Decking - composite/plastic - thoughts?

[mikeiow]

We have a decking area outside a summerhouse. The summerhouse is on solid concrete foundations.
The wood decking I helped build 16 years ago is now creaking.


Need to lift the boards this summer to see what is going on underneath (we have had mole activity!)....but the boards are knackered anyway.
Don't have a great picture - the part to the right of this (further from the summerhouse) is the worst!



I see a few options:
1. If the support post and beams are broadly good, then we could just replace boards. Cheapest and fastest solution. Downside: in 10-20 years, we are back here.
2. Consider plastic or composite. I know very little about them (yet). Can they fix to wooden subframe (eg, if that is good below)? Are they any good?! What is the price (for example) of a 3.6m piece compared with timber?
3. Work out how to deal with the lawn height difference, bite the bullet and deploy a patio.

I did manage to build this patio earlier in the year just by mixing cement with the soil for the subbase. Got the main slabs down inside a day!
It seems fine for foot traffic, so might become a preferred option!

[Miocene]

I can't help a great deal, but yes, composite boards can be fixed to a wooden subframe - I made ours this way.

Decking tape, although expensive at £20 a roll, is worth it to prevent rot over years of English weather.

[Jap90s]

I built a deck 3m off the ground, 10 years ago using solid composite boards on timber bearers (can't remember the make but a known brand) still look like new

[Strangely Brown]

mikeiow said:

We have a decking area outside a summerhouse.

[snip]

That picture is reassuring that my shed, which is the same construction as that, is also bowing outwards alongside the doors. Glad it's not just mine.

On the subject of your decking: I replaced some wooden raised beds that had rotted by building out of recycled plastic. It's not cheap but it will last longer than I will be around so job done.

If you intend to do it yourself get a slow-speed saw with a multi-material blade. Fast blades just melt it and make life horrible. I would also recommend a decent collection mechanism for the "sawdust". It goes everywhere and will not degrade like wood.

Good luck.

[Jeremy-75qq8]

Don't mix composite and wood. Can you. Of course. Why not. Wood rots.

Millboard is excellent if not very expensive

[Jap90s]

We used a standard saw blade, no issues

IIRC we used DPC on the treated joists - still fine 10 years later

[mikeiow]

Thanks all

Strangely Brown said:

mikeiow said:

We have a decking area outside a summerhouse.

[snip]

That picture is reassuring that my shed, which is the same construction as that, is also bowing outwards alongside the doors. Glad it's not just mine.

On the subject of your decking: I replaced some wooden raised beds that had rotted by building out of recycled plastic. It's not cheap but it will last longer than I will be around so job done.

If you intend to do it yourself get a slow-speed saw with a multi-material blade. Fast blades just melt it and make life horrible. I would also recommend a decent collection mechanism for the "sawdust". It goes everywhere and will not degrade like wood.

Good luck.

Yeah, the shed is looking weirdly wonky, but otherwise structurally fine! I did have to take the door off as it was sagging a bit. Also need a new lock mechanism really - the 'normal' (no-locking) door catch has broken...

Good tips on the sawing, thanks.
I *suspect* we will end up taking the boards off, figuring out it is all shonky underneath, and deciding to build another stone patio.
Might have to get on the freecycle groups again - we managed to source all those other stones cheap or free - most expensive part was the pro-fusion grout, managed the whole lot for under £200. We think it looks alright!