Deck finishes

Deck finishes need to consider both the functional use and also the aesthetic appearance, as seen from inside the apartment. Especially when it’s raining, the functional performance is paramount. Consideration must include how the finishes will perform in heavy rainfall, slip resistance, maintenance and durability.

It is imperative too, that the chosen deck surface resists the spread of fire. Our recommendation would be to always consider a Class A board first, whether or not it is required to fulfil the building code of the area and building it is being used. You can understand more about non-combustible deck systems at our sister company www.mydek.com Whether hardwood, softwood, or composite, grooved decking boards are commonly used as a balcony surface finish. Experience has shown that the majority of rainwater falling on a decking board will run along the grooves and drip off the end of the board. For this reason, it is generally better to run decking parallel with the building line, otherwise, there can be a substantial amount of water dripping of adjacent to the façade, giving an increased risk of staining or water penetration.

Materials

Natural timbers and some composites are fixed using screws. This can look messy unless using hidden screws, either way, both make initial fixing and maintenance much more tricky. Our preference is to use hidden decking clips which enable fast install, and easier removal of individual boards.