Composite Decking Review: 5 Years On, Did We Make The Right Choice?

It was five years ago this summer that we had our rotting raised timber deck smashed out and replaced with Trex composite decking boards and metal railings. I wanted a low-maintenance patio area that did not require repairing and staining every year, so we took the plunge and invested in Trex composite that was installed by a landscaping company.

What is composite decking made of?

We chose Trex Company decking as it was advertised as being a durable, low-maintenance, environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional timber decking boards. Made from 95% recycled materials (recycled plastic, timber and sawdust), it guarantees to not fade or stain, while it also promised to resist moss and algae. The deck boards are designed to look like real wood decking with grooves and wood knots and come in a variety of ‘wood-stained’ shades.

Can you install composite decking yourself?

Yes, you can buy composite decking boards and install them yourself the same as you can for traditional wood decking boards, but we chose to have a Trex-approved landscape garden company install ours as the space was so vast. They also educated us on using protective joist tape and the pro-plug system - resulting in no visible screw heads!

Living in the heart of Epping Forest in the UK with the damp conditions and all the trees meant that real wood decking in our garden was impossible to maintain; it rotted quickly and algae covered the surface area of the weak timber boards. I wanted a child-friendly, non-slip area that required minimal maintenance and could withstand the wet UK weather. Five years down the line, did we get everything we wanted? The answer is: YES!

For the past five years, all that has been required in regard to maintenance is a simple power wash and one repair of a deck board which raised and popped out of the fixings (we didn’t need to replace the board, it just needed to be realigned and re-inserted). I’ve not needed to stain, varnish, replace, or carry out any high-level maintenance and we have just been able to enjoy the space! The composite deck boards have retained their colour and have not faded in the sun. Personally, I would never lay traditional wood decking boards again in my home and I would highly recommend using composite decking, although there are other decking alternatives worth exploring.

My one piece of advice to anyone looking to lay a composite deck would be to research the brand you buy - we used Trex Company who are industry leaders and I have heard less favourable reviews about low-quality composite. I would also make sure that you get your foundations right before laying composite decking: not protecting the joists or laying the boards incorrectly can lead to issues. However, if everything is installed to a high level, you can expect to enjoy a wonderful decking area in your home for years to come!

One thing to note - as you can see in the photos - is that we live on a steep hill and so our decking area was raised off the ground to create a flat surface area. If your land is also sloped then look into concrete sleepers sydney for a retaining wall building material which is easy to install and perfect for levelling sloped land.

I’ve been so impressed by composite decking, that I’m now looking into equally robust fencing that is long-lasting and stands up to the UK’s tough, wet conditions, such as those from colorbond fence.

If you want to see more of my decking space and how it looks five years on, head on over to my Instagram and watch this reel!