Timber decking adds value and beauty to your home and garden, and there’s a fantastic range of products to choose from if you’re building a deck.

Whether you’re designing and building a deck yourself, or having a professional decking designer build it for you, you have an extraordinary range of choices. Natural timber and composite decking come in a great variety of colors, shapes, finishes and textures, so when you’re building a deck you’re limited only by your imagination.

Perhaps you envision a sleek, modern look for your porch, or your garden or pool decking, or maybe you prefer a warm, elegant traditional style. Whatever your individual vision, you’ll find a choice of decking products which match it perfectly. When you’re designing and building a deck, the first decision you need to make is whether you want to use natural timber, or a wood/plastic composite decking product.

Natural timber vs composite decking.

Both are economical, safe and environmentally friendly options which will give you a stylish timber look. Which you choose is a matter of personal taste, but it’s wise to do a little research, in order to make an informed choice, and dispel a few myths about both products.

Many people believe that nothing looks like natural timber except natural timber. If that’s your choice, based purely on your personal aesthetic taste, it’s hard to argue. But it’s worth at least checking the composite product and making a comparison. You may be surprised to find you can’t tell the difference, or that you actually prefer the color, texture and feel of the composite material.

The primary difference between the two is maintenance. Because it contains an organic plastic component, composite decking is far more resistant to insect damage, weathering, moisture damage, and it won’t splinter or rot. The colors fade very little after the weathered color has been achieved, and you never need to paint or stain.