Composite Decking is a blend of Hard Wood Fibres (ethically sourced from reclaimed materials), recycled polyethylene (typically attained from recycled plastic milk bottles that would have otherwise ended up in landfill), bonding agent and high-quality colour tint. The resulting product is a long lasting, hardwearing, low maintenance alternative to traditional timber decking. It is a sustainable solution for any decking project.

Simple to Maintain

DDecks’ decking has one large benefit over traditional wood decking: it needs far less maintenance. There is no need for treatments as the boards never have to be sealed, stained or painted and even in direct sunlight they won’t warp or crack. Just a simple clean yearly with a jet wash is required.

Protecting the Environment

The high quality decking boards we offer combinse the natural appearance and aesthetic appeal of wood but are manufactured from recycled materials and are toxic free.

Strong Durability

The plastic content of the material means that the boards become more durable, resistant to rot, mould, staining and insects. The boards have minimal water absorption which means they are highly slip resistant and can be used around pools and wet areas. Due to the increased durability of the boards composite decking has a much longer lifespan than its wooden ancestors, our own ranges come with a long guarantee.

As the boards are manufactured, they provide high performance and are free from cracks, knots and splits which is not the case with traditional timber decking. DDecks’ decking is hardwearing and able to withstand scuffing from scratches associated with heels, furniture and weight.

Composite boards come in hollow and solid varieties. Hollow boards tend to have hollow chambers running throughout the length of the board, whilst solid boards are stronger and heavier than the hollow boards. Both hollow and solid boards are available through DDecks and serve differing requirements. The DDecks product range will have a product to suit nearly any residential or commercial need. DDecks decking is widely used in commercial and public projects.

If you intend to store Ddecks boards prior to installation, it should be stored indoors in polythene wrap. If items are to be stored outside then they should be properly sheltered to prevent direct interference from sunlight, rain, moisture etc. The product must be close stacked in the shade, clear of the ground on levelled bearers (100mm), they should be stored on a level surface such as a concrete floor. Products need to be stored in a manner that prevents sagging and permits free air circulation.

The decking boards are available in a variety of colours to compliment your project needs. Decking images showcasing each colour can be found on individual product pages.

All of our composite decking products are far more fade-resistant then timber decking. How well your decking endures the natural environment will depend on the type of boards you use.

Taking care of a traditional wooden deck can be a lot of work. Most wooden decks will need to be sealed and stained at least every 2-3 years to prolong their colour as the British summer and watery winters take their toll on even the most hard-wearing stains and paints.

All of our composite decking solutions are more fade-resistant than traditional wooden decking. However, how well your deck endures mother nature depends upon what type of decking you have. Our DuroDual and D3 composite decking will lighten-up in colour-tone, achieving their weathered colour after a period of up to 6 months. The level of fade hereafter will be minimal once the boards have reached this colour tone. Our Duro360 composite decking has a protective outer technology which provides far superior fade and stain resistance.

Our DuroDual and D3 are manufactured from wood fibres/powder and recycled plastics, once installed they will go through a natural weathering process for the first 3-6 months. This is mainly due to the boards surface texture (uncapped) which are made from recycled wood to give a more natural appearance. However, as with all wood types when exposed to mother nature’s elements, over time, the colour will lighten.

Extractive Bleeding Stage

The first natural process for DuroDual and D3 is a stage known as extractive bleeding, due to the material of the boards which contains recycled wood. As a result it contains natural wood oils (called tannins). The wood oils are gradually washed out by rain and moisture in the air and this happens within the first 8-10 weeks. Please note that lighter colour composite decking boards go through the most changes as more natural wood oils are used to achieve the colour.

Natural Weathering Stage

The next process is natural weathering caused by the Suns UV rays. Our DuroDual and D3 composite decking board incorporate UV ray stabilizers helping to control this natural process. However, as with most woods it will lighten over time. The rate of fading will be most noticeable during first 3-6 months. How aggressive and intense the fading or bleaching will be, depends on the environment and weather. D3 will show more fading in the earlier period mainly due to the embossing process used on the board.

After the first 3-6 months natural weathering process, the colour fade of the composite decking boards will stabilise, the fade will continue but at a much slower rate. In DDecks experience, we often advise our customers that the most noticeable change in colour will be in the first 6-12 weeks after this period the composite decking boards will stabilise to there natural lighter colour, but again will continue at a much slower rate.The most noticeable change is when using the wood grain effect where the contrast between the two shades decreases significantly.

Extractive bleeding and fading as a result of UV rays is a standard feature of all uncapped composite materials containing wood and will be seen in products across the market.

Our Duro360 composite decking is often referred to as “capped” Co-Extrusion decking. The decking board has a cap covering the entire surface of the decking board which offers added protection against fading and staining with near to no colour changes during its life.

Any fading will usually settle after a 6 month period depending on your layout and the amount of exposure to the elements. Slight colour variations may occur when ordering boards from different batches. Please speak with your stockists to ensure you have enough boards initially to avoid any batch variations.

Our R&D teams are always working hard to improve the impact of the two stages and continue to modify and test the decking boards.

Our D3 and Dual composite deck boards are composed of wood fibres and recycled plastic and are uncapped, meaning they are not fully resistant to spot stains. If spillage or stain occurs, we recommend acting promptly – treating the affected area and following the steps in our care guide. Our D360 range is a capped composite deck board which means they wrapped in a outer layer all the way around that forms a protective barrier around the core of the product. This provides stain resistance and an simple to clean surface.

Composite decking is robust and resilient, but like all outdoor flooring products can still be damaged by scratches and marks.  We recommend allowing normal wear marks to disappear gradually with weathering.  Avoid dragging or sliding heavy objects on top of the decking including garden furniture and plant pots. To prevent most of this, try using soft foam feet or felt pads on the bottom corners of your pieces. Lay down outdoor rugs or other floor coverings for pets. With these in place, much of the surface impact is removed to limit most scratches into the decking. It is also worth mentioning items regularly left on the decking can also impact on the weathering that the boards receive. It is recommended that all items of furniture are regularly moved to allow for more evenly distributed weathering.

Although great care is taken in the production process of our products, residual oils can potentially be present in our D3 and Dual composite ranges, which can sometimes leach out and appear as white streaks on the surface of the deck boards. While these water marks will gradually disappear over a period of approximately 6-8 weeks when the boards are exposed to rain water. Our D3 deck boards are protected with a outer layer, which ensures the oils within the boards and do not leach-out onto the surface. This makes this type of capped composite board highly resistant to the effects of water marks.

Do you recommend a cleaning product for composite decking?

DDecks decking is very easy to maintain, and we recommend a routine clean a couple of times a year, consisting of using soap, warm water and a soft-bristled brush. To reduce the risk of staining and damage, regularly removing or brushing debris off the deck is advised, this will also reduce the number of times that a deeper cleaning will be required.  You can find more information about looking after your deck in our care and cleaning guide.

This will depend on the colour option. Lighter coloured boards tend to be slightly cooler than darker composite boards.

Composite decking is more expensive to manufacture than timber decking, but it is a more sustainable solution. Investing in DDecks composite decking means that you will be spared costs associated with the maintenance, repair and replacement of timber decking which is more susceptible to perish, rot, split and warp – so in the long run, you will be saving money.

All our deck boards come in 3.6m long boards but can easily be cut to custom sizes for your project with standard carpentry tools. In order to plan we would ask you to take measurements of your proposed area and discuss with your landscaper or your local stockist. Composite boards are not directly screwed into the joists unlike classic wood decking. They are secured using hidden fasteners that leave you with a clean and tidy finish. Installation can be done by a tradesman or confident end user. Click here to view our installation guide. We recommend adding an extra 5% of materials for off-cuts and wastage, or an extra 15% for diagonally aligned boards.

More Information on how much decking you will need

You can also use our useful decking calculator to guide you how much decking you will need: Decking Calculator

Please Note: Our ranges will lighten and lose up to 40% of its colour in the first 6 months before stabilising to its final colour. Building materials are made in different batches. Batches can differ in size, shade, texture and colour. We always recommend ordering all of your decking together.

Composite Decking Boards have a width tolerance of up to 2%.

Yes, DDecks decking is manufactured with the highest quality materials and processes available. All of our products are covered by a limited manufacturers warranty and are there to cover against product failure and manufacturing defects to give you peace of mind. For more information please see our warranty documents: Duro360 Warranty , D3 & DuroDual Warranty.