Slippery Deck? 11 Effective Ways How To Make Decking Non Slip

Choosing Deck Materials

Although there are several measures you can take to increase traction on wood decking, there are also several things that could go wrong and make it dangerously slippery. Wood decking and composite decking have always been compared with each other in terms of performance, looks, maintenance, and others. There are of course traits of one that is better than the other. But in terms of slip resistance, in my opinion, composite decking would be a better choice. There are also anti-slip inserts that can easily be installed in between the grooves of the composite decking. They are less visible than anti-slip strips and become almost part of the decking but they also increase the traction of the surface and much safer to walk on.

Composite Decking Vs Wood

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Winter weather is typically wet, and wet timber is a breeding ground for slippery algae and fungus growth. Large decking areas are also prone to collecting rotting leaves left over from the autumn months, which create a super-slippery layer of their own. A stiff-bristle yard brush is usually all you need to scrape away any unwanted growth and leaves, and won’t damage your timber boards.

Is Trex Decking Slippery In Winter?

With winter upon us and snow and ice everywhere you should be aware how to . snow and ice on a PVC or composite deck is a calcium chloride-based “ice melt. Traction on slippery surfaces is a plus and a huge safety factor but the sand. Gone are the days of attaching chicken wire to your beautiful decking or smothering it in plastic mats on rainy days. The answer is to resolve your slippery decking problem once and for all, with a solution that does the job properly, whilst also not detracting from the natural beauty of timber decking.

• Composite decking on the other hand has a very low water absorption rate which will prevent fungal growth.
• The surface texture of plastic-wood mixture is similar to that of wood and has a rougher surface to further improve the anti-slip performance.
• But then, when dead leaves, pollen, dirt, and dust, accumulates on the composite decking’s surface, it could encourage molds and mildew to grow on the surface.
• Compared with other composite materials, the WPC decking products we designed and manufactured are more focused on improving the anti-slip performance.
• WPC decking looks and feels like wood, but is actually made of high-density plastics and wood fibers, therefore harder than wood.
• At present, some WPC decking is covered with a layer of plastic on the surface, but the plastic surface is smoother.

Both Trex and Timbertech offer they’re own brand of hidden deck fastener. If you lie in a climate that sees a hot summer season most years, then you’ll want to select composite decking boards that have a lighter color to them. You can choose matte, smooth, or highly textured options while still working to avoid the heating issue with some of the choices that are on the market today. The cost of using composite decking for your home is 50% more than what you would pay for pressure-treated wood. It’s even more than redwood or cedar if you use a standard grade of lumber. Even though the added costs up front makes it more expensive to build a deck, you can usually offset the expense with the lower maintenance costs down the road. If you’re not in a position to manage the extra expense, then natural wood is going to be the better solution to consider.

Some face-screwing systems, like the Cortex system from FastenMaster, allow you to countersink the screws and fill the holes with plugs made out of the same material as the decking. Installing the plugs is time consuming, but the fastener locations are almost invisible. Build it from something other than wood like PVC decking boards. This is perhaps the most important step in preventing a slippery deck surface. A thorough cleaning each year, ideally with a pressure washer, will allow the natural wood grain to provide extra traction and slip-resistance.

Decking can get especially slippery in damp environments. Even with a build up of algae, anti slip decking will remain slip resistant.

They also fill the grains of your decking that are supposed to provide traction. Calcium chloride or rock salt also can be used to melt the snow and ice from the deck surface. If you own one of the older generation Trex composite decks, such as Accents®, calcium chloride or rock salt may be used but should be rinsed off as soon as possible. In what direction should decking boards be placed (horizontal / vertical) compared to the deck? The boards are usually placed horizontally perpendicular to the adjacent wall. This choice is above all aesthetic, but it also important to be sure that the direction of the boards does not hinder water drainage.

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