Your decking is a key feature of your garden and probably took you a lot of time and effort to get just how you like it. You would much rather enjoy it than continually labour at it. Today we look at the best low maintenance decking. So whether you are looking to put a new deck down, or protect your current piece of garden garnish, have a read below.

Decking options

Composite decking

At The Southern Decking Company, we pride ourselves on our range of composite decking. Not just for its aesthetically pleasing appearance but also for its durability. The weather won’t warp it like it would natural wood decking. Furthermore, it won’t need resealing and, if you have worked with wood before, could find it easy to fashion if installing yourself.

We use Millboard, a composite that is hand-moulded and mimics natural timber because it is cast from oak. Thanks to the polymer resin it will not become slippery either which is reassuring, especially if you have children or pets using it.

Another benefit of composite decking is that it is extremely resistant to weather, scratches and rot. These factors all mean that aside from the odd clean up, once your decking is down, you can enjoy it all year round without little to no maintenance.

Have a browse of a few of our installations to see how good composite decking could look in your garden.

Fibre cement decking

Fiber cement decking is a visually stunning yet costly low maintenance type of decking. It won’t crumble or rot, yet due to how it is made, can only be installed by professionals. It is seen as a very eco-friendly option as well. Once installed it can stay with you as long as you wish and much like composite, the only maintenance required is cleaning up after a spillage. It is worth remembering that, unfortunately, it can also be difficult to drain water from should storms or flooding occur.

However, when considering your decking choices though, the initial financial spend is an element many consider. Whilst fibre cement decking ticks some boxes, it’s installation can prove very expensive.

Aluminium decking

Aluminium is a modern approach to decking. Whilst not creating the same beautiful visual effect as composite decking, aluminium decking is simple to install thanks to the interlocking system it utilises. It has a long life, can resist all weather types and is slip and scratch resistant.  This does come at a price though and compared to other decking types is seen as the most expensive type for you to purchase.

The nature of the material means it isn’t as soundproof as other decking types either which can often be a determining factor and as mentioned above, the lack of wood effect can deter people from choosing it for aesthetic reasons.

Modified wood

Another option is modified wood. Whereas aluminium is seen as a modern approach, wood will always be classic. Modified wood gives the full wood effect and ages in just the same way as a fully natural deck. This is an element many wood lovers appreciate as it gives the deck an almost more rustic, authentic appearance. Modified wood doesn’t require the treatment that natural wood needs and much like all the examples above, it can handle a variety of weather conditions. It also requires very little in terms of cleaning. It has been claimed that due to the way it is treated, it can become more brittle and due to the lack of moisture within the wood it can actually burn more easily. It is also more expensive than traditional wood or composite decking.

Still stuck and need more advice over decking? Get in touch with us today and let our expert team give you impartial, professional advice on how to move forward with your decking project. We use the very best Millboard composite decking so you can rest assured that we can not only transform your outside space, but that your deck will look incredible without any input from you.