Composite products have been increasing in popularity over recent years, with a lot more homeowners opting to choose these types of products for their decking, fencing and cladding solutions.
The word composite may seem like a rather obscure one to use in most cases, but all it simply means is something that is made up of several parts or elements.
So, what are the elements that make up composite decking, fencing and cladding you may be wondering? Well, that’s what this guide aims to help you understand.
Composite materials are a blending of two of more materials to form one unique one. In the case of our Piranha products, we blend Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)* certified wood, along with high performance HDPE plastic, which is recycled from things like old plastic bottles, and finally a few additives to help bond the two materials together. These various ingredients provide the outstanding technical properties and aesthetics that you can expect from our composite landscaping solutions.
Once combined, the component parts are then mixed and fed through an extrusion or compression process, cooled, and then embossed with the wood grain pattern to give the products that natural timber effect. They are then dressed, cut and finally inspected ready for packing.
We can’t speak for every manufacturer but specifically for our Piranha products, the extrusion process, along with the use of natural wood and some clever use of pigments, results in variations in shade and finish within the pack so that you are not seeing the same repeated pattern.
The component make-up of our Piranha products consists of:
Choosing to go for any composite product provides you with many benefits over traditional timber products, due to the blend of both its main ingredients, plastic materials and hardwood powder. These benefits include:
• Hard-wearing products – The decking, fencing and cladding are highly durable. They will not rot, warp or split. All of the Piranha range is supplied with a 10 or 25-year domestic warranty.
• Low maintenance – Composite products prove very easy to clean and are less prone to staining than their natural timber counterparts. No painting, staining or varnishing is needed.
• Variety of applications and designs – Our versatile products offer homeowners a wide choice of products, catering to varying tastes and budgets.
Piranha Decking has dual-sided and reversible options, allowing homeowners and designers to create unique designs and contrasting colours.
Piranha Cladding is also available in 2 finishes, so no matter what aesthetic is trying to achieve, there is a composite cladding solution for everyone.
Finally, Piranha Fencing is available in a choice of three colours, offering 2 fence post options. With a range of accessories to choose from, including gates and trellis, installations can be personalised with the perfect finishing touches.
• Good slip resistance – Each decking range is categorised as low potential for slip, whether wet or dry.
• Responsibly Sourced - By choosing Piranha, you are helping to care for the world’s forests, all our wood component is responsibly sourced only using FSC® certified supplies.
• Environmentally aware - We incorporate 6.2 kg of recycled plastic into every square metre of Piranha boards, therefore, for every 323 boards that we manufacture, we save 1000 kg of plastic from going to waste or polluting our environment.
• 100% Recyclable – At the end of service or for any wastage, our Piranha products are 100% recyclable.
Uncapped composite deck boards are made up of the same materials as regular ones, there is no difference between the two. (This does depend on the product – ours is made up of 60% timber, but other boards may have a different % timber content) Uncapped boards, when compared to that of capped alternatives, provide less protection against fading, staining and mould due to the wooden fibres being exposed. Our Hunter range is an uncapped composite product and is supplied with a 10-year guarantee (for domestic applications).
Capped composite boards have an additional process added to their manufacturing, in that, they have an extra layer which is bonded to the core. This provides greater protection against fading and weathering. Our Terrafuzion range is a capped composite product and is supplied with a 25-year guarantee (for domestic applications) with maximum performance against stains and scratches due to its heavy-duty HDPE capping.
If you were unsure of what exactly a composite product was before, we hope this guide has helped you to understand just a little bit more about them. If you’re now considering composite products for your next landscaping projects, then look no further than our Piranha range of composite solutions.
We offer everything to help you get started in your first steps, such as sample packs to help you get hands-on with our products, stockist searches so you can find your local branch, and a list of expert installers, to help you find the best landscapers for your installs.
*Please note that Talasey Ltd are FSC® certified and Piranha Decking & Fencing Solutions is a product of the said company.
