If you’re thinking about investing in composite decking, there is a great way to finish off the look – have a look at our decking handrail designs, the perfect compliment to any of our decking products.

Our decking handrail designs share the same qualities as our high quality decking boards – they look great, come in lots of different colours to suit all tastes, they’re incredibly low maintenance, and weather-proof, and they’re built to last.

If you’re looking for decking handrail designs to match your decking, our range of Ornamental Handrails are just the job. In three shades – cedar, grey or redwood – they perfectly complement our natural shades of decking. There are even integrated handrail deck lights to complete the look.

Maybe you’d prefer decking handrail designs that are a little more modern? Enter the Radiance Rail, which comes in Classic Black and Coastal White – great for a clean, streamlined look to complement or contrast with your decking. 

Down with the waif look, curves are back, back, back – well, in the decking world they are anyway.  With garden design trends for all things curvy, decking has to keep up, and we’ve got lots of curved decking ideas that are bang on-trend.

Our galleries have lots of curved decking ideas, from swimming pool and hot tub surrounds to semi-circle seaside balconies. Browse the site for inspiration – and choose from a huge range of finishes and colours too.

Even if you’re looking for standard garden decking, you don’t have to go for a simple, square design. Be bold and go for curved edges for a look that works perfectly with the fluid shapes of nature. Using our deck designer software, you can experiment with curved decking ideas, or use our bespoke 3D design service to create your dream deck.

So abandon the straight edges and cast aside right angles – this is the summer of curves!

This week, we’ve been helping a customer who was looking for decking ideas for sloping gardens – something that she thought was going to be a bit of a problem. She wanted decking but, with a house on a hill and a very steep garden, she didn’t think there were many options. But, with the help of our 3D design service and the expertise of our sales team, we were able to offer her oodles of decking ideas for sloping gardens.

In the end we designed a deck incorporating steps and some rather snazzy design elements (have a look at our design inspiration page for some clever ideas) that she was delighted with. As it was such a tricky space, she decided to use our installation service to fit it too.

So we didn’t just offer our customer decking ideas for sloping gardens, we also helped her to plan the space and fit the finished product too. We like to think that’s where we differ from a lot of our competitors - we don’t just sell decking, we genuinely want to go the extra mile to help you find the best design and products for your garden and lifestyle. And things like our 3D design and installation services are all part of our full customer experience.

So if you’re looking for decking ideas for sloping gardens, or any other sort of ‘problem’ outdoor space – get in touch. We’ll enjoy the challenge of finding a solution to suit you.

We’re officially in the midst of winter. The weather is cold and the snowy weather here! I recently came across an article on eHow about deck winterization. You’ll notice when you’re reading through these tips that the winter effects on a TimberTech deck are much less cumbersome than a wood deck. In fact, because TimberTech never needs to be stained or sealed, you can eliminate some of the steps all together – making TimberTech live up to its brand promise: Less work. More life.

TimberTech does not require any specific winterization tips. However, as mentioned in the article, removing all pots, planters, and debris – such as branches, leaves, dirt or pebbles that have accumulated can also help reduce the risk of moisture buildup and staining on a TimberTech deck. Now that winter has hit and your deck may be buried, you can remove any of the snow and ice by using either rock salt or calcium chloride. These will not damage the surface. These products may however leave a white residue, which can be removed by either rinsing with water or using a mild soap/water solution. Also remember to use care not to damage your deck surface when shoveling off the snow or ice. Plastic shovels work well for this. Avoid shovels that have a metal leading edge. For TimberTech’s full care and cleaning instructions see our care and warranty section

by Neil Orpin
TimberTech Deck Installer

If you are considering installing composite decking, you should fully understand the costs associated with it. Yes, in most cases, composite decking boards are more expensive than wood. If you are comparing it to a pressure treated deck, then composite decking boards can be significantly more expensive. There is much more, however, to deck ownership than just comparing the cost of deck boards. 

The cost for the sub-structure and labour should be the same whether you build with wood decking or composite decking. The primary cost difference is the deckboards. So, don’t quote me here, but you can assume that TimberTech deckboards are over three times the cost of softwood decking, but very similar in cost to hardwood deckboards. 

Many people think that TimberTech composite decking is expensive when compared to softwood. Not really. When you factor in the same cost to build and the same cost of the understructure, the difference could be more like 40% more to own a TimberTech deck.

Now, let’s talk about the cost to maintain a timber deck. A timber deck needs to be cleaned and stained EVERY year. I am sure you value your time. With a full time job and a family, time is something that you wish you had more of. It can easily cost £100 to properly treat your timber deck if you do it yourself and even more if you have it done for you! Now, we are quickly starting to close that gap between the cost of timber decking and our composite decking – TimberTech composite decking never needs staining!

Meanwhile, the typical timber deck only has a life span around 10 to maybe 15 years (if you don’t miss a year on the staining and protecting!). Incredibly, our composite decking has a warranty for 25 years and could last even longer than that.

To make the decision easier, if you sell your home, you could get a higher return on your investment if you build with composite decking. In fact, I have seen estimates around 70% return on your investment.

Still trying to decide? It seems to me like the question might not be “can you afford to buy composite decking” but “can you afford not to buy composite decking?”