Breathing new life into an old decking area

Sylvia and Richard Musson had always thoroughly enjoyed spending time in their garden, which comprises a spacious, long deck leading onto a gorgeous lawn. However, the level of maintenance involved with keeping timber decking in good, useable condition had slowly overwhelmed them. Their wooden deck had fallen into disrepair and become not just unusable, but dangerous.

Richard tells us, “Parts of the timber were rotten, and whole sections of the deck were beginning to sink and break apart. We couldn’t walk on some parts – it even got to the point where a chair leg had pierced a badly rotted patch – so we were becoming afraid to use the deck at all.”

Wanting to regain full use of their beloved outdoor space, the Mussons began seeking a low-maintenance yet stylish alternative to timber.

Sylvia recalls, “We read that PVCu is really easy to look after and lasts a very long time, but still had some reservations. We knew it would cost more than wooden decking and although we wanted a fresh modern deck, we were keen on the organic, grained appearance of traditional timber. It was also important to us that the material would have minimal environmental impact.”

She continues, “We discovered Liniar’s outdoor range online, and as a UK-based company local to us in Derbyshire it was really appealing, so we spent some time looking into their products before settling on SwitchBoard Ultra decking.”

With a deep embossed finish, SwitchBoard Ultra strikingly captures the look and texture of traditional timber decking, however, being made from PVCu gives it numerous advantages.

Speaking on what influenced the Musson’s decision to choose SwitchBoard Ultra, Richard recalls,

“Firstly, it looked stunning – and as it’s double-sided, we had a choice of either a deeply embossed woodgrain finish or a more traditional grooved design.

“PVCu is known for being very low maintenance; and better still, the core of each SwitchBoard Ultra deckboard contains recycled material, which we were told adds strength to the deck. Because it’s manufactured from 100% composite PVCu, there is also no risk of moisture deterioration. This was hugely important to us because we’ve experienced structural failure already and were keen to avoid a repeat. Equally important is that the product is fully recyclable and we wanted our deck to be as sustainable as possible.”

Liniar’s SwitchBoard Ultra decking has been designed with easy installation in mind, saving time and labour costs as well as allowing homeowners and DIY enthusiasts to take on the job themselves.

Richard continues, “My friend helped me build the deck, he has joinery experience and so made short work of building the sub-frame. The decking itself was really easy to work with, and I opted for the T-Clip fixing method because it gives a nicer finish with no visible screw heads on the surface. My friend and I both said it was as easy as wooden decking to install.”

Sylvia watched as the project progressed, and tells us, “I was really excited seeing the new deck taking shape and surprised at how quickly it all came together. The grey ‘Iron’ colour adds a contemporary look to the grained texture we’ve chosen for the surface, and really makes the deck stand out without jarring against the rest of the garden.”

The work was completed in time for Richard and Sylvia to enjoy a good amount of warm weather in their newly renovated outdoor space.

Richard says, “It was a great project to work on, and it’s really brought the area back to life. I’m very happy with the look and feel of our new deck, and glad to have full use of the garden again.”

Sylvia sums up the project: “I’m really proud of our new deck and feel lucky to have such a nice entertaining space, I love having friends and family around so I can it show off. I feel like the back of our home has been opened to the outdoors again, and I’m even comfortable walking in and out barefoot, something I haven’t done for a long time!”