Is your garden in need of a makeover?
Flooring is arguably one of the most important aspects of a garden, as it’s what makes the space so sociable – think warm summer evenings of cocktails on the terrace, barbeques on the patio or evening dinners on the decking.
Outdoor flooring is the best way to transform your space and add the ‘wow’, but with a myriad of flooring materials, colours and styles on the market, it can sometimes be difficult to know what to choose. To help you decide, we put the four main categories of outdoor flooring head-to-head.
Wood
If you’d like to add a warm, natural look to your garden, wood and wood-look decking is an ideal option. It’s traditional too, so will always be on-trend.
Whilst traditional wood is a great decking option initially, thanks to the often cheap outlay particularly true of the many softwoods on the market, the slippery nature of algae growth and wet weather, as well as continually painting and staining it soon outweighs the lower cost, not forgetting the huge health and safety risk of slips and falls. Welcome then, to Millboard decking…
Millboard
Millboard decking is famed for its unrivalled good looks, offering the same, if not better visuals than traditional timber. The beauty of Millboard decking is that, due to its wood-free composition, it looks great with relatively little maintenance – perfect for busy families or those who would rather spend their time enjoying their outdoor space!
The various colours in the range mean you can go for something traditional – such as Enhanced Grain Golden Oak or Weathered Oak Vintage, or something more contemporary and modern, such as Enhanced Grain Burnt Cedar or Brushed Basalt. The Lastane top layer also not only provides a slip resistant finish, but it’s also quieter and softer to walk on, too.
Natural stone
Natural stone offers a variety of colours, textures and sizes that can suit many schemes whilst also being relatively inexpensive to purchase. Just be mindful of slip resistance, as some stone can become quite slippy in the wet.
Natural stone also requires regular sealing. Without sealing, the stone can deteriorate and also change colour.
For example, over time, it may begin to feature white dots on its surface – the result of calcium deposits in the stone reacting with water and air to produce an unsightly white ‘bloom’, this is added to the lichens that may start to cling to the stone – not ideal if you have meticulously colour-matched your natural stone to other elements within your garden or home.
The comparison
To help you make your decision for your outdoor flooring, take a look at our comparison matrix below. Finally, if you would like any help or advice on flooring, get in touch with our friendly team who are on hand to offer you guidance and support. You can call them on 024 7643 9943.
| Millboard | Wood | Natural Stone | Concrete Slabs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fading | Slow | Quick | Natural and uneven | Slow |
| Maintenance | Low Cleaning: Simply brush with soapy water a couple of times a year Treatment: None needed | High Check for rotting | Medium Natural stone also | High Some options require |
| Warping | Does not warp, rot, twist or split along the grain | Very prone to warping, rotting, twisting and splitting along the grain | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Cost to purchase | High | Low - high | Low - very high | Low - medium |
| Annual cost to maintain | Low | High | Medium - high | Medium - high |
| For more information | www.millboard.co.uk | www.tdca.org.uk www.deckinghero.com | www.pavingexpert.com | www.pavingexpert.com |
