Bamboo Decking

Bamboo decking is available in both tiles and boards

Decking Options:

Choosing A Good Deck Tile:

There are so many available choices for deck tiles that it can be daunting to select the correct product and material for your project. Each type of material generally has differing advantages and disadvantages which will impact the finished project in one way or another.

Types Of Wood Deck Tiles:

This is a very important aspect when choosing a deck tile because they are normally used outside. You want to pick a wood that offers the very best exterior durability.

One of the most ideal types of wood for deck tiling is bamboo. Bamboo is strong does not splinter easily and when mixed with a plastic composite is available in a wide variety of different colors and designs.

Wood Elements:

As there are so many types of wood that are extremely durable, you should also take into consideration where you live. If you live in an area that has termites, your choice should be narrowed down a bit. Just because a wood has a durability against natural elements, does not mean it will resist termites. Cedar and Redwood are good exterior softwoods for stability and both are resistant to rot, decay and are resistant to termites and other insects.

Another element you should take into consideration is the wood surface. Some woods become rough and splinter after being out in the elements for a period of time. Other woods have different expansion and contraction rates under various conditions. They normally return to their natural state when their normal moisture levels are met. If resistance to fire is an important factor, you will need a wood that offers an “A” rating set by the NFPA like Ipe wood.

Wood planking is available in a wide range of colors as there are many different types of wood. From a soft yellow to a deep red or a rich chocolate brown. Keep in mind, all wood will eventually turn to a soft silvery gray over time. The time frame will depend on how much exposure to UV rays the wood will experience and if the wood has been treated regularly with decking oil.

Environmental Concerns:

For many people, it's really important where the wood comes from. Whether it has been harvested or from a managed forest. There are well-known FSC certification procedures as well as other governmental requirements that may or may not be able to assure the wood was harvested from a legal operation or from an illegal logging company.

The Thickness Of The Wood:

Tiles use wood slats that can be 5/8” (15mm) thick, 3/4” thick or 1/2”thick. This usually will depend on where the tiles will be located and used for and can also depend on the type of wood being used. If the wood tiles will be placed indoors, 1/2” slats might be reasonable, however, in exterior locations, a thicker slat would be a better choice. The biggest problem with using thin slats out in the elements, the wood can experience cupping. This can happen when the underside of the wood is wet while the surface is exposed to the heat from direct sunlight. Again, the cupping will disappear when the proper moisture content is restored to normal.

Plastic-Base Compositions:

These integral plastic bases are used on interlocking deck tiles and may be manufactured from different combinations of plastic including polypropylene, polyethylene, and EVA, to name a few. The leading consideration should be within the plastic's characteristics such as brittleness. If you live in an area that experiences very cold winters, the temperature should play an important part in choosing plastic based tiles and finally the UV stability of the plastic.

All in all, extremely high temperatures are not an issue because plastic processing temperatures are considerably higher than what would exist under normal uses. It's always very important to make sure the plastic of your choice is designed for outdoor use and has a UV stabilizer. If not, the plastic could degrade very quickly especially in strong sunlight.

Interlocking Mechanisms:

At this time, there are only two types of interlocking mechanisms available.

The Loop and Pin Design:

The female connectors on two sides mesh with the male connectors on the other two sides. The female connectors are usually a series of loops that mesh with the pins on the other two sides. The pins easily slip into the slots and as there are no mechanisms to lock in a fixed place, the tiles can be slipped in and out at will. There are other designs that utilize a one-way connector, once the tiles have been snapped into place, it's almost impossible to take them apart. This design would be good for uneven surfaces but you must be extremely careful when laying the tiles down. You will not have the option of relaying these tiles or changing the design.

The downside to the loop and pin design, it takes a great deal of planning as you must start at one corner of the surface and keep on moving from that point on. It's also very difficult to install or remove the design in the middle of the deck or patio without pulling up at least 3 of the surrounding tiles.

The other problem, the outer edge of the final row, will have one tile with loops on the edge and the next with pins on the edge. This means if the manufacturer provides an option of clip-on strips, you will need two types – one will connect with the pins and the other connects to the loops. Also if corner transition pieces are supplied, you will need two types of these as well.

The Symmetrical Design:

This locking mechanism is totally symmetrical so any side of any tile will lock with any side of another tile. This is the design used in the SwiftDeck wood deck tiles. This design makes it a great deal easier for laying down the tiles and you can start at any point you wish. These tiles are also very easy to lift back up. That means, if you need to lift up a given tile, you will not disturb any of the other tiles. This design comes with only one type of click on edging strip and one corner reducer.

This design comes in an array of designs but some manufacturers only provide one design of deck tiles with four slats of wood running in the same direction or possibly 5 or 6 slat tiles.

Other manufacturers, such as SwiftDeck and LinkDeck offer more than one style. You can mix and match different tiles to make an interesting border, center section or other ideas you might come up with. SwiftDeck also offers a double length tile such as SwiftDeck Double-C tile.

Accessories:

If you are covering concrete, you will probably have one open side. All tiles made with an integral plastic base, the outer edge or row will have connecting pins remaining visible unless you can hide them. Some manufacturers will supply optional clip-on transition strips. Corner transition strips are also available for external corners. This will prevent catching on something or someone tripping over the exposed ends.

Some transition strips are made of the same wood as the tiles while other manufacturers provide plastic clip-on edging strips.

Warranties:

Warranties are offered with deck tiles and range anywhere from 12 months to 10 years. In other cases, there are no warranties whatsoever. Other warranties, as a general rule, are limited which only cover defects but do not cover any natural imperfections in the wood. These warranties will not cover the effects of natural weathering of the wood or for tiles that were not installed and/or maintained as recommended.

If you would like to check durability ratings, check out the USDA Forest Service at this link:

http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/Menu.ssi