Walking out your back door onto a deck immediately enhances your backyard, providing a grand entrance and a cozy space for relaxation and entertainment. Decking offers numerous benefits, such as its natural beauty, durability, and versatility, making it a valuable addition for years to come. Here are eight reasons why decking is the ultimate enhancement for your backyard.
1. Create a backyard decking
If you’re looking for a way to add some extra living space to your home, timber decking is a great option. Timber decking can be used to create a zone for entertaining, or simply somewhere to relax and enjoy the outdoors, as it provides an aesthetically pleasing flooring solution for your dining suite or lounge furniture.
Timber decking is an ideal choice for designing an outdoor living area in your backyard. It stays warmer underfoot during cooler months and absorbs less heat in summer due to its smooth texture, making it a preferred alternative to concrete or pavers.
2. Elevate your entertaining space
Homeowners often feel they have limited options when designing an outdoor area if they have an uneven block. As timber decking doesn’t require a flat foundation, it’s the perfect solution for making the most out of a normally ‘unusable’ space. By raising the height of your decking to meet your house foundations, you can create a seamless transition to your outdoor living area.
To guarantee the strength of your deck, especially on sloped blocks, make sure you receive fully engineered plans, and all construction is undertaken by professional tradespeople. This will ensure your timber decking is safe to enjoy for years to come.
3. Easy to maintain
Timber decking is relatively easy to maintain compared to other outdoor flooring materials. Unlike alternative options, such as concrete or stone, timber decking doesn’t require regular sealing or painting. This means that you can enjoy your decked area for many years without having to worry about it becoming damaged or requiring a lot of maintenance.
To keep your timber deck looking as good as the day it was installed, it is important to give it a regularly sweep to remove excess dirt, dust, and other debris from the surface. This general upkeep will help preserve the timber appearance and keep moulding, rotting and discolouration at bay.
To ensure longevity, it’s recommended to give your deck a thorough clean and re-oil at least once a year. Learn about more tips and tricks on decking maintenance.
4. Durable and built to last
Timber decking is a very strong and durable material, making it ideal for areas that experience high traffic or heavy use. Plus, with proper care and maintenance, your deck will last for many years. This makes it a great choice for those who are looking for a long-lasting flooring solution for their backyard or outdoor living area.
Another durable alternative to consider is composite decking. Generally made from a mixture of plastic and wood fibres, composite decking offers great durability, and strength, and requires even less maintenance than its timber alternative to keep it in good condition. Composite is also resistant to fading, making it a perfect choice for high-traffic areas, or if you live in an area that’s constantly exposed to hot sun.
If well maintained and kept in good condition, both timber and composite will enjoy a long lifespan.
5. Give your backyard a natural look
Timber decking can give your outdoor area a natural and earthy look that will complement your home and garden. This is because timber decking is made from real wood, giving your backyard added texture, and helping to break up what might be an endless sea of concrete or lawn. Timber decking also comes in a variety of different styles and designs, so you’re sure to find something that suits your taste. The beauty of wood is that it can be stained or painted to match your existing décor.
Composite decking can enhance your outdoor space with tones and textures similar to timber decking, but with the added advantage of a broader color palette, including much lighter and darker options than timber. If you’re looking to add character and style to your property, installing a deck is a fantastic choice.
6. Backyard Decking Increases the value of your home
One of the great things about timber decking is that it adds value to your home. A well-maintained timber deck can be a selling point for potential buyers and can help increase the value of your home.
Enjoying the outdoors is a key part of Australian life and something that potential buyers value highly. An extra living space that extends from the indoor entertaining area is particularly appealing. Therefore, if you’re considering selling your home in the future, adding a deck can boost its resale value. Even if you’re not planning to sell, a deck is still a worthwhile investment, enhancing your home’s enjoyment and livability.
7. Environmentally friendly
Timber decking is an eco-friendly option, as it is made from a renewable resource and won’t be harmful to the environment. Australian Outdoor Living ensures timbers used in decking solutions are sourced from managed forests or plantations. This means that by choosing timber decking, you can feel good about contributing to environmental conservation, knowing that your choice helps to reduce waste and preserve our planet.
Composite decking is manufactured from 80-90% recycled plastic and wood. For instance, each linear meter of composite decking is made up of approximately 37 recycled plastic milk bottles and almost 3 kilograms of reclaimed pine waste. This combination of materials makes composite decking both durable and environmentally friendly.
8. Naturally Versatile
Decking has the potential to completely transform an outdoor area. Backyard decking, commonly installed under patios or pergolas, also makes a fantastic addition to swimming pools. Particularly favoured in ‘Hamptons’ or ‘contemporary’ style pool designs, timber decking adds warmth and organic texture, transforming what might otherwise feel like a concrete jungle.
If you are considering installing decking around your pool, we recommend choosing composite decking. As the area is prone to becoming damp, natural wood could potentially rot over time, unlike its composite counterpart.
There are numerous reasons to consider installing backyard decking in your home. Whether you aim to add value, enhance your property’s aesthetics, or simply create a more enjoyable and livable space, decking is an excellent choice. With proper maintenance, it can last many years, offering a beautiful and functional outdoor living area to enjoy for a long time.
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Explore our full range of decking options here. If you would like more information, please feel free to fill out a free measure and quote form below.
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