I've got an area of about 20m² on which I want to lay a deck. It's an old concrete base from a garage, and it's sound, flat & level, so I don't think there will be any significant engineering challenges.
I'd been leaning towards using composite boards, as I fancied the low maintenance, and having a dark grey colour, but I'm learning that they (can) fade, they (can) scratch easily, they (can) stain & be hard to remedy, and they're also not as cheap as I naively thought they would be. And I'm not a fan of fake woodgrain.
So.. Canvassing for advice on options, pros/cons etc, (hopefully on the basis of experience.
)
° Composite, if it doesn't try to look like wood, and is of good quality.
° Hardwood - yellow balau seems widely available and not too £££, but I've heard of cupping problems. Oak - I've seen it at around £60/m², which is less than some composites. Would definitely plan to basically do b****r-all maintenance on any hardwood, other than sweeping - certainly no oiling or other treatments, and just let it weather.
° Thermally modified wood, e.g. Thermowood, Therma Wood, Accoya.
° Bamboo.
BTW - PT softwood is a non-starter, don't even go there.
Joists - I don't have the height to be able to use joist supports/pedestals, so they'll have to sit on the concrete slab.
I'd been leaning towards using composite boards, as I fancied the low maintenance, and having a dark grey colour, but I'm learning that they (can) fade, they (can) scratch easily, they (can) stain & be hard to remedy, and they're also not as cheap as I naively thought they would be. And I'm not a fan of fake woodgrain.
So.. Canvassing for advice on options, pros/cons etc, (hopefully on the basis of experience.
)° Composite, if it doesn't try to look like wood, and is of good quality.
° Hardwood - yellow balau seems widely available and not too £££, but I've heard of cupping problems. Oak - I've seen it at around £60/m², which is less than some composites. Would definitely plan to basically do b****r-all maintenance on any hardwood, other than sweeping - certainly no oiling or other treatments, and just let it weather.
° Thermally modified wood, e.g. Thermowood, Therma Wood, Accoya.
° Bamboo.
BTW - PT softwood is a non-starter, don't even go there.
Joists - I don't have the height to be able to use joist supports/pedestals, so they'll have to sit on the concrete slab.
