TRAINING
TIMBER: MARLEY
TOP DECK SERVICE
Laura Qualters, national technical manager at Marley talks to BMJ about making sure customers understand their decking options
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s we head towards the summer months, the continuing trend towards taking living space into the outdoors offers significant
opportunity for merchants, both in the DIY, professional garden and landscape sector. Decking continues to be a popular way of adding an extra dimension to outdoor areas, whether that be creating additional living spaces in the garden, or creating boardwalk- style exteriors at hospitality and leisure developments.
Yet, whilst timber decking is often the material of choice for its aesthetic qualities, merchants may find that some of their customers are questioning its durability and longevity. In fact, some timber decking products mean any concerns about maintenance, rot and slipping, are a thing of the past and some timber boards even have a 30 year service life!
1. A low maintenance option Many people are surprised to hear that timber decking is a low maintenance option. Modern timber decking boards, with the right preservative treatment from the outset, require very little work. For example, our smooth profile decking boards, with non-slip inserts, are low maintenance, without the need to clean in between grooves. Aside from a brush with a broom and an annual clean with a deck cleaning product, they can be left to weather naturally with no need to re-treat.
2. Slip resistance
A common concern is that timber decking could be slippery in wet weather. This is a possibility if traditional decking isn’t properly maintained. However, there are some great
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anti-slip products on the market and these are ideal for sloping surfaces, ramps, or areas that are likely to get very wet. Our AntiSlip Plus and CitiDeck timber decking boards have been specifically designed to provide a durable and effective anti-slip surface to minimise any risk of slipping, even in adverse weather conditions.
If customers are installing hot tubs, due to the combination of timber and water, we recommended that anti-slip decking is used, at the very least on the walkway from hot tub to house. Our Antislip Decking products are ideal for use in the garden if customers are looking to install a hot tub.
3. Up to 30 year service life There is a misconception that timber decking isn’t durable. However, this comes down to choosing the right product, with the right use class treatment.
The Timber Decking and Cladding Association (TDCA) recommends only using decking boards that offer a minimum service life of 15 years. However, there are now products on the market, such as our CitiDeck and AntiSlip Plus timber decking boards, that have been preservative treated to Use Class 3 to achieve a 30 year service life. Many people are surprised to hear that timber decking can last for three decades.
One of the main reasons for timber decking failure is actually incorrect fixings. Corrosion is the biggest threat to fixings used outdoors. Therefore stainless steel, hotdipped galvanised or high quality coated carbon steel fixings are best. Our decking has a range of complementary stainless steel fixings, so merchants can sell a complete decking package to customers.
4. Sustainability
The consumer demand to get closer to nature and use sustainable materials has seen a resurgence in the use of timber. When it is sourced responsibly, timber is the most sustainable building material and is an ideal choice as people become increasingly concerned about waste and recycling. All timber decking boards should hold either PEFC or FSC Accreditation, which verifies the supplier is sourcing timber sustainably, from well managed forests with excellent replanting programmes.
5. Smooth profiles
When thinking about decking, many people picture the traditional grooved appearance but actually smooth profiles are becoming increasingly popular.
A smooth board offers a different feel and appearance to the deck when compared to the traditional look of a grooved board but also has many benefits.
The smooth, flatter profile provides an inclusive surface for all users of the decking and provides an easier surface to maintain. Recently we have been seeing increasing demand for our CitiDeck smooth profile decking boards, which have two non-slip inserts, rather than the more usual grooved surface. These have tended to be seen more in the specification market but are becoming more popular and affordable for domestic use.
Marley’s range of high quality, Anti Slip timber decking boards are manufactured from selected joinery grade European Redwood and supplied in a variety of lengths. Boards are graded to BS 4978:2007+A1:2011 Strength Class C16 or C24 and CE marked. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net May 2019
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