Laying Wood and WPC Decking Tiles - 5 Practical Tips

A beautiful terrace always depends on the flooring used. WPC decking tiles and wood tiles are modern and easy-to-install flooring options for terraces. An elegant look, easy maintenance, weather resistance, and long durability are strong reasons to lay WPC decking tiles or wood tiles on your terrace. We show you what to consider.

1. Laying WPC Decking Tiles and Wood Tiles: The Material

WPC decking tiles are modern flooring materials for outdoor use. They consist of a combination of wood fibres and plastic, pressed together at high temperatures and pressures, and applied to a backing plate with a click system. This results in a very easy-to-maintain and extremely durable surface with excellent aesthetics.

Wood tiles are made from real wood, made weatherproof through natural or artificial impregnation. The natural grain and the changing appearance over time are interesting features. Like WPC decking tiles, wood tiles require no special maintenance after proper installation and are easy to clean.

Both types of flooring are suitable for floating installation on the terrace. With the click system, WPC decking tiles and wood tiles are easy to lay and quickly achieve the desired result when laying interlocking tiles. The click system provides a simple yet secure connection between the elements. Additional fastening to the ground with screws, nails, or adhesive is neither planned nor necessary.

2. The Right Substrate for WPC Decking Tiles and Wood Tiles

The material and specific structure of WPC decking tiles and wood tiles with a click system require an absolutely flat and dry substrate. Unevenness in the surface must be avoided as well as persistent moisture or standing water. To ensure drainage of rainwater and dew, the entire surface should have a slope of about two percent. Proper drainage of rain or dew is recommended. Suitable substrates are preferably concrete screed or solid surfaces sealed with plastic. Laying WPC decking tiles on gravel, sand, or directly on grass is also possible, provided certain conditions are met. Under these conditions, wood tiles can also be laid.

3. Laying WPC Decking Tiles and Wood Tiles: The Proper Procedure

When laying wood or WPC decking tiles with a click system, the correct procedure is crucial. To keep the laying pattern as uniform as possible, always start in the centre of the area when laying WPC decking tiles. From there, work evenly towards the edges. Thanks to the practical click system, even larger areas can be covered relatively quickly with wood or WPC decking tiles. The use of a rubber mallet and tapping block facilitates the perfect joining of the elements.

With a bit of practice and skill, you will achieve quick results. Pay attention to the edge areas to ensure that the sections of WPC decking tiles or wood tiles do not become too small, as they may otherwise not fit well with the click system. If necessary, create a flush finish with suitable edge strips or profiles.

4. Cutting WPC Decking Tiles or Wood Tiles

When laying wood or WPC decking tiles, it is rare to avoid cutting some elements. As WPC decking tiles are a mix of plastic and wood fibres, they can be cut quite easily with a fine-toothed saw for wood or a plastic saw. For straight cuts, we recommend using a circular saw with the appropriate blade. For cut-outs or smaller adjustments, an electric jigsaw with a slow feed setting can be used. This also allows for cutting larger quantities of WPC decking tiles.

When cutting WPC decking tiles, ensure not to saw too close to the screws of the mounting plates. Naturally, it is also possible to cut with hand saws, but this requires more physical effort. Neither a utility knife nor a laminate cutter can be used to cut WPC decking tiles or wood tiles.

5. Laying WPC Decking Tiles or Wood Tiles on Grass, Gravel or Sand

Laying WPC decking tiles or wood tiles should ideally be done on a firm, flat, and dry substrate. Neither normal grass nor coarse gravel or sand can meet these conditions without special preparation. If you wish to lay WPC decking tiles directly on grass, the lawn must be absolutely flat. Additionally, apply a protective film to ensure no soil moisture can penetrate. The same applies if you want to lay wood tiles on grass. A flat and moisture-proof prepared substrate is indispensable.

If you want to lay interlocking tiles on gravel, ensure the material is well compacted before laying. Here too, we recommend applying a protective film to prevent persistent moisture and the abrasion of angular gravel. Whether laying interlocking tiles on grass, gravel, or sand, good water drainage must be ensured, for example, through perimeter drainage. Again, the entire surface should have a slope of about two percent to allow rainwater to drain away.

Conclusion

WPC decking tiles and wood tiles with a click system are weather-resistant and durable flooring options that allow modern terrace designs with minimal effort. The specific material properties require some care during installation to achieve an aesthetically pleasing and expected result. Thanks to the click system, wood and WPC decking tiles are quick and easy to install. It is recommended to use them on perfectly flat concrete surfaces with a slight slope. With proper preparation, they can also be laid on grass, gravel, or sand. If you have read our instructions carefully, nothing should stand in the way of your project to lay WPC decking tiles for your terrace. We wish you much success and enjoyment in laying wood or WPC decking tiles in your outdoor area. Additionally, you can also use WPC decking tiles to renovate balconies, pathways, or pool surrounds, benefiting from a robust, weather-resistant, and easy-to-maintain result in the long term.

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• Free samples⁴ for many of our products: Order up to 7 samples at no cost, for instance, such as our decking. Here you will find our wooden tiles and WPC tiles.
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