40 | Sector Focus: Decking & Garden Products
DOWN, BUT NOT OUT TIMBER DECKING:
Janet Sycamore, director of the Timber Decking & Cladding Association (TDCA) reflects on the current state of play in the decking market and looks at what the future may hold for a much-loved garden staple
Above left: DeckMark-accredited Deckbuilders Ltd installed multiple benches (in cumaru)
and two circular decking areas in treated softwood in this public realm project at Gasgoine East, London Above right: Restoration project at Caernarfon Castle, Wales: Accoya decking and seating allows visitor access to areas of castle for the first time in centuries
There is no escaping it, 2024 trade is going to be difficult to predict for many timber suppliers and manufacturers – with 2025 anticipated to be a better year. The fallout from the high demand experienced in the Covid years was still being felt at the end of last year – as excess stock slowly worked its way through the supply chain. Couple that with falling construction activity, ongoing conflicts affecting timber imports and a worldwide economic slowdown and you have a recipe for tricky sales forecasts. The prediction for the economy is that growth will be slow but stable and so the hope is sales will be roughly on par with last year. Consumers are less inclined or unable to spend and there’s low confidence about the future, resulting in projects being unimagined or put on hold.
TTJ | March/April 2024 |
www.ttjonline.com
That said, TDCA performance indicators suggest increased interest in seeking knowledge and advice, with last year being a record year for registrations to its website and January up 100% compared to a year ago: good signs for external decking.
SIZING UP THE OPTIONS
Feedback from TDCA members has shown that timber, particularly hardwood, has lost market share to the growing wood polymer composite (WPC) sector. This is in part due to the market being flooded with poor quality imported WPC products – (square) hollow form boards are of particular concern. The lure of a cheaper product offering at least 25-years’ service, is often too good to be true. So, the TDCA is on a mission to educate buyers when sourcing a WPC
product, to ensure performance is backed by evidence and any guarantees provided are carefully checked. Some suppliers are introducing cylindrical hollow form versions which have fewer potential weak points and fewer internal surfaces where moisture can ingress. The solid, capped WPC boards offer better all-round performance but are more expensive.
Although we are sure there are some
excellent WPC products on the market, currently there are none with DeckMark Approved status. Whilst applications to our Product Approval Scheme have been received, as yet none have fulfilled the data requirements. Then there’s the end-of-life issue – only a handful of manufacturers take back WPC products, making recycling problematic.
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