Beautiful Wood Decking with Porcelain Paving Performance

The Deckwood Range is designed to bring you the look and feel of a timber garden deck, with all the character and beauty of natural wood, but using porcelain paving technology to overcome many of the shortcomings found with wood decking.

With a 1200 x 295 mm paving slab format, Deckwood Porcelain planks closely mimic the look, feel and size of timber decking, incorporating a variety of wood grain patterns, with knots, saw marks and other characteristic elements seen in timber planking.

High-Performance Vitrified Porcelain

Porcelain paving is vitreous, meaning that just like glass, it is non-porous/impermeable and does not absorb water. Porcelain becomes vitrified when its constituent ceramic clays are subjected to very high temperatures in kilns (1400 °C) and the ceramic materials melt and become fused at the molecular level - creating a glass-like impermeable material that is incredibly strong and durable as well as being waterproof. These properties of high-strength, durability and waterproof-impermeability are what makes porcelain ideal for paving products.

• Long-lasting - because vitrified porcelain paving is impermeable, very strong and hard-wearing, it has inherent advantages that ensure it will last for many years once installed.
• Scratch-resistant - porcelain paving is very strong and very hard, consisting of molecularly fused clays and particulates that through the vitrification process become bounded into what could be considered a homogeneous slab. This hardness and strength mean it is innately abrasion-resistant and difficult to scratch or mark.
• Waterproof - just like glass, porcelain has a vitrified composition, which means water-absorption levels are so low it is considered waterproof. This impermeability means the porcelain is not subject to freeze-thaw erosion or intrusion into its surface from most organic or chemical erosion processes, too.
• Frost-proof - porcelain paving does not absorb water, so it is not affected by frost cycles and erosion that can weaken stone and concrete over time as absorbed water expands and contracts as ice within the slab.
• Stain-resistant - being vitrified (like glass) and waterproof means porcelain paving is harder to stain with gardening chemicals, BBQ spills or the odd glass of red wine that takes a tumble. Porcelain is also resistant to organic staining from fallen leaves, mulch, soil, fruits, seeds and other materials that commonly fall or spill and end up on your patio.
• Slip-Resistant - this paving has a high slip-resistance rating (R11 Anti-Slip) which it gets from the inherent properties of porcelain non-porous vitrified impermeability and the surface finish anti-slip technology. So it offers much better sure-footedness than other forms of paving.
• Algae-Resistant- the impermeable characteristics of porcelain paving make it very difficult for algae to take hold and develop, and easy to remove too if it tries!
• Fade Resistant - natural stone is often susceptible to UV sunlight bleaching where overtime the natural pigments and hues of the stone will fade. With porcelain paving, UV resistant pigments and technologies are used to ensure that your porcelain patio slabs will not fade and keep their colour and vibrancy.
• Low-Maintenance - non-porous porcelain paving, like glass, can be easily cleaned and maintained with soapy water. Simply brush it down, mop it and wash it off once ever six-months - that should do the trick and keep your patio in top-notch condition!
• Engineered Rectified-Edges - Deckwood Porcelain tiles are carefully machined to create a rectified-edge. A rectified-edge floor tile is one whose edges are perfectly vertical with respect to its surface. This is a result of precise machining of a regular tile so that each of the four sides will be at a 90° angle to the top and bottom faces of the tile.

Timber Garden Decking vs Wood-Effect Porcelain

The aesthetics and beauty of timber garden decking are self-evident, but whilst it looks great, there are some downsides that anyone who has owned one, will know:

• Slippery - when garden decking is wet or has the barest hint of frost, it can be as precarious as an ice-rink.
• Algae - Decks can be prone to green algae, especially in shaded areas, with the algae adding to the overall slipperiness
• Limited lifetime - Whether you treat or oil wood, it is prone to decay, with softwoods and cheaper treatments providing short lifespans before the timber needs replacing. Cheaper timber can last as little as 5–8 years, whilst quality timber well maintained and preserved might last up to 20 years in the right conditions - but that would be the exception rather than the rule. Most decks will need replacing probably around 8–15 years from their installation.

Contrast this with wood-effect porcelain paving and the benefits of using this high-performance, durable and easy to live with and maintain product speak for themselves:

• Porcelain Paving R11 Anti-Slip Rated Surface - Deckwood Porcelain product range's anti-slip performance means you can walk on it more sure-footed and safely, including frosty and wet conditions
• Porcelain Paving Algae Resistant - Deckwood Porcelain is vitrified during the intense temperatures of manufacturing making an impermeable non-porous material that, like glass, makes it resistant to algae
• Porcelain Paving Very Strong & Durable - vitrified porcelain is incredibly strong, durable and is almost non-permeable - meaning it is not going to abrade or wear-down, nor break, nor be susceptible to freeze-thaw erosion and weakening, nor algae, rot, or other organic intrusions. Being almost entirely impermeable, it's not going to stain easily too and is easy to clean and maintain.
• Porcelain Paving Lifespan - you can expect your porcelain paving to outlive you and possibly generations to come too.