Four Seasons
In autumn, we can admire how the leaves change their colors, creating unique color compositions. This bit of natural uniqueness is also offered by modern, wood-composite Wood Plastic Composite boards, which break away from the artificial plastic look, focusing on delicate, natural design, durability and comfortable use. Piotr Lisowski, an expert at JAF Polska, talks about this unusual solution.
A distinguishing feature of modern composite boards is the content of wood flour. This type of use results not only from ecology. Thanks to the flour, the terrace heats up much less in the sun. Wood, unlike plastic, is an insulator, so it has a lower permeation coefficient. The presence of natural fibers also owes the natural appearance of the terrace. It is worth knowing that the natural feature of this solution is a rapid reaction to UV rays and atmospheric precipitation. As a result, the color of the boards changes slightly and normalizes during the first months after installation. This process is called seasoning.
Seasoning of WPC terrace boards
WPC composite boards are an ecological material, among others thanks to the use of high-quality wood fibers from deciduous trees to produce flour. Therefore, there is a process of wood oxidation in the composite board, which we call seasoning. According to the technology and product information, after installation and exposure to weather conditions such as water and UV rays, the boards "mature" during the first weeks and their appearance changes slightly. The maturing of the boards is related to the process of oxidation of lignin and cellulose. In addition, waxes, fats and tannins contained in wood flour - substances of organic origin - are washed out from the surface of the board. A small amount of pigment and post-production dust, which is generated during factory sanding of the boards, is also lost.
Gardin Natur Golden Tek
The share of natural filler can be found primarily in wooden-style terrace boards. Examples include boards from the Gardin Natur collection with a characteristic three-dimensional grain or the Silvadec Elegance collection. As you can see, design, durability and comfortable operation are just some of their advantages.
- The idea behind the Gardin NATUR and DECO composite terrace collection is to give them features that will make them resemble natural wood boards as closely as possible - both in appearance and touch. There are no two identical pieces of wood in nature. Therefore, the boards should not look 100% the same. For this purpose, various colored inorganic pigments are added to Gardin. These include pigments in shades of black, gray and blue, soot and wood flour from deciduous trees in various shades. Their number and proportions are variable, thanks to which we obtain a unique appearance of the boards. Moreover, a 3D wood pattern is embossed on the surface of the board. The patented production technology allows you to obtain a natural appearance of composite boards, without losing their functional advantages and the need for regular impregnation. Now even a WPC terrace can sparkle with colors - explains Piotr Lisowski, expert at JAF Polska.
Gardin Deco boards are also double-sided and two-colored, so we can easily change the appearance of the entire terrace.
Colors of nature
We already know that there are composite boards for nature fans that skillfully imitate the processes occurring in nature. The three-dimensional grain gently changes its shade over time, just like wood. Fortunately, just like in the case of patination of wooden boards, we have nothing to worry about.
- Seasoning does not affect the technical properties of the product. This is a purely aesthetic issue and is absolutely not a defect of the boards. The process is uneven and depends mainly on local exposure to sun and rain - reassures Piotr Lisowski from JAF Polska.
A terrace for summer, not for summer
No wonder that composite terraces are becoming more and more popular. Composite will never fully convey the pleasure of contact with real wood, but it has other advantages. It is worth balancing them individually. For one person, the prospect of seasonal oiling of a terrace made of wooden boards is a nice idea for a Saturday, for another it is a complete waste of time. It is worth knowing the differences between individual materials in order to make this decision consciously. A terrace made of exotic, thermal or composite wood, properly selected to our needs and professionally installed, is not only a decoration. This is a great home investment that will serve us for years.
