Boardwalks really shouldn't be covered in chicken wire!

It may seem like a good idea to use chicken wire over your timber deck or boardwalk to add a little extra grip, but it’s totally inappropriate on several counts: 

• Wire traps dirt and debris, such as leaves, increasing the potential for prolonged moisture contact and consequent premature decay.
  
  
• What seems like a cheap option will be more expensive in the long term as the deck or boardwalk will need replacing sooner that it should. 
  
  
• Unless really well secured, the wire can work loose creating a trip hazard.
  
  
• The wire itself can become slippery in wet conditions. 

This image illustrates that laying chicken wire across the surface of your decking or boardwalk is a sure way to compromise its service life and is potentially an accident waiting to happen.

Anti-slip deck boards

If extra grip is required or poor maintenance is anticipated, the best option is to use purpose made anti-slip deck boards with built-in slip protection.  Choose a good quality one that is TDCA DeckMark accredited.

Match this with highly durability substructure timbers (correctly treated to a Use Class 4 specification) with suitability spaced post and joist supports, whilst not forgetting that the fixings must be appropriate for outdoor use, and you’re on to a winner.  

Did you know that you can achieve a 30 or even 60 year service life (yes 60 is possible!) by specifying the right timber materials and specialist fixings suitable for long term use outdoors.