Wooden deck vs Plastic Eco Deck!

Mortymoose said:
Is the plastic decking easy to install yourself or do I need a pro? Seeing as I live in the middle of nowhere!
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Hardest part is the sub structure, if you can do that the rest is easy as the only thing that changes with composites is the joist spacing, our product needs to be supported every 350mm
 
I saw a deck made of those floor tiles that look like wood - a very pale colour. It looked gorgeous and of course would be very durable.
Otherwise, to me a deck of black slate tiles is classic and always looks good.
 
undesign said:
I'm about to install a 16sqm deck with Balau. No maintenance unless you want to darken the wood as it loses colour over time. Didn't really consider alternative decking materials tbh.
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Cost? I have looked at cost on the material for the deck itself, but from what I have seen, the under structure is even more expensive?
 
bokdrol said:
I saw a deck made of those floor tiles that look like wood - a very pale colour. It looked gorgeous and of course would be very durable.
Otherwise, to me a deck of black slate tiles is classic and always looks good.
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Is that even a deck? Sounds like a floor to me. What are they mounted on?
 
Arietans said:
Is that even a deck? Sounds like a floor to me. What are they mounted on?
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Bricks and mortar I assume. It was a raised structure with the tiles on the top surface and on the sides, with tiled steps. At least no goggas and snakes lurking below which is what gives me the heeby-jeebies about raised decks.
 
bokdrol said:
Bricks and mortar I assume. It was a raised structure with the tiles on the top surface and on the sides, with tiled steps. At least no goggas and snakes lurking below which is what gives me the heeby-jeebies about raised decks.
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Or tokoloshe :D
 
Hi I have a wooden deck that I installed myself a couple of years ago. All the bearers and decking was treated with what ever was recommend. Needless to say my deck is now falling apart and looking shoddy. I would like to rebuild it with plastic wood or recycled materials that look the part but all the prices are over the top. Being a pensioner it is out of my price bracket. Considering they use recycled materials for this as well. Can any body please help
 
I put in 71sqm eva-last composite decking end of Feb. surrounding our pool and its existing paving.

It does get hot in the sun yes, we are at the top of a hill and get full northern facing sun all day. Umbrella is all you need. Not any hotter than a tar road / darker paving gets anyway.

It can get scratched, so don't go dragging heavy furniture with sharp feet all over it.. not much you can do but replace a plank but honestly it's not terribly noticeable. Unfortunately the wind took our umbrella and its 50KG foot for a drag and it scraped... but it's not major.

To be safer I'm getting one of those outdoor grass carpet's for the table and chairs.
 
blunt said:
I put in 71sqm eva-last composite decking end of Feb. surrounding our pool and its existing paving.

It does get hot in the sun yes, we are at the top of a hill and get full northern facing sun all day. Umbrella is all you need. Not any hotter than a tar road / darker paving gets anyway.

It can get scratched, so don't go dragging heavy furniture with sharp feet all over it.. not much you can do but replace a plank but honestly it's not terribly noticeable. Unfortunately the wind took our umbrella and its 50KG foot for a drag and it scraped... but it's not major.

To be safer I'm getting one of those outdoor grass carpet's for the table and chairs.
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How much did it cost you if I may ask?
 
rog163 said:
How much did it cost you if I may ask?
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Depends on which ecowood you choose, also what kind of prep work needed, we are on a slope so they had to build a slightly more complicated frame underneath.

You can expect between 1600 and 2000 per sqm - we didn't go the most expensive ecowood as I didn't like the style of it, supposed to be more scratch resistant but looked ****ty.
 
A friend of mine has this plastic deck thingy where the planks are a sort of durable thick plastic.

I prefer would though. The deck he has is full of scratches and deep "cuts" I would assume is the best way to describe it because of years of use. The issue he has now is he can't just sand it down and make it nice again. He needs to replace it completely. It's sturdy for sure, and probably outlived what wood would have done without maintenance. But it's at a point now where he needs to replace it completely.
 
I would stay away from the ecoplastic stuff though. They tend to deform after a couple of years, and they make lovely homes for ants, who hollow them out from the inside. Wood will last much longer, and if you maintain it, will probably outlast you.
 
You can paint the ecowood decks with latex floor/deck paint.

I was also advised to avoid PVC composite decking... so as with anything there are good quality and poor quality options - try the non PVC one.
 
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Use SA treated pine IMO. Plastic doesnt handle the sun well. It bends and looks shoddy after a short time... and its slippery when wet.
 
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