The timber merchants and board makers have been in dilemma and confusion for years regarding the type of materials to be used in making the decking boards. The one option always available is the wooden decking board. But then the struggle is to choose from the variety of woods available in the market. The recent markets have a variety of decking boards when it comes to the size, material, composition, and color of the decking boards.
But the additional things that people look for while buying the decking boards are its cost, durability, eco-friendliness, maintenance, etc. so the durability of a decking board may vary from five years to fifty years, and the maintenance conditions might vary from cleaning it once in a month to never at all.
Types of decking boards available in the market:
Pressured softwood boards:
This variety of boards is the traditional ones, made over the years economically by treating the softwood under pressure for long-lasting benefit. They are one of the most popular types of decking boards among the customers due to their low-cost and durability. The additional advantages are that it can be installed easily without any fuss. A few disadvantages are: that it is not eco-friendly and demands high maintenance.
Hardwood boards:
This variety of decking boards is comparatively expensive as compared to the pressured boards. The source of wood of hardwood boards is the woods from tropical trees. The advantages of using this board are that it is safe from rotting, warping, and splitting. But this doesn’t mean that it does not require maintenance; it has to be taken care of regularly. It is believed to be one of the most beautiful decking boards. This decking board is comparatively expensive, has harmful effects on the environment, is difficult during installation as it has to be cut and drilled, and requires much more maintenance.
Composite boards:
These boards are made of wood flour and plastic that is recyclable. This mixture of the board is new in the market and a trustable product among the timber merchants. The advantages of using these boards are that it is a protection against molds, moisture, and insects. However, it is expensive and harmful to the environmental development. It is easy to maintain these boards only by soap and water and can be installed easily as well.
PVC boards:
These boards are very much similar to the composite boards and are made only by a single material- plastic. Being made of plastic, it is very much low-maintenance and provides protection against warping and splitting, which is a basic problem in a wooden board. Though it is very costly and does not have an appealing look, it appears to be very artificial. But on the other hand, it is eco-friendly, easily installable, and requires less maintenance.
Why Choose Decking Boards from Trustworthy Merchants?
There are quite a number of options when it comes to choosing a decking board; one can choose depending on his priorities and use. There are a number of stores which provide you with more than enough options, so you can get picky with your choices. But make sure you buy your boards from reputed and trustworthy timber merchants. It is all about the requirements and demands of the buyers else the retailers have a number of options to provide.
People who want boards that are long-lasting should go for composite and PVC boards that have zero wooden work. People looking for easily installable boards must choose the softwoods. In the case of people looking for environment-friendly boards, they must know that every board has some negative effect on the environment, but the least harmful ones are PVC boards, which are made from recycled plastic and can be recycled further, too.
