If you’ve been looking for decking solutions, you might have come across ceramic decking. It is one of the newest and most superior options in the decking market, with unrivalled properties. So why is it becoming so popular? Three main reasons: durability, low maintenance, and fire resistance. With increasing awareness of fire safety, homeowners are turning to ceramic decking to help limit fire spread.

Exadeck boards from Fire Deck

Let’s look at what ceramic decking is. Exadeck is the flagship ceramic decking solution from Fire Deck. The decking boards are much thicker than traditional porcelain tiles, with a 26mm depth. They’re extruded to create holes through the centre, which reduces the weight while boosting strength by evenly distributing loads.  Circles are one of the strongest shapes in architectural design. At a glance, ceramic decking resembles real timber, with printed designs on the surface. The overall structure will appear familiar – it looks like composite decking, but better.

Ceramic is heavier than aluminium, which is something to consider depending on your installation area. In your average garden, this doesn’t present an issue. The weight makes it robust and prevents wind uplift when used with our clips.

If you’re thinking more about the lifecycle of the products you buy, you’re not alone. It’s important to consider how decking is made and ensure that it’s as sustainable as possible. Exadeck contains at least 41% recycled material, and we recycle residual water, meeting the ISO 14001 standards to minimise our impact on the environment and reduce our carbon footprint. Designed to disassemble, boards can be recycled or reused.  Archiproducts awarded Exadeck the winner of 2022 for sustainability. The expected lifespan of ceramic, which is essentially porcelain, is over 100 years, making it a great choice for a durable, long-lasting outdoor space in your garden.

Snap, Crack and Rot: I’m not talking about your breakfast cereal. These are real issues that you might face from composite or real timber decking. Wood, including its composite forms, can splinter and warp. As moisture is absorbed, the form expands, warping and moving the decking structure, creating unsightly (and potentially unsafe) gaps. Ceramic is vitrified with a water absorption rate of <0.5%, therefore has minimal movement. The vitrification also makes it frostproof and weatherproof.

Exadeck Oak fixed to Wallbarn aluminium rails

These properties make the decking low maintenance and durable. Water, especially salt water, is corrosive so the more resistance, the better. If you live by the sea, and you regularly replace your decking, ceramic decking will put paid to that. There is no requirement to seal the boards at all. The vitrification process hardens the boards so much that it’s also scratch proof. You’ll replace boards far less often than any alternative decks, saving time and money. Ceramic is one of the lowest maintenance materials for outdoor spaces.

Fun fact: the print finish is topped with a matt glaze that is UV resistant. The colour doesn’t fade and the print is embedded, so there’s no need for treatments or colour restorers; you can also forget about woodworm treatments. For the best-looking deck, look for designs with a high number of variations to avoid repeating patterns. Exadeck has 17 variations of each colour. The Exadeck finishes are HD premium timber designs impregnated into the board.

Exadeck Oak Square-Edge boards

HOW TO INSTALL

Start by measuring your space. For uneven terrain, you will need to decide whether to pour a concrete platform or use adjustable pedestals with aluminium or timber rails to create a level platform. Substructure centres should be 405mm-600mm apart. Boards can be arranged in linear and staggered layouts. Simply slide W clips through the channels and secure them using a T15 Torx drill bit to screw the clip into your rail. Starter clips hold the boards in place for each row.

Using a wet diamond blade, you can cut the boards to fit your space. Due to its strength, you cannot bend Exadeck to create a curved board. Instead, you can inset the boards into an area, cutting the boards to fit into circular and curved patterns, using aggregate or edging to conceal the exposed edge. Square-edges are available for exposed edge designs.

SAFETY FIRST

One of the biggest reasons to choose ceramic is the fire rating. Exadeck has the highest possible rating, Class A1, making it the safest choice. House fires are absolutely devastating. We understand how critical it is to keep your family safe, which is why SAFETY FIRST is our motto. Ceramic decking minimises fire spread.  You can have peace of mind when barbequing and using fire pits in your garden.

Slip resistance is another safety concern when it comes to decking. All types of decking undergo a slip resistance PTV test. When reading these test reports, check the barefoot and shoe pendulum rating. The higher the number, the higher the slip resistance. Look for a good slip rating of R11 or above, the equivalent to a PTV test result between 34-51. Materials like ceramic, that are dense and non-porous, with minimal water absorption, are more slip resistant. The slip rating for Exadeck is R12, at PTV 66.

Exadeck Antico installed in residential garden

Weighing over the vast range of benefits that ceramic decking offers over aluminium, composite and timber decking, it’s easy to see why homeowners are making the switch.

For more information, visit www.firedeck.uk or call 01264 311 113.