Dura Composites has today launched Dura Deck® Inspire, the first ever 1.8m long A1 fire-rated porcelain deck plank balcony solution in the UK, especially suited to applications where the building height exceeds 11m, following the change of legislation for medium and high rise buildings.
Dura Deck® Inspire is completely resistant to open flames and extreme temperatures, with an A1 fire rating in accordance with BS EN 13501. This highly-engineered luxury product has the appearance of traditional decking but is perfect for all high-rise applications. This may include new builds and renewals, such as rooftops, terraces and balconies where a class A fire rating is required, and where the non-traditional appearance and light-weight hollow design of aluminium planks may not be desirable.
The new product can be easily fitted to concrete balconies using Dura’s proven aluminium sub-frame system, but as a market first, Dura Composites has also developed a patent-pending* plank retainer system for installing Dura Deck® Inspire on open steel framed balconies. The retainer enables a floating decking system to be installed under self-weight, without the risk of planks falling should a breakage happen. The Dura Deck Inspire Plank Retainer also helps prevent wind uplift and facilitates the quick removal of the decking for maintenance or similar.
The decking plank product can span up to a maximum of 750mm at the design standards’ requirement of 2kN – which when compared with timber or WPC decking, is a marked increase in spanning capability. It has been expertly crafted to maintain the look of traditional timber without compromising on strength and durability. At 1.8m long and a width of 200mm, the products are the only porcelain products available that achieve a true timber ‘plank’ appearance rather than the ‘slab’ effect normally associated with porcelain.
As well as a life expectancy of 60 years and a 10-year structural warranty, Dura Deck® Inspire is designed for easy installation, working seamlessly with Dura Composites’ proven fire-rated aluminium adjustable pedestal and bearer substrate combination in any outdoor environment.
The porcelain decking planks are UV colour stable, do not scratch, scuff, warp or rot, and are very low maintenance. Porcelain has little to no water absorption, meaning Dura Deck® Inspire can withstand fluctuations in temperature with no risk of deformation and returns a ‘low’ slip potential result in all weather conditions. The product is also cool under foot even in higher temperatures meaning that the deck can be enjoyed with bare feet.
Dura Deck® Inspire is available in four attractive colours: Merula, Dove, Juniper and Wren. Every decking plank sports variegated wood grain patterns, creating a beautiful surface finish that varies from plank to plank and as such achieves the natural look and feel of timber decking.
Each porcelain plank measures a market-leading 1800mm long and will fit easily into a typical lift for transportation to rooftops and balconies for installation. At 200mm wide, the decking strikes the perfect balance between strength, durability and a traditional timber appearance. The 20mm deep planks are supplied in pairs and weigh just 16.5kgs each, meaning that they are easy for one person to manoeuvre around site safely.
Dura Deck® Inspire planks are produced in Europe with 40% of pre-consumer recycled materials. All the raw materials used in the production come from a radius of 500 miles of the manufacturing plant and the products’ cardboard packaging materials are both made from recycled paper and are further recyclable.
Lee Cavalier, Decking Manager at Dura Composites said:
“At Dura Composites, we pride ourselves on providing market-leading alternatives to traditional wood decking for specialist applications, and our new Dura Deck® Inspire range is no exception. We wanted to create a product with the highest possible fire rating that was easy to install, so that contractors, developers and landlords can be confident in the safety of their decking boards. Attractive and strong, the planks will help building owners achieve compliance for their concrete and steel framed balconies and other projects at altitude such as rooftops and terraces where traditional timber is no longer an acceptable option.
“In addition to its strength, the excellent anti-slip performance of Dura Deck® Inspire in all conditions make it the ideal for areas that receive large amounts of footfall, such as commercial pedestrian walkways, and areas prone to wetter conditions, such as pool-sides, skywalks and other outdoor walkways.”
Free samples of each colour can be requested through the website to allow customers to experience the look and feel of porcelain Dura Deck® Inspire first-hand before placing an order for their projects.
Dura Deck® Inspire can be purchased direct from Dura Composites. To ensure products are affordable and competitive, special price bands are offered for repeat customers who hold a trade account. Those who aren’t already a trade account holder can get in contact with the team at info@duracomposites.com to request an application form.