Do you have a decked area in your garden? It’s a really popular choice for creating a patio area, and can really enhance the overall impact of your outdoor space. In a family garden decking is a great multi-tasker, providing an area for supervised play, dining, entertaining or simply relaxing in the sunshine.
Traditional wooden decking is a popular choice, but when it comes to using it in a family garden, it has it’s drawbacks. In wet or icy weather the boards can become very slippery and difficult for small children to navigate. Wooden decks are also prone to cracking and splintering, making them treacherous for little ones to crawl around on. And the large gaps that must be left between the boards can trap little fingers, not to mention swallow up all manner of small possessions.
We’ve had wooden decking in our garden for a few years now, and have been battling with all of these problems. When the weather’s wet I really worry about the kids slipping over (it happens a lot!), and when it’s icy we simply can’t use the deck. And I’ve lost count of the number of small toys and cutlery that we’ve lost between the boards.
I have to admit, until recently I didn’t even know that there was a type of decking which avoids all these problems. Have you heard of composite decking? I’ve been exploring it’s features with TimberTech, and for a family garden it really does look like a great alternative to a traditional wooden deck.
Composite decking is made using a combination of natural wood and synthetic polymer. The boards look like hardwood decking, but perform much better in a family environment. They’re far more slip-resistant, and also much less likely to crack, warp or splinter. Composite decking is also really low-maintenance, as it doesn’t need to be stained, oiled or treated. The gaps between composite boards are much smaller than those required by hardwood decking, making it far harder to lose things or damage fingers.
You may be wondering just how environmentally-friendly composite decking is; a manufactured product must be ‘bad’, right? Wrong. TimberTech use eco-friendly, energy-saving methods to manufacture their boards, and they use reclaimed wood that would otherwise be destined for landfill. Composite decking also lasts far longer than standard wooden decking so there’s less waste, and it doesn’t require any nasty chemical stains and sealants. Pretty impressive.
If you’re looking to add a deck to your garden or replace your existing one, composite decking is a long-lasting, low-maintenance option. Having lived with the impractical combination of small children and wooden decking, I’m hoping to switch to composite boards when we replace our deck later this year.
If you’d like to find out more about composite decks you can request a free sample pack from TimberTech, this is a really easy way to check out the product for yourself without even leaving the house. Will you be taking a closer look?
Collaborative post
The post Garden design: the best decking for a family garden appeared first on Growing Family.