LANDSCAPING DECKING DIRECTIONS
One result of the home improvement boom during lockdown was strong demand for decking. Caroline Birdsall, director of marketing at Millboard, tells BMJ what to expect for the decking market this year.
W
e’ve definitely seen a huge increase in garden projects over the last 12-18 months, with homeowners repurposing
or rejuvenating previously underused outside spaces. Lockdown meant that space was at a premium for everyone and, for a long time, gardens were the only places where you could legally connect with friends and family. As a result, the garden became an extra room in the house – or, more accurately, a whole extension. It became a living room, an office, a gym, a bar or café, and people wanted their gardens to fulfil all these roles to their maximum potential. At the same time, thanks to other options like holidays, eating out and attending sports and cultural events being unavailable, many people unexpectedly found themselves with the additional time and money to fund this aim.
What this means in the decking world is a desire for high end, ‘show-stopping’ areas for dining and entertaining outside, with built-in seating, lighting, heating and shade so that the space can be used year-round. It is often the finishing touches that take a deck to the next level in the eyes of homeowners. For instance, adding edging to decking allows you to easily incorporate under-lip lighting for a really professional finish to entertaining spaces. We have also seen a rise in projects using more
than one colour to make decking the focal point of an outdoor space and we are seeing more and more creative colour combinations and laying patterns to provide that impact. In addition to this, we’re also seeing people think hard about sustainability and building things to last. Buyers are being more discerning when they choose materials – they want to know what they will look like ten years down the line. Will they enhance their outdoor space long term? Will it be difficult to maintain? Millboard decking ticks both the longevity and low maintenance boxes.
At the same time, home and garden design programmes on the TV have provided inspiration to consumers who have as a result become more ambitious, each seeing their project as a journey and the results as an investment. They often also have a firmer idea about what look and feel they want because they’ve seen it used on the telly. This means they want choice, and in decking terms that means having different colours and textures available, from the charred Japanese look to bleached driftwood and all points between. Millboard’s Enhanced Grain range has been extremely popular this year, as homeowners look to create a modern urban garden vibe, but we offer a wide range to deliver the choice consumers demand and expect. Whilst there are signs that we may be
Millboard Enhanced Grain Smoked Oak with Bullnose edging
past the peak of the immediate ‘gardening’ boom, there are still plenty of projects in the pipeline for both residential and commercial environments.
Hopefully those that have been waiting to break ground on projects because of labour and various building material shortages will now be able to proceed and merchants around the country will see a more steady flow of demand instead of the high pressure peaks of last year.
At Millboard, we’re always working to ensure our customers receive the stock they need and we’re currently expanding our manufacturing capacity to make sure this continues. BMJ
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www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net March 2022 Millboard Weathered Oak Vintage
Millboard Enhanced Grain Burnt Cedar
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