested. With the increasing awareness about the dangers of plastics, some consumers may want to minimise plastic waste going into landfill or clogging up our oceans.

Homeowners are also thinking practically when selecting products – they look for low maintenance choices that would eliminate the need for periodical sanding, oiling, resealing and painting, which would be required for natural timber decking products.

People also look for value for money and want products that last. They also want a timber-look deck that doesn’t have splinters or protruding nails, won’t warp, cup or be attacked by termites; and is UV, fade, stain and mould resistant. Living in Australia, many want a timber-look deck with a high BAL fire rating.

Timber look composite decking – getting it right

However, not all timber composites are created equal and the price is not always a good indicator. One way you can differentiate is to check the warranty offered. Then ask yourself, would you be happy with a 7-year or 10-year warranty, or would you be more comfortable with a 25-year warranty?

NewTechWood, which prides itself on a quality product, maintains a rigid quality assurance process before the product is even allowed to leave the factory. This enables them to offer a 25-year warranty with confidence.

Top quality timber composites are made from a combination of high-density recycled plastics and wood fibres, formed into a variety of colours and natural-looking wood hues. Composite decking such as NewTechWood is low maintenance, provides lasting durability, is capped fully on all four sides of the board, and has a BAL29 fire rating.

Hollow or solid core?

Most composite deck board manufacturers offer only solid core boards, due to the speed and ease in manufacturing those boards versus manufacturing hollow boards. But when NewTechWood moved their factory from the U.S. to China, they made sure they were able to still provide both options since it was a viable and successful process.

Hollow core composite decking

The NewTechWood ‘Metro’ decking board is a circular hollow core timber composite that is ideal for residential decking on joist spans no larger than 350mm.

Hollow core composite is lighter in weight, and thus less expensive than solid boards, but is still appropriate for all Australian climate and weather conditions. Hollow board cuts down the weight of a 4.8m board by as much as 32% or 4.5kg when compared to a solid board. This makes them easier to handle onsite.

Hollow boards are simple to install and built to last. Contrary to concerns, a hollow board is not inferior to a solid board – while these boards do use less material, they are actually crafted scientifically for strength. Would they offer a 25-year warranty on an ‘inferior’ product? The fact is the strength of the arch structure of the voids in NewTechWood hollow boards makes up for the use of less material in the core.

As for the ‘holes’ showing at the ends of the boards, they have end caps designed to finish the boards, ensuring no holes are visible.

Solid core composite decking

The NewTechWood XL range is designed for commercial, heavy duty use, and is also used in residential situations where deck joist spans are a minimum of 450mm. These solid boards naturally are heavier and slightly more expensive than the hollow range.

The XL range is also useful when replacing an older timber deck where the existing sub-frame is already based on joist spacings of 450mm.

However, similar to the hollow board, the solid range is easy to install and durable, and of course, you have peace of mind with that 25-year warranty.

Composite decking, such as NewTechWood, offers a high quality, competitively affordable timber decking alternative that ticks all the boxes on a personal level as well as environmentally, which is why more people are choosing composite over natural timber.

Architecture & Design Team

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