Decking - ribbed or smooth

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ssnrcs

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Have just priced materials for a 20 m2 deck (700Euro) for riibed decking. However provider gave a personal recommendation against ribbed decking. Suggested that although ribbed was designed to prevent slipping, actually it was more slippery then smooth/flat decking as smooth deck let water run off easier. Anyone any idea/experience of which is better?
Note smooth deck is approx 150Euro more expensive.
 
Re: Decking Ribbed or smooth

Ribbed decking is indeed very slipey when wet and lethal when frost gets at it. Nearly broke my neck on it a few times. Don't know about the smooth decking. Seems a little odd that it is more expensive?
 
Re: Decking Ribbed or smooth

Your provider sounds like a very good sales man with a stack of smooth decking to off load. I install a lot of decks and always use ribbed boards. As for water run off a deck should always drop away from the house by at least 2mm to stop water sitting and is not noticable.
I buy from a landscape and patio centre in the Jamestown business park, very
reasonable prices

Phone James @ 0874198936

Hope this is of some help.
 
Re: Decking Ribbed or smooth

Have you considered perhaps NOT installing a deck in favour of a surface that is more suited to a wet climate?

Surely the decking craze is well past its peak?
 
Re: Decking Ribbed or smooth

I also heard at the weekend that ribbed was more slippy and more maintenance was required.

But the simple solution was to installed the ribbed decking upside down !! The ribbed was cheaper to buy but then installed face down - does the trick !
 
Re: Decking Ribbed or smooth

I put down ribbed boards on my own deck some years ago and have no problems with it. Ribbed boards should be safer when dry as the surface area of the board in contact with bare feet/ footwear is greater. Wet decks (ribbed or smooth) are certainly a hazard and I avoid going near the decked area during the worst of the winter weather. This is going to be a problem with any wet, smooth planed timber. You could use a rough sawn (unplaned) decking board but this could present nasty splinters and would encourage standing water and algae growth over time. A ribbed board will tend to resist cupping and cracking better in my experience.
 
or you could try a composite deck from the likes of Fiberon - no maintenance and I'm told resists mould
 
Kiwi thanks for the number, gave them a ring - similar price to what I had.

Extopia - the decking craze may be past it's peak..... but my wife wants to keep up with Jones .... so no choice !!:p

Had never heard of Fiberon before. Did a google and got this quote
"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fiberon decking is perfect for your outdoor swimming pool or for homes near the water. It will not warp, rot, crack, splinter, cup, or split and is actually more slip resistant when wet! You can't beat Fiberon decking for above ground pool deck designs"[/FONT]

Interesting, but haven't come across a supplier ....anyone any knowledge of it ?
 
i can't remember who it was with, but I had some interaction with a supplier who posted me stuff. 2 issues with it..its more expensive....what benefit is an everlasting deck top if the frame itself is made of wood underneath which will warp?
 
Sorry if this is going off topic, but can anyone recommend a good antislip prepartion for decking????
 
Fiberon Luxury Living Ballysimon Rd Limerick Limerick T (061)318888 F (061)318889
 
From previous experience of a smooth deck that was south facing, it dried out really quickly and I rarely experienced slipping/slidey feeling.
However a friend with ribbed decking in a north/east aspect found that it was slippy.
 
It's funny that people consider the decking as a craze - the alternatives in Ireland are concrete/paving slabs, gravel or just dont install decking. All have there pros and cons - I for one like decking, irrespective of the level relative to the house/garden because I have two kids, and when the weather is crap and you want them outside but not on the grass because it is soggy, it is a great place to let them play around on. I put a rail around mine to cage them in. I never had problems with slipping, because I have a south facing garden, but almost broke my neck on my friend's decking because his is shaded in places by a high wall and is lethal as a result.
 
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