Landscape & Urban Design Issue 53 2022 | Page 34

DECKING

DURABLE AND DESIRABLE DECKING

Much has been written about pandemic trends and there has undoubtedly been an explosion of interest in the sphere of home improvement during lockdown . Staying in is the new going out , and for many people that looks like a trend that is going to stick for the foreseeable future . Part of staying ‘ in ’ is actually about making more use of your available outdoor space , treating it as another room of the house and using it as such . Combined , what these trends mean is that homeowners are looking to transform their gardens into outdoor spaces with wow factor that can be used for dining , entertaining and relaxing with friends and family all year round .
Year-round performance Decking has traditionally been used to demark outdoor dining spaces but , increasingly , designers have been using far bolder swathes of decking in urban spaces for real impact , and many are choosing composite decking such as Millboard because it is more user-friendly than traditional timber . Its unique polymer resin construction does not rot , warp or split like natural wood , and it offers far superior slip resistance , even when wet , whatever the season . It is ideal decking material for homeowners who want to spend time relaxing and enjoying their garden , rather than maintaining it .
Let the material do the talking A much used principle when designing kitchens is to invest a good part of your budget into good quality floors and worktops . The same is true for gardens : choose a beautiful structural material as the hard landscaping core of your design . Fortunately , opting for the superior performance of composites doesn ’ t mean sacrificing aesthetics . Millboard ’ s range is hand-moulded from carefully selected pieces of oak and each board is hand coloured in realistic tonal shades to give a natural timber appearance . The end result looks so authentic that clients often find it difficult to believe it isn ’ t wood .
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