I would be checking how it actually last (appearance wise) in our hash Australian sun. I have seen a very faded fake timber deck, and it looked awful.

Real timber is high maintenance but it can be refinished and refreshed.

Anyone used the Millboard product in Australia? I know it's a UK product , so interested to see how it fares in Sydney climate ... Thanks Emma

Hi Get decked out,

I am looking at getting a new balcony / elevated deck . On South side of home , so not really sunny , so sun factor should be ok . The fixing at the top, am not sure . Deck size 6.3 * 3.6 . Am in Sydney .

The other area in my renov, is a North facing patio/courtyard , extending from the home out to grassed area. My initial thoughts are to put a slab on it and tile it. I like a wood look porcelain tile, but experimenting with a sample, 1) it gets quite hot and 2) it's a bit harsh material to touch ... So I am now thinking of putting composite wood low level deck there , or using a mixture of tile and composite wood to soften the look ....not sure if composite wood can be layed like a tile ?

And yes I have ordered samples of Millboard, Modwood, Outdure and Trex , so will test these to see which one works best... The Millboard product is very nice , but more expensive , worth it ? Many thanks Emma

not all boards can take top fixing.

Millboard is good but the texture isnt for everybody. It comes in shorter lengths but is thicker. Higher initial cost but very durable. I personally like it.

Other solid composite decking would be Modwood and Ekodeck.

I dont think Outdure can be top fixed

Trex decking has a clip in between the boards.

Something else to consider is how to finish edges so as not to see endgrain or a grooved edge.

what area are you in Emma?

shoot me an email and I will put you in contact with my suppliers if you like

info@getdeckedout.com.au

cheers
Rod

Hello Emma, yes the Millboard is a great option for a low maintenance outdoor area. With no visible fading, no need to oil and a realist timber look will really help you create an area to Live Life Outside.

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The only major issue I've come across is with furniture being dragged across the surface and leaving a permanent and very obvious gouge.

The owner had a table with metal legs. One of the plastic feet had dislodged and when dragged it scratched the surface. Ok with timber as its timber all the way through, just re-oil and it almost would disappear. The composite decking used had a coloured and patterned surface only therefore the scratch is now very obvious and no real options to repair apart from replacement.

Some composites also seem quite expensive when compared to hardwood. $10 per l/m compared to $6.80+ for Aust. Hardwood last time I checked..... Horses for courses I guess but I'd always choose hardwood if I wanted a timber deck. Sometimes timber's not possible however due to the higher Bushfire Attack Levels.

I have samples galore but can't find one that blitzes hardwood! If you can handle the relatively basic maintenance of a deck at this stage I'd stick with an Australian Hardwood or go with tiles/concrete/pavers/etc. over composites (even Millboard).

Hi

I'm in the same camp as MB above.

We looked very closely at the composite decks for one I have just laid of approx 120m2. At that size, we were able to get an Australian hard wood wide board in a random length which were mostly 2.4m long or above (up to 5.8m) for a substantially less price than any of the composites.

We liked the Trex product range for the colours and texture.

Re the maintenance, we used to oil our decks but are now using a water based acrylic finish (colour was walnut) that has a lot of fans and if done correctly a 2 year guarantee against cracks, flakes or peeling.

Re using timber on the courtyard, if you do you will need to dig it out a bit as you need a minimum clearance for air circulation to prevent mould/rot etc.

Cheers