Comparing Important Features of Wood Deck Tiles
Interlocking wood deck tiles are possibly one of the quickest and easiest way of resurfacing an existing porch, balcony, patio, veranda or even an existing weathered wood deck. But if the area you intend to cover is particularly large, it can be quite a significant investment, so you obviously want to ensure that the tiles will stand up to the weather and remain looking good as long as possible. So before rushing out to purchase any tile, what are the main factors that should be taken into consideration in choosing a wood deck tile?
Durability - Most importantly for a tile which will be exposed to all weather, is whether it will survive the extreme climatic variations in your local region. So if the tiles will be fully exposed to the weather all year, then check the durability rating of the wood species to ensure that the wood is rated as high as possible in durability. One good place to check this is with the USDA Forest Products Laboratory who maintain a database on most of the major wood species available in the world.
Wood thickness - Many tiles are manufactured to meet a specific price point dictated by the Big Box stores so this involves somewhat of a compromise in terms of appearance and function. Whilst a tile with thinner slats may be perfectly OK from a structural viewpoint, it may look rather flimsy or cheap and potentially could have more problems under certain climatic conditions with twisting, warping and cupping.
Style options - If you would prefer your new deck or patio to look somewhat more stylish then you may wish to consider a range of deck tiles which is available in different styles or even different sizes of tiles. But even with a standard tile with slats all running in the same direction, it’s still possible to create different patterns by changing the direction in which you lay the wood tile on the surface. And fortunately with interlocking tiles, it’s very easy to take up the tiles and re-lay them if the first pattern you created was not to your liking
Accessories - Some manufacturers also supply clip on edge pieces which are designed to attach to the outer row of tiles for an attractive professional finish and also hide the view of the plastic base. This is particularly useful in situations where you are installing the tiles on a ground level patio or on a walkway where an unprotected edge could possibly create a tripping hazard.
Plastic base - Many different materials are used for the plastic base on interlocking wood deck tiles, but the most common plastic materials are polyethylene and polypropylene which tend to have the best balance of properties in terms of stiffness, durability and strength. Other materials used include EVA and PVC. Generally speaking PVC would not be recommended for deck tiles in fully exposed conditions. With any plastic material however is essential that the polymer is specifically designed for exterior use and has UV inhibitors included in the polymer
Wood to base attachment method - If the tiles are to be fully exposed to rain or the underneath of the tiles will be in contact with water for at least some periods, then the method of attaching the basic base to the wood slats can be quite important. Lower cost tiles often use cheaper “corrosion resistant” or electro plated wood screws rather than stainless steel screws as used by the more expensive wood tiles. If you are living in a marine environment in particular, you would probably only consider tiles which use stainless steel screws. There is however an alternative method used by a few manufacturers which involves inserting plastic pins into holes drilled into the wood slats.
Interlocking method - The most common interlocking mechanism is probably the loop and pin design whereby the tile with loops on one edge is meshed with another tile which has corresponding pins on the edge. So on each tile there are two sides with pins and the other two sides with loops. The alternative interconnecting method involves a tile which is totally symmetrical. This has advantages in terms of the ability to lift up a tile from the centre of the deck without moving any of the surrounding tiles, and it’s also somewhat easier and quicker to lay the tiles than with the loop and pin design.
Warranty - You should always check the warranty period that is offered by a tile manufacturer since these can vary enormously from just 12 months to up to 10 years from other manufacturers. To a large extent, the warranty is related to the durability of the wood that is used and whether stainless steel or less corrosion resistant screws are used. If you are in installing the tiles in a cupboard or semi-covered area then a shorter warranty may not be so important but if the tiles are designed for fully exposed exterior situations, then you can probably assume that a tile with a longer warranty will last much longer than a tile with very short warranty
In your research, you will probably note that the prices of wood deck tiles can vary quite considerably and the above notes will hopefully give some pointers as to why there is a difference in the price points between the cheapest and the most expensive tiles.