Five composite decking ideas to inspire your backyard transformation

10 June 2024

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With all the versatility, colour and grain of natural timber, minus the maintenance, composite decking is a busy homeowner’s best friend.

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Building & Renovating Materials & Craft Outdoor living Composite decking Decking Millboard Decking

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Millboard Decking

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Amber Suckling

If you’re considering a backyard transformation, chances are your plans include a timber element. Timber lends warmth and character to a space, and whether it’s a deck, planter boxes, or bench seats, there are a myriad of ways to incorporate timber into your landscape. While timber is a great material, it does have its shortcomings; most timbers are prone to rot, mould and fungi attacks, swelling, warping, and fading, with regular maintenance required to keep these afflictions at bay. For a low-maintenance timber alternative, people often turn to composite decking, however, as many composite decking products have a fake, plastic look, the timber illusion can be hard to achieve. Fortunately, Millboard Decking has a solution.

“Millboard Decking is the only composite that is moulded from lengths of real timber, capturing the natural beauty of wood without the maintenance,” says Amanda Pook from Millboard Decking.

“Made from a unique resin-mineral composition, the boards contain no wood and no plastic. There’s no question that Millboard is the most realistic looking composite on the market.”

If you want the look of timber, but don’t want the upkeep, composite decking is the way to go. Plus, just as versatile as timber, composite decking can be applied in several creative ways throughout your landscape. ArchiPro spoke with Amanda Pook from Millboard Decking to learn more about composite decking and discover five great ways you can use it in your backyard.

"Selamanya House can be found on the beautiful Burleigh canals, only minutes from Burleigh Beach in the Gold Coast QLD. A simple material palette of weatherboards, stone, timber screens, and large glazing panels all create a luxury coastal feel."

One: traditional decking

Starting with the most common application, composite decking is a low-maintenance alternative to a traditional timber deck.

“Composite decking allows you to extend your outdoor living space and create a seamless indoor-outdoor flow, with a range of colours to choose from across our collection,” Pook says.

“With composite decking, you don’t need to worry about the ongoing maintenance costs associated with the upkeep of timber including regular oiling, painting or sealing. This means you can spend more time doing the things you love instead of the chore of maintenance. You also don’t have to worry about the boards fading or changing colour over time like you would with a natural timber deck. The boards are highly scratch and stain resistant, too.”

"Millboard Smoked Oak was the decking colour of choice for this beautiful home as it ticked all the boxes. The classic silver grey colour complementing the soft calming pallet of the home as it wrapped around the front porch and pool area."

"The pool area is impressive, with a huge 10m x 6m pool allowing plenty of room for the family and friends to enjoy. Millboard decking was used around the pool perimeter and flowing into the pool house, a safe choice with its high anti-slip rating (P5)."

Two: around the pool

As an alternative to tile, concrete, or stone, composite decking is a great addition to your pool area.

“Composite decking helps soften the area around your pool to break up the tiles, concrete or stonework, with the additional benefit of being virtually maintenance free. Millboard, in particular, boasts an anti-slip rating of P5 — the highest rating available in Australia, making them safe when wet.”

“Millboard will also never rot, warp or host mould or algae, another great reason to use the decking around the pool area.”

For families with children, the anti-slip rating is key, reducing the risk of injuries around the pool. Plus, as it’s less likely to grow mould or fungi than tile, concrete, stone, or regular timber, you’ll spend less time maintaining the pool and more time maintaining your tan.

"The extensive decking area features an outdoor dining suite and sunken fire pit with a seating area before flowing into the tennis court, then continuing to wrap around the swimming pool. The Golden Oak decking boards are used as pool coping all the way to the edge."

Three: edging and bench seats

Whether you’re building a fire pit, picnic table, or steps from the deck, Millboard has you covered.

“There are several beautiful edging boards available including a rounded Bullnose Edge board perfect for bench seating, decking perimeter, or steps.” Pook says.

As Millboard is made from a resin-mineral composition, the boards are more stable compared to timber or wood-plastic composites. They also don’t need any minimum clearance from the ground. This means they can be fixed in a variety of different ways, from bench seating and table tops to daybeds. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about leaving large expansion gaps as you do with other composite decking boards; you can butt the boards up tight together, even doing away with breaker boards.

“One of the most unique features of the Millboard decking is the secret fixing system. Other composites require a fiddly clip system to fix the boards down, allowing for the expansion and contraction that occurs with the plastic in the boards. With Millboard, you can just top fix like normal decking using the unique Millboard DuraFix stainless steel screws. They have a special 'lost-head' fixing and they disappear into the boards so you don't see them — no pre-drilling or countersinking required!”

A dramatic statement in textured black, this Weathered Oak board in the colour 'Embered' is inspired by the Japanese 'Yakisugi' technique — the perfect mix of modern-day style and tradition.

Four: planter boxes, storage boxes, and feature walls

Taking advantage of the Millboard's rounded Bullnose Edge board, you can create a soft finish on your planter boxes, storage boxes, day beds and more. The decking boards themselves can also be used as feature walls for your entertainment area. For a rustic look, Millboard’s Weathered Oak collection — available in three colours — can be used to create a textural planter wall.

“The Weathered Oak collection is moulded from oak timbers that are over a century-old and hand-coloured with authentic tones. Providing a timeless look, the Weathered Oak range retains its natural beauty and offers a surface with minimal maintenance and very high slip-resistance even in wet conditions.”

"This incredible garden was designed by award winning landscape designer and horticulturist Phillip Johnson, a winner of the prestigious Chelsea Flower & Garden Show, Best in Show Award. With tranquility and sustainability in mind, the Millboard Vintage Oak decking seamlessly complements the surrounding Native Australian planting."

Five: natural Australian garden

If you’re keen to incorporate native plants into your new backyard, the Weathered Oak collection makes a great companion.

“Replicating a 100-year-old railway sleeper, without the splinters, the Weathered Oak Vintage decking blends perfectly with native Australian flora and fauna,” Pook says.

Learn more about Millboard Decking.