That’s a good question! Traditional timber decking can be a lot of work to maintain, requiring staining or sealing at least every 2-3 years in order to maintain its appearance and colour. Due to it being a lot longer lasting and lower maintenance than timber decking, Composite Decking has enjoyed enormous growth in popularity over the last 5 – 10 years. But does fade? Difficult to answer with a simple yes or no, so let’s look into this!
In this article, we’ll look at the two types of Composite (WPC or Wood Plastic Composite) Decking, which are Uncapped Composite Decking and Capped Composite Decking.
This is generally regarded as ‘Standard’ or entry level composite decking, and in simple terms is manufactured from a mixture of wood flour and polymers. As the polymer/wood mixture is consistent right to the outer edge of the decking boards, the wood content is exposed to the open elements. This wood content contains the natural acidic chemicals, called tannins, found in wood, which over time will be caused to fade by exposure to the sun’s UV rays and rain and moisture in the air.
Due to this, uncapped composite decking will fade slightly, normally during the first 8-16 weeks after they have been installed. This process will make the board take on a slightly lighter appearance, but this normally goes unnoticed unless a new piece of decking is put side by side with the ‘weathered’ decking! Once this ‘weathering’ period is complete, the colour will remain very stable for the rest of the life of the deck, so all you’ll need to do is keep you decking clean to keep it looking amazing!
Because of this initial weathering process, you might be best not to leave furniture or planters in the same position for extended periods as this may cause slightly inconsistent weathering, however once the colour has settled to its final tone after a few months this is no longer something to worry about
Ovaeda's traditional 'grooved' uncapped composite decking will bring many years of enjoyment and carries a 15 year warranty.
Browse the Ovaeda range of uncapped composite decking and order a free sample pack.
Capped Composite Decking is a superior product due to its plastic outer shell or ‘cap’. The core of the product is manufactured from similar mixture of wood flour and polymers, but this is coextruded with an outer shell which is purely polymer (plastic). As there is no wood content exposed to the elements, the surface will not fade as like it does with uncapped decking. In short, ‘capped’ composite decking is almost entirely fade resistant and will look the same colour in many years time as it does when first installed!
Luxxe™ capped composite decking boards are slightly more expensive but with their added durability, our Luxxe™ composite decking boards have a 25 year warranty.
Browse the full Ovaeda range of capped composite decking or order a free sample pack.
Summary
So in truth, uncapped composite will fade slightly as it weathers during the initial period after install before stabilising and maintaining an attractive, lower maintenance finish. Being a lower cost option but still offering huge benefits over timber decking, this is a great option where you are looking for a long lasting and low maintenance deck at an affordable budget. The addition of the encapsulation layer on the capped composite decking is the ultimate solution where you would prefer to spend 20 – 30% more for the decking that won’t fade at all and gives the extra peace of mind of a 25 year warranty.
Feel free to get in touch to get a quotation and order samples, we look forward to hearing from you! Call our friendly team today on 0208 159 2999 or email us at sales@ovaeda.com for any questions or queries.