Sometimes, owning a swimming pool isn’t only about keeping cool on a hot day. In addition to providing a healthy and fun form of entertainment for family and friends, there is the ‘after-swim’ experience, involving lazing on the deck doing a spot of suntanning. That’s why composite decking is an ideal pool surround.
Some people don’t even need to enter the water to enjoy the poolside ambience of their outdoor living space. Who hasn’t sat by the pool enjoying a chilled beverage of choice and soaking up the atmosphere with a good book? Some people even do yoga on their pool deck! If you fall into this category and let’s face it, many of us do, you are the type who wants to relax on their time off… not spend their precious free time doing home maintenance and chores!
Benefits of using composite decking as your pool surround
We are spoiled for choice regarding what we put around our pool – everything from pavers, concrete, sandstone, traditional wood and composite decking boards. In your typical Aussie summer, everything with constant exposure to the sun gets hot.
That is just a fact of life. The hottest materials are brick, sandstone pavers, and concrete, and if that is the look you want, that’s fine. On the other hand, you may choose timber decks, which are a popular choice among homeowners.
Timber-look decking just adds something special to the pool environment, doesn’t it? Sadly, natural timber also comes with a lifetime of costly and time-consuming maintenance requirements, and particularly when placed around a swimming pool, with prolonged exposure to the sun and pool water.
These factors make composite decking, like NewTechWood, the perfect choice for your pool surroundings. And why is that better than real wood around a pool? We’re glad you asked. There are many reasons and here are just five to get you started.
Moisture protection
Any decking near water needs to be moisture resistant to some extent, be it from rainfall, water splashing, or constant drips from wet swimmers. 100% natural timber needs a lifetime of sanding back and resealing over its lifetime to achieve this protection, whereas composite decking, like NewTechWood,
is fully capped, protecting the board not only from moisture and water, but also UV rays, fading, warping, cupping, splitting, splintering and termites. Composite pool decks are the safe choice on the market and poor traditional wood just can’t compete.
Safety
As many pool owners can attest, many decking surfaces can be slippery and thus potentially dangerous. As a rule, you should never run around a pool anyway, regardless of what type of decking is beneath your feet. When it comes to natural timber, in addition to slipperiness, if the decking is not maintained regularly, you will also face potential injuries caused by the weathered surface of the timber.
Splinters of any size are never pleasant! Composite decking is required to have a slip resistance rating and capped composites such as NewTechWood don’t splinter or warp so there will never be any uneven surfaces to trip over either.
Unlike timber decks, composite decks, in general, have a good slip rating, meaning you won’t be slipping on the wet composite deck. NewTechWood’s Commercial grade decks even boast the highest P5 anti-slip rating!
Hidden fixing system
With composite decking systems such as NewTechWood, the use of the hidden fixing system not only means you are presented with a stylishly clean deck, it also means there are no exposed nails or screws to rust, presenting visual and physical problems for you (and your feet!)
Also, there is no requirement for pre-drilling holes unless you intentionally choose to top-fix your pool deck. The hidden fix system involves screwing directly into the metal or timber joists – it’s all out of sight.
Easier installation
Whether you are savvy enough to build a metal or timber sub-frame for your deck or use a system sub-frame if you are an avid DIY-er, you can indeed install a NewTechWood deck yourself; that’s how easy we make it. Just make sure you read and follow the free online installation guides first, so you don’t inadvertently do something that might void your warranty. Cutting corners is never a good idea! We recommend playing it safe and using a recommended installer.
Design options
A bonus of using a composite decking board, like NewTechWood, is the huge variety of wood-look textures and colours you can choose from. You can mix colours and textures if you have avant-garde tastes and know that it will still be safe by the pool. You can create colourful, creative deck designs using a composite in ways you can’t with natural timber.
On top of this, with NewTechWood, you can design and mix and match your decking with cladding and screening in matching or complementary colours to create an amazing experience in your outdoor living space. It is also easy to match your outside decking with your inside flooring and still enjoy the beauty and benefits of NewTechWood decking.
So, if you want your finished project to look and feel like real timber but without the hassle of ongoing maintenance and problems such as splinters that you’ll find with real timber, check out NewTechWood.
Architects, builders and installers can contact our team of experts for advice and assistance.
Originally published on NewTechWood.
