Composite Decking work carried out by Bespoke Paving

Landscaping

Composite Decking

Composite decking installed to the manufacturer spacings, with the gaps that let it move.

Free written quotes
Fixed price, not an estimate
Worksop and across the county

Get a price for composite decking

Friendly advice, no obligation. We will come out and measure up.

Custom solutions
Quality you can see
Local and reliable
Adds value

Composite decking is a wood and plastic mix. It does not need oiling, it does not splinter, it does not silver off, and it holds its colour far better than timber. For anyone who wants a deck without the annual maintenance, it is the obvious answer.

What it does do is move. Composite expands and contracts with temperature noticeably more than timber does, and that is where badly fitted composite decks go wrong. Boards butted tight at the ends buckle in the first hot spell. So we leave the expansion gaps the manufacturer specifies at every board end and against every fixed edge, and we use the hidden clip system the boards are designed around, which sets the side gaps consistently.

Joist spacing is closer than for timber, because composite is more flexible and will sag between joists that are too far apart. It is a common shortcut and it shows up as a bouncy deck within a year. We build the frame to the board manufacturer spacing, which is usually 300mm to 400mm centres.

Composite Decking carried out by Bespoke Paving

What’s included

What you get for the price

Composite needs closer joist centres than timber, so the frame under a composite deck uses more material. That is in the quote, and it is what stops the deck feeling bouncy in a year.

A treated frame at the joist spacing the board manufacturer specifies
Ventilation under the deck, which composite still requires
Manufacturer expansion gaps at every board end and fixed edge
Hidden clip fixings so the side gaps stay consistent
Matching fascia and trim to close the frame in

What affects the price

Why we quote per job

There is no useful price per square metre for this, because these change the number more than the material does:

Deck area and height
The composite range, which varies widely between budget and capped premium boards
The frame, since closer joist centres mean more timber than a comparable wooden deck
Steps, balustrade, fascia and trim, which are a real share of a composite job
Ground conditions and access

Board ranges vary widely in price and finish. We show samples outdoors, because composite reads very differently in daylight than it does indoors.

How it works

Composite Decking, step by step

01
Check levels and access
Same start as any deck: level relative to the house, damp course clearance and how it meets the garden.
02
Choose the board
Ranges differ a lot in finish and price. We show you samples outdoors, because composite reads very differently in daylight.
03
Build the frame
Frame built to the closer joist centres composite needs, level and ventilated.
04
Lay with the gaps
Boards clipped down with the specified expansion gaps at ends and edges.
05
Trim and finish
Fascia, edge trim and steps fitted, and the site cleared.

Why us

Why people pick us for this

The base is specified

Our written quote names the sub-base depth and the materials, so you can see what is going under the surface and compare quotes on the same terms.

A fixed price

The written price is what you pay. If something genuinely unforeseen turns up once we open the ground, we stop and talk to you before doing anything about it.

You deal with the person doing the work

No sales visit followed by a different crew. The person who quotes the job is on site doing it.

Straight advice

If the job you have asked for is not the right answer, or a clean would do instead of a replacement, we will tell you before you spend the money.

Composite Decking across Nottinghamshire

We are based in Worksop and cover the towns below, plus the villages around them.

Worksop
Mansfield
Chesterfield
Newark on Trent
Nottingham
Lincoln
Derby
Grantham

Common questions

Composite Decking questions

Is composite worth the extra over timber?

It costs more to install and less to own. If you would rather not re-oil a deck every year or two, it pays back over time. If you want the look and feel of real timber, it does not, because composite does not look like wood close up.

Does composite decking get hot?

Yes, noticeably hotter than timber in direct sun, and darker boards get hottest. Worth thinking about for a south facing deck used barefoot.

Does it fade?

Slightly, over the first year or so, then it settles. Capped boards hold their colour better than uncapped. It will not go silver the way untreated timber does.