Laying Composite Decking in the winter

Many decking installers are booked far in advance in the summer for new decking projects so one asks can you lay decking in the winter ?

With wooden decking unless using pre treated wood it would be difficult to do this as you will have to stain or seal the deck and with the damp conditions this could cause a problem, with composite this is different as we have mentioned before it is a low maintenance product that does not require painting, varnishing or sealing.

So let us talk about the issues of laying compositing in the winter, one of the key things that must be considered is expansion gaps, composite decking expands and contracts along its length dependent on the temperature so when installing in the winter this must be considered because next year those decking boards will expand and the longer the decking board the more they expand. So consider this carefully when installing your winter deck, if inadequate spacing is left between boards it will cause them to buckle, remember decking can get significantly hotter on the surface than the air temperature and this is the temperature you should consider, the darker the colour the hotter it can get.

Also consider when installed that this is the first time that you have used your outside decking and it is not the best weather outside so be careful that there is no build up of ice or water on your deck that could cause it to become slippery.

As always with any decking installation if in doubt seek expert advice, we see so many times poor installations that can void warranties so when choosing composite make sure that you understand how it performs differently to wood and this will need adapting in the installation process.

The above gives just a few tips and observations, always refer to manufacturers guidelines as they differ between providers.


Our helpful hints are for guide only, if you would like to speak about our own ranges we are happy to advise or click on the link for free samples of Composite Decking installation our experts will be glad to assist.