Coastal towns are known for being wet and windy. It’s part of the package – even on beautifully sunny days, there’s a high chance the air is soaked with the blissful smell of sea salt. And when it rains? Well, let’s just say you’ll know about it. It’s because of this high density of moisture in the air that timber finds itself buckling far faster than normal. To fight it, home and lodge owners alike have to spend hours sanding and sealing their decking to help it fend off swelling and rotting.

But there’s only so much you can do. Unless you’re completely committed to letting deck care eat into your free time, you’ll find yourself wondering if the slightly lower price tag was really worth it. Not only that, but timber decking also has a tendency to discolour and shrink under direct sunlight, making it a breeding ground for warping and cracking. Environmental damage is just inevitable. At least for timber decking. Composite decking, however, tells an entirely different story – let’s dig into why you should choose composite decking for coastal gardens.

Widely accepted as a big step forward from traditional wood decking, composite decking is an alternative to timber that can actually withstand the UK’s horrendous weather. Unlike timber, composite decking only expands and contracts when faced with high and low temperatures, but always manages to bounce back once things have petered out. Partnered with its water-resistant makeup – a direct by-product of its unique blend of timber fibres and recycled plastic – composite timber has become a smash hit among coastal home and property owners. Sturdy, stunning, and slip-resistant, composite is easily the best choice for those wet and windy areas.

I think any of us who have had a traditional timber deck back in the day can remember just how much of a pain it was to maintain. The endless and back-breaking sweeping, sanding, and sealing to keep it looking half-decent just isn’t ideal, especially in areas susceptible to strong winds and heavy downpours. Install composite decking for coastal gardens, however, and it only asks that you hose it down and give it a sweep every once in a while. Sold in a range of colours and resistant to fading, our decking boards remove the need for intensive upkeep. Perfect for lodge owners renting out a staycation hotspot who have better things to do with their time than scrub timber decking.

Say you’re a lodge owner renting your property out to a lovely family who are excited about their coastal escape with their kids. The last thing you want is a phone call in the middle of the day telling you that one of their children has slipped and hurt themselves on your decking. Timber is notorious for becoming a slippery surface when wet, which is far from ideal in regions that are known for their moisture. This is just another reason why NeoTimber® recommends composite decking; thanks to its 3D embossed woodgrain effect, our boards provide essential slip resistance that will help you avoid any safety problems.

But if you’re wanting to take even more precautions, we also offer colour-matched anti-slip decking strips that make falling on our decking almost impossible. Accidents happen, but you can count on us to help make sure they rarely do.

All in all, people visit the coast to see the sights. The UK has some breath-taking seaside visages, and you don’t want your property to have any eyesores when compared to our nation’s natural beauty. Rotting and warping wood, however, is a surefire way to ruin the aesthetic of any area, picturesque or otherwise. Thankfully, composite decking is great at enhancing the beauty of coastal homes and lodges. Be it thanks to NeoTimber®’s wide selection of colours or the natural look and finish of each board, we give you a decking alternative that’s simply showstopping, whatever the weather.