Let’s look at the No first.

Why wood decking not good for balcony?

Firstly, maintenance can be one huge issue when it comes to wood decking. If you are the home owner who feels that it is troublesome to re-varnish, re-coat or re-paint your wood decking once every six months, then wood decking is not for you. Without good maintenance of the wood decking, you risk of having your balcony deck damage due to weather or wear and tear.

Secondly, splinter can be one issue especially for homes with kids or pets, when it comes to wood decking on the balcony. Hence, the only way to prevent the splinter problem is to avoid wood totally.

Next, the choice of wood decking materials can vary and often is complicated among the decking contractors. For example, a good quality chengal wood decking is usually produced from matured chengal timber. While a bad quality chengal wood decking is from young chengal trees. Even within the same matured wood species, there are different grades. Hence, it is up to the trustworthiness of your decking contractor to give you the best quality wood decking material, unless you are the expert in wood.

Now, let’s look at the Yes!

Wood decking for your balcony exudes many benefits. One benefit is that it is a good insulator of heat compared to traditional plastic decking. Constant heating from the sun will not cause one to ‘dance’ around the wooden deck, but he or she will ‘dance’ around on low quality plastic decking. When the weather outside is very rainy and cold, you will not feel cold feet as well when you step on wood decking.

Secondly, wood decking gives your balcony a natural unique look. This is because each plant of wooden deck board is different from each other. Therefore, your balcony decking will not look uniformly similar when you installed wood decking instead of composite decking.

Lastly, if you know how to maintain your wood decking, your wood decking will last very long. Hence, if you are the type of person who is not lazy in maintaining your decking on a regular basis, then consider wood decking.

At the end of the day, want to go with Wood or No Wood? It will be up to you!

The post Is Wood Decking Good for Your Balcony? appeared first on The Floor Gallery.

Wood decking and composite wood decking are two of the most common decking options for balconies in Singapore homes.
With a growing number of apartments with fresh floor plan designs, more home owners are choosing homes with al fresco private spaces for a different, cosier feel.

(Wondering how a balcony wooden decking would look in your home? Get a free consultation)

Adding a wooden deck to your balcony definitely adds to its al fresco vibe. The question is: Which outdoor decking material should you use for your balcony – natural wood decking or composite wood decking? We take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of these two decking options:

1) Wood Decking

It is important for home owners to know that there are different kind of materials available for solid wood decking, such as Chengal Wood, Ironwood, Balau, and Merbau. The most common option installed in balconies across Singapore is Chengal decking, as it is firm, stable, and has a relatively more absorbent coating as compared to other wood decking species. Due to its natural qualities, wood decking gives your balcony in tropical Singapore a true sense of nature. It also provides relatively better protection against heat and UV rays. However, unlike synthetic composite decking, it is necessary to maintain the balcony wood decking on a half yearly or yearly basis.

Want to find out more about Chengal wood decking?

Get in touch with our decking team here →

2) Composite Wood Decking

Composite wood decking is a generally more durable balcony flooring option in Singapore as it is made of man-made resilient material that is resistant to outdoor weather conditions. It is also easier to maintain as compared to wood decking.

However, it is important for home owners to know that composite decking products vary in terms of quality due to their differing manufacturing standards. One should find out about the manufacturing source (and not the marketing source) of the decking product, especially with the huge number of manufacturers around today.

After all, it is what is inside of the composite decking that really matters. Responsible composite wood decking manufacturers will make sure their product is of the highest quality in terms of dimensional stability, so look out for credible accreditation such as the Singapore Green Label and PEFC.

Composite wood decking products come in different structures – some in a honeycomb structure and some in a full solid structure. A seller may tell you that their product’s structure is the most stable. However, what’s most important is to look at the manufacturer’s warranty.

Is the warranty from the distributor or the manufacturer? If it is from the distributor, it may be difficult to claim when there is a need to. Hence, if you are thinking of installing composite decking for your balcony in Singapore, look at the manufacturing source before making a decision on the best balcony decking option.

At the end of the day, regardless of the material you choose , knowing the credibility of the distributor and manufacturing source is the most crucial factor when you are looking for a suitable balcony decking for your home.

Interested in more balcony floor decking options?

Get in touch with our decking specialists here →

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