Decking has come a long way since it first grabbed the nation’s attention some 20 years ago. Many believed its popularity would be short lived but it grew into a significant market and has maintained its prominence. Evolving styles and the choice of materials has played a major role in its longevity and today the decking market remains strong in both commercial and public sectors.
The biggest growth area is in wood plastic composite (WPC) deck boards, a market, which has reportedly been growing by 100% year-on-year, albeit from a small base. Our most recent statistics, compiled in 2016, estimate the decking market at 335,000m3 per year and suggest a 6% share for WPC (and an 84% share for softwood). Interestingly, by value, WPC accounted for 20% of the overall decking market, which was estimated at £180m (softwood accounted for 58% of the value) in the 2016 survey. If the US is anything to go by, we could predict that WPC will grow its market share to around 20% in volume terms, limited by its higher cost.
In 2017 its popularity certainly seemed to ramp up a gear. Indeed, some of our members are reporting a 50% reliance on WPC decking sales. This represents a major shift in product mix driven by a desire for consistent colour, colour choice and low maintenance.
It is not all bad news for timber decking purists, however, because for WPC boards to be installed properly, they need a stronger substructure to support them, which means more timber joists and posts are used – ie, more timber sales. The profit potential is also greater for WPC deck boards making it a definite win-win for its suppliers.
However, as is often the case, quality varies vastly in the WPC world and cheap imports are destined to ruin the reputation of the decking market if we are not careful. This is a major concern to the TDCA and there are plans afoot to help bring more order to a market in which manufacturers of WPC deck boards, in the absence of standards or clarity on comparative performance, can pursue their own interests and undermine the credibility of timber.
All that said, timber still predominates in this market and is likely to continue to do so for a very long time to come, its economy, versatility, environmental credentials and natural appeal are very difficult to surpass with man-made alternatives.
A quality timber decking market is at the heart of the TDCA and it’s encouraging to hear that our members are focusing on superior products. For example, Andy Halpin of Smart Build Supplies has secured “a fantastic deal from a Swedish mill with a superior product”.
“We have focused on quality for the coming season,’ he said.
Many have felt the impacts of a more unstable economy but optimism prevails. “We always try to be optimistic and we plan to put another team on the road this year installing decks throughout Greater London,” said a spokesperson from the London Decking Company.
“We have an ever-increasing number of enquiries for new projects ranging from softwood installs to full composite projects. We are investing more into our marketing and work with quality suppliers who know the service we can offer to their clients. Our main concerns for the year are a bit of uncertainty over Brexit and the economy but we carry on and continue to provide a topquality service in everything we do.”
The newbuild market no longer appears to be a major factor in the market with builders opting to provide a rear garden blank canvas as standard, with anything additional being an extra.
“We generally stay away from new build developments,” said the London Decking Company’s spokesperson. “The overly competitive pricing, time restraints and hassle from working on the large sites can often create problems”.
Smart Build also said it “rarely get any enquiries from the new build sector”. Marley Eternet has noticed a shift in the preferences for board style.
“We are noticing a big change in profile preference for timber decking,” said Laura Qualters, area sales manager. “With maintenance and longevity being key considerations when choosing a decking product and the assurance that the surface meets the needs of all users of the deck and the project application, we are seeing customers opt for a smooth, flatter profile instead of the historically more popular, traditional, castellated profile.”
So, what of the future for timber decking? Rather than see the surge in the popularity of the WPC deck board as a threat, one could envision it helping to reinvigorate the UK market whilst increasing the consumption of treated softwood used in deck frames. This relies on the continued education of specifiers and users to do the job properly, something that is a priority for the TDCA. It also creates opportunities for well marketed, premium quality timber decking that provides a performance that is a least on par with the best WPC.
