13 June 2019
WPC decking, or composite decking, is a material solution made from a unique combination of plastic and wood. WPC, which stands for Wood Plastic Composite, consists of 45% timber fibers, 55% HDPE, and additives.
WPC Decking: what are the benefits?
WPC decking has seen strong growth in popularity and the demand is expected to grow year on year. Composite decking offers a long list of advantages to end-users and distributors and is a strong rival to standard decking that makes it worth the investment. Here are important details about our decking and the advantages you’ll get if you use it for your outdoor areas.
Durability
Due to the plastic containment of WPC decking, the material has improved durability over its alternatives. This is a durable product. Its material, mix, and surface make it resistant to factors that typically reduce the lifespan of wood.
WPC decking resists fading, staining, scratching and mould and is so durable that STORM offers a 10-year guarantee on our Triton WPC range against splitting, rotting, cracking and decay.
Low Maintenance
With WPC decking, you never need to worry about sanding, staining or painting. The occasional soap-and-water clean is all that’s required to maintain for decades.
However, it is worth mentioning that composite decking has the potential to show water stains, although they do tend to disappear after experiencing rain, they may require a more focused clean in hotter weather as the stains can become more obvious.
Sustainable
STORM’s TRITON WPC is made from eco-friendly materials. This composite material is made to last and has many of the properties of a wood decking without the environmental impact.
Many WPC decking solutions are composed of recycled materials or products that have been made from maintained resources.
The prolonged life of WPC decking also means that you are never having to replace materials more often than you should—therefore utilising more materials than required.
Cost-Effective
WPC composite decking might be more costly in the beginning but this product continues to look great year after year and has virtually no cost of upkeep. As already stated, composite decking requires less maintenance.
This allows you to spend less time taking care of your area. It also allows you to spend less time searching in your pockets. WPC decking will last longer than its timber alternatives and therefore incur fewer overall costs for replacements and overhauls.
Installation
Like everything else with WPC decking, installation is easy.
Firstly, you must prepare the substructure and ensure sufficient drainage beneath the area.
The subframe should be laid with a slight gradient of 1% to 1.5% from the walls and should be laid lengthwise. Make sure the subframe is set from any surrounding walls or obstacles to allow for slight expansion.
The WPC products’ expansion rate is around 0.3% to 0.5% depends on weather conditions in different places, based on this expansion rate, there must always be a gap always between 2 WPC products, as follows:
- The distance of at least 30mm from walls or other obstacles to allow for expansion of the deck boards.
- Allow at least a 10mm gap on butt joints.
When fixing the starting clips or the connecting clips, STORM recommends pre-drilling with a 2.5mm drill bit to prevent cracking or breaking the subframe as WPC products have a high density.
Furthermore, the substructure should be kept at maximum 400mm centres. It should also be fixed by expansion screws to the concrete at a distance of 30-40cm. The subframe should also overlap by a minimum of 100mm so that each deck board has a full bearing at each end (for runs lower than 5m).
WPC Double Faced Decking should be considered when upgrading and renovating, installing new areas or creating extra clean, dry areas. It can be installed any time of the year but we would advise during the spring to autumn period due to generally finer weather conditions. This shouldn’t be installed in temperatures lower than 5 degrees.
For finishing:
- There must be a gap at the joint between two corner covers, calculated based on the expansion rate 0.3- 0.5% of the length.
- The distance between the fixing screws has to be maximum 300mm.
- When fitting the matching angle trim, you can use STORMfix, a one-part solvent-free hybrid adhesive with a very high initial grab and no-slip properties.
Are there any disadvantages to composite decking?
High initial cost
WPC decking is more expensive to purchase initially than wood but when considering long-term use, the overall cost allows to user to get a good return on their investment.
Not real wood
WPC composite boards might look like real wood but it’s not. If you’re looking for a 100% fresh from the forest solution then this won’t match your criteria but composite decking is definitely a realistic imitation.
Not completely maintenance-free
WPC decking still requires a small amount of regular maintenance to lengthen its lifespan. It needs to be monitored for debris and then washed with soapy water. However, it is a far reach from the treatment timber requires.
Why choose TRITON WPC Decking?
TRITON outdoor applications are a range innovatively developed to improve and enhance your garden. TRITON WPC decking is a revolutionary system with a unique composition to replicate wood without the maintenance and hazards of the traditional timber deck.
STORM offers TRITON WPC decking in various colors, designs, and lengths to meet different product requirements.
The double-faced boards are available in teak, grey, black, brown and natural. Not to mention, the double-faced decking offers a woodgrain finish on one side and grooved on the other.
TRITON standard WPC decking is available in 2.95m and 5.9m cuts. TRITON double-faced WPC decking is available in 3m and 5m lengths. These lengths are considered rare in the marketplace.
STORM also stocks the complete range of products required for WPC deckings such as subframes, step boards, angle trims and clips.
Looking for a WPC Decking Distributor?
If you’re looking for high-quality WPC decking options, then you need to find a distributor to provide you with the best products today.
STORM offers some of the most comprehensive ranges of superior quality building products in the UK. We deliver fast and have a large stock to quickly provide our customers with thousands of items.
The popularity of WPC decking is growing and with a superior range like TRITON, the benefits of composite materials are becoming more common knowledge.
Our team is always ready to offer advice or answer your questions. So contact us today on 01278 455326 or email [email protected]. Or you can come see us in Bridgewater, Somerset.
This article was written by Jade Mitchell.
Jade is the Marketing Coordinator at STORM Building Products, she has been working in the building plastics industry since 2016 and has completed ISMM level 2 and 3.