I have decks made of pressure-treated decking as well as larch, and I consider them to be the same in terms of lifespan. However, I’m a bit more disappointed with the larch. It's been about 10 years since I laid the larch (around 95x21), and over the past 3 years, I've had to replace totally rotten boards - completely decayed. This year I might replace the whole thing, and it will be pressure-treated on this deck too, with 120x28 dimensions. The location is west-northwest with shade, btw.
Possible biological attacks: None we've discovered
Possible mechanical problems: A few boards have warped slightly, but that's probably partly because we used hidden screws and had very hot and dry weather.
Maintenance: VWhen installing, we used product no. 1 on end grain and screw holes and no. 2 on the top side. Since then, we have cleaned it every year with Organowood cleaner. The deck has turned silver-gray quickly. It has remained soft without any splinters.
We have not seen signs of rot on any board. The maintenance requires a little time, but so does most of the garden, so it doesn't bother us!
"Satisfaction": Describe how you have experienced/experience the choice of material for the current construction. Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the choice of material/treatment? Indicate on a scale of 1 to 5, where
"Possible mechanical issues: Some movement along the length of the planks", this is well known with composite decking as they expand and contract in length depending on temperature, hence installation instructions regarding temperature and spacing etc.
"Any mechanical issues: Some movement along the length of the boards," this is well-known with composite decking as they expand and contract in length depending on temperature, hence installation instructions regarding temperature and spacing etc.
Yes, I was aware of that when I bought them. And what you "lose" in length is gained in width. The gaps between the boards remain the same compared to wooden boards where they sometimes sit flush, and sometimes you can almost fit your pinky finger between them.
So, in the choice between the two, I choose my current lengthwise movement every day. Just wanted to mention it, as it would have been best if they didn't move at all
Moreover, the composite decking is stable in shape otherwise, so cupped or twisted boards don't exist. I realize it was actually silly of me to give a four on mechanical issues when we have wooden decking in the comparison
Example 1. Western Stockholm,
Type of construction: Terrace with wooden staircase
Year built: 2009
Material: Deck of untreated grooved larch 28x120, frame of pressure-treated NTR A, staircase of untreated spruce
Stood untreated for 2 years, then washed with high pressure and SIOO detergent and treated thereafter as per instructions (Note: before the name change to SIOO-X
Location: East
Possible biological issues: staircase rotted after about 10 years in two treads, otherwise perfect, absolutely wonderful in spring when I just need to brush off the terrace. Now time for a new treatment after 10 years.
Possible mechanical issues: none
Maintenance: No maintenance other than snow shoveling and sweeping
Provide any tips for maintenance considering the material. Apply SIOO-X according to instructions, take no shortcuts
"Satisfaction": Very satisfied with the larch, the spruce wood is not ideal for SIOO-X treatment, so I expected to have to do some renovation on it.
Example 2. Terrace at Rådmansö
Deck with stairs, facing west
Year built: 2018
Pressure-treated in class A in the frame, class AB in the decking. Decking 28x120
Here are some different tips on how I made a shabby deck, the first part built in '84 and oiled, expanded in '96 oiled, then extended and joined with stairs in stages between 2010-2020.
In the first years, I washed and oiled but thought the result was really ugly, to be honest, it always looked dirty, and it didn't matter what type of oil I used. I then decided to build a deck at the front and tried gray staining, it turned out great!
When I joined the front and back with a stair section (2015), the challenge arose of getting the old and new in the same color/shade. I thoroughly cleaned the deck at the back with a steel brush and bleach, then pressure washed. The wood became like new! Afterwards, everything was stained in the same gray stain from Biltema. It has lasted for over 5 years now and still looks fresh!
When it starts to look a little mottled, normally after a couple of years depending on compass direction and wear, I apply two coats after a light wash. Note, I do NOT follow the instructions that say to apply a little and wipe off. I fully saturate the wood and apply two coats. It removes any mottled spots and lasts long when it dries.
Some tips I've learned over the years:
-wait to apply to new decking, at least 1 to 1 1/2 years
-easily wash away any growth with a steam cleaner, it effectively kills spores without damaging the wood or treatment
-if any board cracks, turn it or replace it, then wait a while and stain it again
I also painted the balcony from 1984 in the same color, very satisfied with the result!
Marlen Eskilsson said:
Today, there are many new products for decking for patios and outdoor areas that we do not have enough experience with. What we know you can read about here - Test: Best wood for decking and patios
Wood expert Jöran Jermer would also like to hear consumers' experiences.
Share your experiences here in the thread, and Jöran will compile everyone's experiences into a report that we can all benefit from. Please provide this:
Any biological attacks: rot, discoloring fungi (mold) and approximately how long after the construction year the attack was observed
Any mechanical problems: unusual cracking, dimensional changes, corrosion, any other and approximately how long after the construction year they were observed
Maintenance: Describe if the construction has been maintained in any way (washing (with what?), wood oil (which?), other (what?) and at approximately what interval. What effect has the maintenance had (the wood has retained roughly its original color, maintained a nice and pleasant surface, other, or been largely without effect (=wasted time and money).
Provide any tips for maintenance considering the material.
"Satisfaction": Describe how you have experienced the choice of material for the current construction. Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the material choice/treatment? Rate on a scale from 1 to 5, where
1= very dissatisfied, never that material again
2= dissatisfied
3= neither/nor/Ok
4= Satisfied
5= very satisfied, will use again and recommend
I have looked over different options over the years. I bought a house about 10 years ago that had an oiled wooden deck that was extended at one point, one from the construction year 1984 and a part from around 1998, thus very old. The first years I oiled the deck but was never satisfied with the result.
I then built a deck at the front (2010) which was gray stained with Biltema water-based and turned out extremely nice. In 2015, I joined the decks around the house with a staircase. The challenge was then to get the same color all around without replacing the decking wood. I washed the oiled deck thoroughly with Bleach, steel brush, and pressure washer. It became completely wood-clean! Incredible quality on over 30-year-old pressure-treated wood. After that, a water-based stain in light gray, and it has lasted for five years without having to do anything other than light washing. Now this is in a northwest position and partially shady. I am especially pleased that it looks so fresh and doesn't gray and become dull like all decking in the report. Two tricks that I use;
1) apply a generous amount of stain in two coats, the wood should be completely saturated with stain, otherwise it becomes spotty and lasts less
2) for algae growth, I use steam cleaning, which kills all organic matter without damaging the wood or treatment
After a few years, you do the same procedure again, i.e., a light wash and two coats of stain, it becomes like new again! If the wood cracks somewhere, I usually either buy a new board and wait half a year/year and stain or turn the plank and stain after a month to get the same color.
In this way, you can guarantee life in your old deck for a reasonable cost and reasonable work effort.+There are very many different colors to choose from!
Marlen Eskilsson said:
Today, there are many new products for decking for patios and outdoor areas that we do not have enough experience with. What we know you can read about here - Test: Best wood for decking and patios
Wood expert Jöran Jermer would also like to hear consumers' experiences.
Share your experiences here in the thread, and Jöran will compile everyone's experiences into a report that we can all benefit from. Please provide this:
Any biological attacks: rot, discoloring fungi (mold) and approximately how long after the construction year the attack was observed
Any mechanical problems: unusual cracking, dimensional changes, corrosion, any other and approximately how long after the construction year they were observed
Maintenance: Describe if the construction has been maintained in any way (washing (with what?), wood oil (which?), other (what?) and at approximately what interval. What effect has the maintenance had (the wood has retained roughly its original color, maintained a nice and pleasant surface, other, or been largely without effect (=wasted time and money).
Provide any tips for maintenance considering the material.
"Satisfaction": Describe how you have experienced the choice of material for the current construction. Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the material choice/treatment? Rate on a scale from 1 to 5, where
Type of construction: Deck, i.e., plenty of air underneath unlike many others' "decks" which are close to the ground and actually are wood terraces.
Year built: 2014
Material: Pressure-treated NTR A concerning the framework, decking Pressure-treated NTR AB.
Placement: Direction? Southwest. Very sunny 11-18 during the summer season.
Any biological attacks: Absolutely none.
Any mechanical problems: No. Dry cracks in certain boards but that's to be expected.
Maintenance: Linseed soap, wash + soap in every spring and fall each year. Now after 6 years beautifully silver-gray just as I want it. (Siiooo or whatever it's called is money down the drain, get the same result)
Satisfaction: 5 out of 5, go for pressure-treated and don't oil, it just pulls dirt into the wood. Soap more times per year, it takes about an hour, replacing the deck every ten years takes more than 20 hours. Totally worth it.
Yes. Oil is some kind of remnant from the time before pressure-treated wood. It's not necessary, unless you want to, of course. I think the oil just draws the dirt into the wood, making it darken. However, it's not just washing, it's what is called "såpskurning," a lot of linseed oil soap that gets absorbed into the decking so it becomes soft and smooth.
Location: Patio facing West/Northwest, with afternoon sun. 4 km from the west coast's saltwater
Biological attacks: rot 4-5 years, discoloring fungus (mold) 2-3 years, fiber shedding (fuzz) 1 year. The rot that has developed is NOT adjacent to either end grain or screws. The boards with rot (about 7 out of about 50) are NOT extra exposed to moisture/wetness and are "randomly" distributed over the patio's surface. This indicates uneven quality in production
Mechanical problems: No. But delivered very dry, which meant that a 3 mm gap during installation was NOT sufficient.
Satisfaction: 2 (maybe 3) Had significantly higher expectations for the wood. Cannot in good conscience recommend to others. Fairly friendly customer support
Placement: Southeast and Southwest Regular sunlight exposure
Possible biological attacks: none
Mechanical defects: very few! The decking boards are perfectly straight and hold their shape... however, the boards had edge profile and were screwed down without visible screws using plastic fittings between the planks... in a few places, the lower "flange" cracked so the plank could move..
on the outermost plank, I had to pre-drill and use visible screws... I built with a bit of overhang so the outer plank/frame hung over the support beam... this resulted in an exposed outer plank cracking.
Maintenance: Oiled with pigmented wood oil from Tinnova every other year... turned out great every time!
The cleaning before oiling was done with Jotun's deck cleaner... soaked the decking, rolled on the deck cleaner over a couple of square meters, and then out with the brush! Rinsed off before moving to the next area
Indicate any tips for maintenance considering the material.
"Satisfaction": 4-5
5 for how nice it looks with perfectly straight decking boards without visible screws!
5 for how easy it was to lay! The wood weighs half of what treated wood weighs... and the planks are perfectly straight!
5 for how it maintains its finish if you take care of it
4. You need to wash and oil it every other year if you want it to look nice...(not for protection against rot) but on a large area over 40-50 sqm, it requires some scrubbing.
The picture shows the decking outside the main entrance (a lot of traffic there all year round) after 8 years (two months after oiling)
Hi,
I'm wondering what material you used? It only says "heat-treated." Or am I missing something in the text?
Vi vill skicka notiser för ämnen du bevakar och händelser som berör dig.
Marlen Eskilsson said:
Fohlin said:
