CONSULTATION » DECKING » Wood or Aluminum
Which is more suitable for terrace construction? In most cases, the answer is wood – because the risk of screws breaking off is very high with aluminum. Depending on the project and priorities, however, some of the disadvantages of aluminum can be compensated for with the right accessories.
In the following overview, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of wood and aluminum as a substructure. Below you can read a detailed evaluation of the properties in relation to terrace construction.
from BioMaderas
Wingspan:
up to 200cm
Lifespan:
at least 25 years
Delay:
max. 1 %
Environmental balance:
very good
from BioMaderas
Wingspan:
110cm
Lifespan:
practically indestructible
Delay:
max. 0,1 %
Environmental balance:
bad
The prerequisite for a good aluminum substructure is a wall thickness of at least 2 mm and a design with a double web so that the screw sits in two layers of aluminum. Our aluminum substructure meets both requirements.
Advantages of an aluminum substructure: It is very straight and practically indestructible. Dimensional accuracy can simplify the construction of a terrace. However, the fact that the substructure lasts longer than the top layer is only an apparent advantage. This is because aluminum often cannot be used for the second terrace, as drill holes are already present.
Disadvantage of the aluminum substructure: The material is inflexible. When working with the wooden decking boards can therefore lead to stresses that cannot be absorbed by the aluminum. This can ultimately lead to the screw cracking. In the case of a visible screw connection, however, a
Prerequisite for a good wooden substructure: The type of wood used for the substructure should be at least as durable as the decking. Manual sorting should be carried out in advance so that unworkable timber with excessive warping is sorted out. Both requirements are met by our wooden substructures.
Advantage of the timber substructure: A timber-timber construction fits together better. There is no metallic squeaking and creaking, less tension builds up and tearing of the screw heads is prevented. In addition, a wooden substructure made of a dense material achieves a large span and saves on support points and pedestals.
Disadvantage of the wooden substructure: Wood is never as straight as aluminum. However, slight warping can usually be compensated for by screwing the structural timber to the boards.
Table of contents
Overview of the process
Calculate demand
Calculate costs
Order wood samples
Wood decking shipping
Temporary storage
Building instructions for wooden decking
Shopping list
Preparing the substrate
Meadow or earth
Stone or concrete
Roof or balcony
Slope
Laying the foundation
Creating height compensation
Laying the substructure
Installing decking boards
Select saw blade
Screwing decking boards
Assembly instructions for decking screws
Assembly instructions Clips
Veneering wooden decking
Building stairs
Decking boards crooked
Typical errors
Maintain
Cleaning
Enjoy
Decking quality
Best decking wood
Wood species comparison
Manual sorting
Cracks and curvature
Durability of wooden decking
Wood vs. aluminum
Concealed screw connection comparison
Branded products
Finger-jointing
