Special Wooden terrace floors versus wood composite terrace floors

WOODEN TERRACES AND COMPOSITES MAKE A GOOD MATCH

FLOOR FITTERS CAN PROMOTE THEIR OWN PREFERENCES PERFECTLY WELL

Photo – La San Marco Profili

Wood has been deployed much more in daily life since we discovered all its uses as a raw material. And so, ‘consumption’ has increased year by year. Yet there’s no need to worry! In a logical world forests and woods form an endless supply of this lovely material. Sadly, this world isn’t logical and illegal cutting and the terror of forest fires caused partly by global warming ensure that the emerging ‘sustainable forest management’ often merely papers over the cracks. Alternatives such as wood composite do bring ‘ecological’ relief. The question is: Do they bear comparison with real wood?

Real wood or composite? In the wooden flooring industry it has long been the case that what floor fitters recommended as the ‘best solution’ was not necessarily the ‘best solution’. Floor fitters of the old school were trained by their ‘instructors’ within a particular mindset and had been taught to use the same products and the same working method all the time. They used that ‘best’ wood sort, that ‘best’ adhesive, and that ‘best’ finish. They bore no malice, but they were set in their ways. Then, sometimes, if that solution perhaps wasn’t the best one, it was ‘good enough’, so there wasn’t a problem. Floor fitters preferred not to take risks. You only took risks if you had to choose between alternative solutions where you weren’t really aware of the benefits and drawbacks. That dilemma in the terrace world is now history. Hardwood or composite? You can recommend both options with peace of mind.

Equal standings! In terms of quality all terrace materials are comparable. The best sorts of wood are on offer and composites are so technically advanced that they ‘hold their own’ as regards strength and durability. From a decorative point of view it is extremely hard to tell the difference between many composites and the ‘real thing’. We can certainly use the term ‘ecological’ both with real wood and composites, something of which clients are becoming increasingly mindful. Wood usually comes from sustainably managed forests, but that also applies to wood fibres in composites which emerge from waste wood. Synthetics are generally made from recycled raw materials. The maintenance is easy in both cases and technical extras such as anti-slip are possible in both cases. The price, too, bears comparison, at least in terms of euros, depending on the brand and market situation.

The lifespan This suitability of hardwood for use in outdoor floors is determined via a generally acknowledged and accepted system of grading wood sorts in five classes. The classes have been established empirically.

Researchers have tested how long the wood sorts ‘survive’ if they are exposed untreated to outdoor weather conditions. Wood sorts in class one retain their beauty for 25 years. And so, we use wood sorts from class one and some from class one-to-two for terrace boards. In practice, it appears that the ‘test’ to establish the class is actually stricter than the reality. Wooden terraces are fitted in such a way that they do not come into contact with soil water. They will often last longer than 25 years if they are well fitted and maintained.

Wood wins! At least, for the time being … Wood composite is in several respects an ecologically responsible alternative to tropical hardwood. Basically, no trees have to be cut and, as we’ve already said, the waste wood can just as easily bear the FSC label. The production method is a form of extrusion. The end result of the ingenious production process has to be a material which can compete easily with wood sorts from durability class 1. However, since wood composite production didn’t start until about 1997, we will still have to wait a few years to see if that really is the case. And so, watch this space!

Some specialists

Burger&cie / Grad

Photo – Burger&cie / Grad

The best-selling wood sort at Burger&cie / Grad is kebony, a gnarl-free sort of wood which becomes harder, more durable, and more stable through the injection of vegetable ingredients. Thermo-wood also accounts for a good proportion of turnover. As an alternative to wood, Burger&cie / Grad offers the composite NEKKO, which is available in chestnut brown and grey. As this is in the classic co-extrusion segment, the price is comparable to that of a top quality wood sort. Due to the basic concept which Burger&cie / Grad offers for terraces, any professional (carpenter, parquet floor fitter, landscape specialist, swimming pool fitter, etc.) can do the fitting. The wooden terrace and composite market is thriving and studies suggest this will continue in the next five years with forecasts of about 17% growth.

Futura Floors Outdoor Ambience in Your Hands – but what to choose? Enjoy your outdoor space. Add Futura Floors exotic outdoor timber or modern wood plastic composite (WPC) decking. Choose your decking then order under construction, clips and bases to easily complete your new decking installation! At Futura, exotic hardwood decking adds a natural ambience to your outdoor living space. These exotic species are eye-catching and unique, arriving to your home smoothly sanded multiple times. We also suggest applying a beautiful array of oils to match the client’s every wish. Are you concerned with annual maintenance? Then use WPC decking. Futura provides a variety of luxurious colors, designs and lengths creating a premium, ageless look to one’s terrace. Due to its superior durability and low maintenance, WPC is a preferred modern decking choice for many home owners. Futura Floors offers a complete outdoor solution to suit every garden and every occasion - even at the liveliest of summer parties! For more information visit www.futurafloors.de

La San Marco Profili

We believe that Wood is still the king of decking materials. Hardwoods are obviously our first choice when talking about outdoor flooring and cladding, but composites are also gaining ground on the market. Which material is best for your deck project will depend on many factors including decking color, available board sizes, maintenance requirements, and, of course, price. That is why, probably the most difficult decision to make when building a deck is what type of decking to use. There is no perfect choice. La San Marco recommends his customers to figure out what characteristics are most important for them, and then make a selection based on that. Anyway, you should also remember that to take full advantage of the qualities of a floor, you should study the type of flooring and the place where it will be installed. What we always recommend is to choose the right installation method according to the environment and material. In fact, a well-mounted floor is a durable floor. Of course all decking woods need maintenance during the years, because if you choose not to stain tropical decking, it will eventually weather to a light silver color. Even if, we believe that letting the wood weather naturally is fine, it is its peculiarity and it gives life to the

environment that surrounds us. Another option, is to choose a composite decking. In fact the appeal of composite decking is that it is virtually maintenance-free. With this regard, as a composite alternative, after a long and careful research for a durable and high-quality material, we decided to present to our customers Duro decking, an innovative eco-sustainable material mainly made up of rice husks and pure PVC. Duro is available in different colors, it grants maximum stability and strength over time, it is resistant to UV radiation and it is class B1 fire resistant. Duro is undoubtedly the best choice for composite decking. In addition, we also presents a new installation system that significantly simplifies the fitting procedures. As a result, fitting times are reduced by up to 50% as the fitting costs obviously and you have no risk of errors. You could also easily remove and reinsert individual planks at any point in the floor. Furthermore, this new Installation System is also studied to be used for wood decking.

NOVOWOOD: NOT JUST WOOD Iperwood is an Italian company that after an experience of more than 40 years in exotic wood trading, started to made and develops Novowood, a wood plastic composite studied with the University of Ferrara and made for the extreme climatic area, as for example Nautical environment. Continuous research on the material allow the company to provide a material with many advantages against natural wood. Durability, Color and dimensional stability are the advantages

that Novowood provide in external environment. Material is also recycled and recyclable in totally respect of the environment. Novowood can be also produced in different section and length giving to the client advantages in term of waste reduction and aesthetic satisfaction. Due to the raising market demand WPC is now one of the most appreciated product wood based for external environment, Novowood provide also to his customers a technical support and complete system for the installation of the products in different kind of condition and application.

Filling technology for wood flooring

MACHINED FILLING OF KNOTS IN PARQUET

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Tel: +32 14 37 77 52 info@csp-engineering.com www.csp-engineering.com

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DECKING “DURO“

DURO Is a bRaND NEw matERIal spECIfICally DEsIGNED fOR OUtDOOR DECKING aND vENtIlatED walls. It Is thE REsUlt Of yEaRs Of REsEaRCh aND ExtENsIvE labORatORy tEstING. Its COmpOsItION Is tOp sECREt, bUt thE maIN INGREDIENt Is RICE hUsKs, a NatURal wastE pRODUCt Of thE aGRICUltURal INDUstRy, whICh Is COmbINED wIth vIRGIN pOlymERs. thE REsUlt Is a matERIal wIth INCREDIblE mEChaNICal pROpERtIEs, pERfORmaNCE aND wORKabIlIty.