Technical Information

About The Board

Graphite Grey is part of our Elite capped range, which sits above our standard uncapped boards. It’s a fully shielded composite, meaning the protective surface wraps the board on all four sides rather than just sitting on the top face. This is what gives the board its UV-locked colour, its wipe-clean surface and its long-term resistance to staining. The board is reversible, with two surface finishes. One side carries a fully embossed wood grain. The reverse has a plain pattern, which is the more popular choice with this colour given the contemporary look most customers are after when they specify Graphite Grey. The core composition is the same 60% plastic and 40% recycled wood blend used across our range. The cap is bonded during manufacture rather than applied as a separate layer, which is what stops it lifting, peeling or delaminating over time.

Board Sizes & Weights

• Length: 2200mm
• Width: 145mm
• Depth: 21mm
• Weight: approx. 5.6kg per board
• Coverage: 0.319m² per board

These dimensions are slightly different to our standard 150mm x 25mm uncapped boards. If you’re working out coverage from a previous Tough Decking quote, do recalculate against the Elite spec.

How It Performs

Stains and spills: This is where the capped construction earns its money. Red wine, oils, sun cream, BBQ drips and the usual garden party hazards wipe off the surface rather than soaking in. On an uncapped board these can occasionally leave a faint mark even after cleaning. On the Elite range they don’t.Colour: UV-locked during manufacture. No initial weathering period, no settling-in, no fading over time. The Graphite Grey tone is consistent from day one and stays that way under our 15-year guarantee.Surface scratches: The cap is hardwearing under normal garden use, including furniture, BBQs and pets. Worth understanding that capped boards can’t be sanded out the way our uncapped boards can, so a deep gouge would need a board replacement rather than a fix-in-place repair. In practice this is rarely an issue, but if you have a particular concern (heavy commercial traffic, large dogs, frequent furniture moves), it’s worth a conversation with us before ordering.Heat: Worth being honest about this one. Graphite Grey is the darkest colour in the Elite range and will warm up more in direct sun than the lighter Elite shades will. For most installations it’s a non-issue, but for poolside, balcony or any deck where bare feet are guaranteed in summer, customers should think carefully before going with the darker end of the range.Underfoot: The textured surface gives genuine grip in the wet, the same as our standard range.Looking after it: A wipe-down with warm soapy water is all that’s normally needed. No staining, sealing, or annual treatment. Graphite Grey hides muddy footprints, pollen and general garden dirt better than the lighter Elite shades, which is one of the reasons it’s popular with families and busy commercial sites.

Fitting

The Elite range has one important installation requirement that’s different to our standard boards:Joist centres must be no more than 300mm apart to keep the warranty valid. This is tighter than the spacing some installers default to with composite, so worth checking your sub-frame spec before ordering. If you’re working from an existing sub-frame built for our standard range, you may need to add additional joists. For most domestic decks we recommend allowing 10% wastage. Simple shapes can usually run on 5%, anything with curves or mitres needs 15%. The boards work with all our clip systems:

• X-Clips are our preferred fixing for a tight 3 to 4mm joint, and the right choice for vertical risers under step nosing or when cladding.
• Stainless steel T-clips are the standard hidden fixing for the main deck area.
• Plastic T-clips are a budget option for domestic jobs.
• Starter clips are for the first board against a wall or edge.

Trims, Fascias and Step Nosing

Two things to know before you order:L-Profile Corner Trims and Fascia Skirtings are fully compatible with the Elite range, but they’re produced through a different manufacturing process to the capped boards. An exact colour match isn’t possible. With Graphite Grey, most customers go with our Charcoal or Anthracite trim as a complementary tone, which works well visually. We’ll happily send samples to help you decide.Step Nosing isn’t a flush fit out of the box because the Elite board is 21mm deep rather than 25mm. This is solved by adjusting the sub-frame heights and clipping the step nosing sections independently of the deck boards. It’s a straightforward bit of carpentry once you know about it, but you don’t want to find out about it after the joists are down. Give our technical team a call on 01803 313211 before you start the sub-frame and we’ll walk you through it.

Where It’s Used

We supply Graphite Grey for contemporary residential gardens, rooftop terraces, hotel courtyards, restaurant outdoor seating, modern apartment balconies and any project where the customer wants the deck to make a strong architectural statement. It works particularly well as a contrast against pale render, light stone and white-painted walls, and it’s a popular choice for properties with grey aluminium window frames or anthracite door furniture, where the deck colour ties the exterior palette together.

Warranty

Every Elite board carries a 15-year guarantee, subject to the 300mm joist centre requirement above. If you have a question about the warranty or want to talk through an installation before ordering, give us a ring on 01803 313211 or drop us an email at sales@toughdecking.co.uk. You’ll get someone who actually knows the product.