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What types of decking boards can you buy in the UK?
Three families cover almost everything: timber, composite and aluminium.
| Type | What it is | Typical price signal |
|---|---|---|
| Timber boards | Pressure-treated softwood, or hardwood | Wickes lists treated boards at £7 to £25 each |
| Composite boards | Plastic with wood fibre or minerals, hollow or solid | £24 to £39 per 4 m board among those we’ve checked |
| Aluminium boards | Extruded metal planks | Specialist; AliDeck lists a 120 mm board 20 mm deep |
Timber costs least up front. Composite costs more and mostly needs washing. Aluminium boards are a specialist product. AliDeck’s 20 mm Lite board is rated A2-s1,d0 for fire, which is useful where a project specifies a fire class, such as a roof terrace or balcony.
What sizes do decking boards come in?
Timber boards in Wickes’ range are 25 by 120 mm in 1.8, 2.4 and 3.6 m, and a “Pro” 27 by 144 mm board in 2.4, 3.6 and 4.8 m. Composite boards run 134 to 200 mm wide and 21 to 32 mm thick, in lengths from 3.6 to 4.87 m.
Lengths are where people lose money. A 2.4 m board, a 3.6 m board and a 4.8 m board each suit a different deck run, and a mismatch means offcuts. Our board sizes guide has a table showing waste for each combination. If your run is 3.6 m, a 3.6 m board needs no cut, while a 4 m board throws away 10 percent of every board.
What do decking boards cost?
Wickes’ timber boards cost between £7 and £25 each, which works out at roughly £3 to £4.30 per metre. The 25 by 120 mm board in 2.4 m is £8, the 27 by 144 mm “Pro” board in 4.8 m is £25. Wickes doesn’t say whether those include VAT.
For composite, the verified prices we hold are £24.32 to £38.99 per 4 m board on Cladco and Envirobuild pages, all including VAT where stated. The prices page turns each into a price per m² with the date we checked.
How do you choose decking boards for a garden?
Start with how much upkeep you’ll do. A treated softwood board needs sealing, oiling or staining regularly: Wickes’ own board page tells you to treat all sides with deck seal, oil or stain. Composite doesn’t. Then check the practical limits.
- Joist spacing: composite boards want closer joists than most people expect, 300 to 400 mm depending on the maker. Timber boards are less fussy.
- Warranty: Wickes’ treated board has a five year anti-rot guarantee. Composite warranties run 10 to 30 years.
- Weight: hollow composite is light, solid is heavy. That matters on a roof or a balcony.
- Cut ends: hollow boards need end caps, and Cladco recommends its own. Solid boards don’t.
On a budget, Cladco describes hollow boards as the lighter, cheaper choice for domestic gardens and solid boards as the denser, tougher one for high traffic.
How many decking boards do I need?
Divide the deck width by board width plus gap to get rows, multiply by the run for metres, divide by board length and add waste. EnviroBuild says to allow 5 to 10 percent for cuts and 15 percent or more for diagonal or herringbone layouts. The board calculator does it for you, and the steps guide covers the boards you’ll need for stairs.
Questions
What is the difference between a decking board and a deck board?
None. Both words describe the same planks. "Deck board" is the American spelling that has crept into UK searches, so you will see both on product pages.
What are decking panels?
Decking panels are usually tiles that clip together, or fence-style boards sold as a panel. For a deck you can walk on without a frame, look at decking tiles. For a framed deck you want boards.
How many 4.8 m decking boards do I need?
Divide your total board length by 4.8 and add waste. A 4.8 by 3 m deck with 145 mm boards and a 5 mm gap has 21 rows, so 21 boards of 4.8 m before waste, with no cuts because the run matches the board. Run your own sizes through the board calculator, which also warns when offcuts can't be reused.
Are decking boards sold per board or per m²?
Both. Timber usually sells per board or per metre, composite per board or pack, and some retailers quote coverage per board so you can work out the m² price. The prices page converts them to one unit.