Is Composite Decking More Slippery Than Wooden Decking

We are asked by our clients is composite decking more slippery than wood decking ? Well this depends on how well you maintain your wooden decking as we all now that poorly maintained wooden decking is prone to rot and fungal growth with algae growing on the decking so can be very slippery and becomes a high risk slip hazard. So what about composite ? well the purpose of composite was designed as an answer to traditional wooden decking by using modern manufacturing methods and the glut of recycled products on the market, the process of composite decking manufacture is to coat the wood particles or fibres with polymer then this is extruded to form the composite deck board, the fact that the wooden fibres throughout the board were protected by polymer stops water from damaging the wood which is now protected, thus eliminating the problems of rot hence most guarantees on composite decking give multiple year guarantees against rot. So the questions is composite more slippery than wood decking well on test of a brand new piece of wood decking and composite decking the wood grain would probably offer better traction due to the wood grain against the coated wood fibres but if you put a poorly maintained wooden deck board even after a short time where the wood has been penetrated by water this will allow algae to form and we have all seen decking which is super slippery, in tests these are actually categorized as having a high slip risk. A composite board of 12 months old which has not got any rot will perform similarly to the initial tests coming into the low or moderate risk dependent on the surface whether it be embossed, sanded or brushed finish. Furthermore a slight angling of your deck on installation is a very good idea to make sure that water drains away as quickly as possible, in order to avoid water collecting we suggest a slight 1 to 1.5 degree angle is all you need. That said it is important to clean any leaf debris from your decking as this can have a series effect on the slip resistance of your deck. Obviously with all outdoor flooring it is open to the elements and whilst the British standard tests for slip resistance in dry and wet conditions and from three different angles no test exists for ice which obviously your deck is prone to in the winter and extreme caution should be observed to avoid slips and falls In summary, in our opinion composite performs better in the long term primarily due to its low maintenance qualities as most wooden decking over time starts to degrade allowing algae to form and become a slip risk and maintenance is generally neglected. It is always important to check with your supplier with regard to their actual slip test data we can only comment on our own ranges. Our helpful hints are for guide only, if you would like to speak about our own ranges we are happy to advise or click on the link for free samples of Composite Decking installation our experts will be glad to assist.

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