Types Of Decking That Must Be Taken Into Account When Choosing And Installing

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Three types of boards
• What you need to consider when choosing
• Decking scope
• Styling features
• We prepare the basis for the installation of the lag
• Install lags

Decking, also called decking, is a material for covering terraces. It is made from wood or from materials based on it. Such a board has high strength, moisture resistance and excellent decorative properties that allow you to keep the original appearance of the terrace for a long time.

This material can also be used to equip other open structures that are constantly exposed to the environment:

• direct sunlight;
• precipitation - rain, hail, snow;
• the appearance of fungus, mold and others;
• strong temperature changes.

There are three types of decking - solid wood, thermowood and wood-polymer composite.

Three types of boards

Natural wood. Initially, the terrace board was made of resin-rich wood with a high structure density - we are talking about wood from exotic tree species and larch. Note that, despite the financial crisis, natural wood material is still popular and widely represented on the Russian market: for example, in the catalog of the Angara Plus online store, you can find larch decking. The company is a leading manufacturer of building and finishing materials in the Siberian region with modern technological equipment, which allows us to offer customers high quality material at affordable prices.

Thermowood. Terrace board made using a new technology of wood processing at temperatures from +125 to + 190C. Under the influence of hot air, its structure changes - it becomes more durable, its water absorption decreases, due to which the problem of uneven shrinkage - anisotropy - is removed.

Wood-polymer wood. At the moment, the most widespread is the third type of decking - made of wood-polymer composite. WPC is made from cellulose fibers and polymer components.

A distinctive feature of WPC is practically zero anisotropy, since in this case cellulose is not a base, but only a filler for the polymer, which is the base element of the composite. The main manufacturers of WPC decking boards under the POLYWOOD ™, POLYSHOLZ ™, REHAU ™, TWINSON ™ brands.

Composite decking is an interesting example of the symbiosis of two materials - wood and polymers. In combination with cellulose, plastic is reliably protected from ultraviolet rays, which are harmful to it. In turn, the polymer provides stability to the wood, giving the product a whole range of useful properties.

Decking made of wood-polymer composite is environmentally friendly, it is distinguished by the absence of deformations, resistance to static loads (up to 500 kg per square meter). Such a board is easy to care for, it does not slip, it is easy to handle and install, it retains its color throughout its entire service life. Besides, it is easy to mount and dismantle. Other types of terrace boards cannot be compared with WPC in terms of resistance to abrasion, moisture and decay.

Other advantages of this material are worth noting:

• environmental friendliness, safety for health (chemically neutral, harmless components are used in the production process);
• resistance to biological contamination (mold or mildew);
• service life - from 30 years;
• excellent aesthetic properties, a wide range of shades and decor options;
• resistance to temperature extremes from –60 ° С to + 80 ° С;
• no need for additional processing (grinding, applying paint or varnish, impregnation);

The terrace board has standard sizes: length 1.5-6.0 meters, thickness 22-28 mm, width 135-147 mm.

What you need to consider when choosing

The appearance of the board is one of the most important selection criteria. Examine the board from all angles, including the cross section. If foreign inclusions are visible on it, this means that raw materials of poor quality were used in the production process. Violation of manufacturing technology can be easily identified by the wavy surface of the board. The same obvious evidence of the poor quality of the material is the blisters in the structure, which are visible in the cross section.

The seller's dishonesty can be revealed without even going to the store. If in a telephone conversation the consultant tells you that the terrace board offered by his store is made in Sweden or France, then you can safely refuse such a purchase. The fact is that in these countries there is no production of this material - "French" and "Swedish" decking are made in China.

Decking scope

The purpose of the listed types of decking is clear from this name. In addition to being used as a covering for outdoor terraces, decking can be used in the arrangement of floors on verandas, around pools, on roofs and balconies. The board can also be used as a covering for playgrounds, interior patios of restaurants and cafes, for garden paths, facade cladding, arrangement of quays and piers.

Styling features

There are different ways of attaching decking. As a rule, we are talking about two methods of installing such a coating: closed and open. In the first case, the material is attached to the logs with clips applied from the inside. The second method is to fix the board to the logs from the front side. For this, self-tapping screws with an anti-corrosion coating are used.

We prepare the basis for the installation of the lag

Before starting work, you need to make sure that the surface on which the joists will be installed is dry, flat and clean. The best solution is a concrete platform with a slight slope and a thickness of at least 10 cm. Before starting laying the logs, make sure that the water flows freely over this base, does not linger.

Install lags

The lags are mounted in accordance with the direction of the water flow, attached to the base of their concrete with anchor bolts. In this case, the step should be no more than 400 mm. In places where a high load is expected during operation, the step between the lags is reduced to 250 mm.

Before proceeding directly with laying, you need to leave the decking for 2-3 days in the place where it is supposed to be laid for "acclimatization". The material must adapt to temperature and humidity levels.