Liniar’s ultimate guide to holiday home decking

When choosing an outdoor living space for your holiday home there are many things to consider. Industry-leading PVCu decking manufacturer Liniar is here to help, with a practical guide to choosing the right holiday home decking for your lodge or caravan.

The outdoor living space of your holiday home is an area you’re likely to spend countless hours of enjoyment with your family and friends.

It makes sense for the deck you choose to fit not only the style of your holiday home but also your lifestyle. Before you begin, it’s important to speak with your park operator, especially prior to purchasing decking or contracting with an installation company.

Many holiday home parks prefer to work with specific brands or installation companies and may have rules in place to this effect. Once you’re cleared to go ahead, here are some points to consider before selecting the perfect deck for your holiday home:

Warranties for peace of mind

It’s worth starting at the end of the process – would you have recourse if anything should go wrong in the future? Look for products with a warranty against discolouration – you’d be surprised how many decking systems don’t offer this. For example, Liniar’s SwitchBoard decking carries a limited warranty that assures colourfastness and guarantees the products won’t rot, rust, split or warp for a minimum of 10 years.

Liniar’s sub-frame systems and balustrade are also covered. For more information on Liniar’s warranties, visit www.liniar.co.uk/warranties.

Sub-frame for a solid foundation

A decking area that will withstand many summers of barbecues and hold up under harsh winter storms is reliant upon a good foundation. The sub-frame of your holiday home’s decking is typically manufactured from either timber or galvanised steel.

Whilst timber is the most common medium for sub-frames, it does have its drawbacks. The nature of timber makes it more susceptible to water incursion and thus rot.

Whilst it can be treated, this type of sub-frame may require maintenance and needs to be checked annually for rot damage. Liniar’s galvanised steel sub-frame is weatherproof, robust and durable enough for the UK’s ever-changing weather.

It’s strong enough for mobility scooters and family activities whilst requiring no ongoing maintenance – with the added bonus that it complies with fire safety regulations for your family’s peace of mind.

Deckboards built to last

Like your sub-frame, the type of deckboard you choose needs to suit your lifestyle and be hardy enough to stand up to the harsh British weather.

You can choose from three types of deckboards: timber, composite and PVCu. For decades, timber decking has been the most common for property owners to choose. Timber, while widely available, can rot quite quickly in a damp environment, especially in locations by the sea.

Not only can timber decking become very slippery when wet, it also requires sanding, painting and staining on a regular basis to keep it looking its best. The main benefit of choosing PVCu or composite deckboards is the lack of ongoing maintenance required.

Built to last, these deckboards are often environmentally friendly (made from recycled PVCu) and only require an occasional wash down with warm soapy water – making them ideal for holiday home living.

Liniar decking ranges are designed to be easy and quick to install, offer a choice of modern, nature-inspired colours and are family friendly. Liniar decking is made in Britain and is fully tested, with both anti-slip and anti-wear properties to British Standards, Class 1Y fire safety ratings and stain resistance to pesky spills.

Accessibility

For easy access to your holiday home, you can choose fully matching steps or ramps that offer access for mobility scooters or wheelchairs. Gates can add a secure access point and storage can be built underneath if required, keeping the deck itself clear for enjoying the sunshine.

The finishing touches

Finally. to give your outdoor living area the perfect finish, you could consider the following:

• What kind of skirting do you prefer? On a raised deck, vertical skirting can look effective instead of the more traditional horizontal.
• Do you want the balustrade around the deck to have matching pickets, glass pickets or glass panels?
• Would you like any full privacy panels including for hot tub areas?
• How about adding lights to the top of posts for evening entertaining?

The Liniar outdoor range offers a wide variety of accessories to help give your holiday home an effortless, beautiful finish. For more information about Liniar’s decking ranges including the dual-sided 150mm SwitchBoard composite PVCu decking, visit www.liniar.co.uk/decking.