Marley CitiDeck® timber decking is the perfect accompaniment to the whimsical treehouse designs and imaginative play structures made by Huubie Build.
With the Marley range of quality European Redwood boards, it’s all hands on deck for builders. Professional Builder’s Lee Jones finds out more.
In recent times we’ve learnt to appreciate the great outdoors like never before, and that’s equally true of our gardens. Homeowners are now treating it as another room in the property, that should be utilised year-round, and that’s reflected in the amount that’s being invested in the sector. Indeed, recent research has revealed that landscaping is actually one of the most cost-effective ways of adding value to a house price.
With its European Redwood decking range, Marley is championing the natural and renewable beauty of timber, a material that weathers attractively, introduces inherent warmth into garden features, blends with its surroundings, and is perfectly in tune with our new-found enthusiasm for our environment.
Within the Marley range there are two anti-slip options. AntiSlip Plus® achieves its enhanced safety credentials through bauxite inserts in a standard grey and is available either castellated or smooth. CitiDeck® features flint-based anti-slip inserts, which provide a softer finish, and is always a smooth board. “CitiDeck was specifically developed for the London 2012 Olympics, with an inclusivity agenda at its heart,” explains Laura Qualters, Area Sales Manager for Marley’s decking products. “Traditional grooved boards are actually quite onerous on wheelchair users, in particular, so we set about introducing an anti-slip board with a smooth finish. The benefits don’t stop there, of course, because it’s also easier to clean, and exhibits a modern and contemporary finish that is much in vogue in either a residential or commercial setting.”
Anti-slip
The cost of anti-slip decking compares very favourably with its composite counterpart, and these higher quality boards are a specification that homeowners are increasingly choosing. Given the vagaries of the great British weather it greatly extends the times when a timber deck can be safely used – immediately after a heavy rain shower, for instance – and would, of course, be the sensible choice around hot tubs or pools. Furthermore, all Marley’s anti-slip decking is supplied with the added assurance of testing for slip resistance by the Health and Safety Laboratory.
Timber remains the most environmentally friendly landscape material available, a fact that’s now a key determiner in consumer purchasing decisions. Thanks to a pressure impregnated water-based preservative the decking is protected against rot, fungal decay and insect attack, whilst European Redwood as a species absorbs treatment particularly well. Moreover – and contrary to popular belief – with a high quality product such as Marley’s, there’s no need to retreat the timber once installed and, depending on usage, it will enjoy a thirty-year desired service life. On-going maintenance is, in fact, merely a matter of removing surface debris, and an annual brush up with a purpose-made deck cleaning product is all that’s needed.
European Redwood is already one of the most attractive options in exterior projects, and its appearance and strength is further enhanced with Marley’s visual assessment to a minimum C16 standard. Grading of this kind eliminates strength reducing characteristics that may be present – such as abnormal knots or distortion – and the in-house process is third-party accredited by BM TRADA, who audit the manufacturer’s production processes annually. “Thanks to that process, an installer knows that when they see boards with our stamp on, they’re guaranteed to a certain quality,” continues Laura. “In addition, grading provides a level of confidence when longer spans or heavy loadings are specified in commercial jobs because they know it can be achieved safely.”
Supply chain certified
All Marley timber decking is supplied with PEFC or FSC supply chain certification, confirming that it is sourced from sustainably managed forests. The manufacturer is also certified by the Timber Trade Federation as a Responsible Timber Purchaser meaning it has implemented and demonstrated a due diligence process for timber products placed on the UK market.
Marley also runs a series of CPD (Continuing Professional Development) seminars which contractors can engage with. Builders can then achieve a deeper understanding of what constitutes a quality timber decking material, considerations when choosing a board, as well as an appreciation of the journey from source to manufacturing and installation.
For further information on the CPD visit: www.marley.co.uk/cpd/timber-decking
For further information on the Marley Decking range visit www.marley.co.uk/decking
For more information on Huubie Build visit https://www.huubiebuild.com/
