Composite timber is everywhere these days. It’s in every major hardware store, featured in home magazines, and often recommended by builders because it’s easy to work with and easy to get hold of. On paper it might sound like the perfect solution for a patio, pergola or deck.
The colour is customisable, there is no oiling needed, minimal ongoing maintenance = no worries, right?
For a while that might hold true. But what is easy at the beginning does not always stay that way. After years of sun, rain and frost (especially in regions like Canberra where major temperature swings are common) many composite products start to bow, fade, and split.
Recycled Australian hardwood is a different story. It has already done the hard yards. It grew slowly, weathered decades of seasons, and proved itself long before it ever became a deck or pergola. When used outdoors, it holds its shape, gains character over time, and can be restored rather than replaced.
So before you lock in composite for your next project, let’s break down what each material really offers, and which one wins when it comes to strength, longevity, and timeless appeal.
What Is Composite Timber?
Composite timber is a manufactured product made from a blend of wood fibres, plastics, and binding agents. It is designed to look like timber while offering lower upfront maintenance. No oiling, no staining, and a uniform board size and shape straight off the rack.
From a construction point of view, composite definitely has its advantages. It is consistent, readily available, and predictable to install. That makes it appealing for volume builds and tight timelines.
What’s the catch? Composite is still a plastic-based product. It expands and contracts differently to natural timber, it can struggle in extreme heat and cold cycles, and once it fails – it fails badly! You cannot sand it back. You cannot rejuvenate it. When it goes, it can only go straight to landfill.
Pricing also varies widely — top-of-the-line composite systems can actually be more expensive than timber, while the cheaper products on the market tend to be lower quality and don’t perform particularly well over time.
That said, there are newer composite products entering the Australian market that claim improved performance. Some may well deliver — but the reality is they’ve not been around long enough for us to see how they perform over 20 or 30 years in harsh Australian conditions. We’ll have to wait and see!
What Is Recycled Australian Hardwood?
Recycled Australian hardwood comes from old buildings, bridges, wharves, and industrial structures. Specialist salvage yards recover these materials before demolition — like our friend’s at Thor’s Hammer, a Canberra-based team of timber recyclers, joiners, and furniture makers who have spent more than 30 years salvaging Australian hardwoods from demolition sites across the country.
These often include durable species spotted gum, ironbark, tallowwood, turpentine, and red gum that were felled generations ago, when forests were old-growth and timber was cut to last.
These are not experimental materials. These timbers have already stood the test of time.
Once reclaimed, it is re-milled, graded, and repurposed into decks, pergolas, and structural elements that outperform most new materials on the market today. Properly detailed and installed, recycled timber handles movement, moisture, heat, and load exactly as it was designed to — naturally.
Durability and Longevity
So, this is where the gap really opens up.
Composite timber is designed for convenience, not longevity. In Canberra’s climate specifically, we see many composite products struggle over time. Heat expansion, surface fading, and internal stress fractures are the common complaints when clients come to us for replacements.
Recycled Australian hardwood is dense, stable, and proven. These timbers were often air-dried for decades before reuse. They move less, carry weight better, and age predictably. If maintained, they can last another 50 years. Even when neglected, they rarely fail structurally!
Aesthetics and Feel
Composite can look good from a distance, but up close, it feels hollow. It heats up underfoot, lacks depth in the grain, and never quite shakes the “manufactured” look.
Recycled hardwood feels solid because it is solid. It has weight, texture, and warmth. It softens visually as it weathers, and if you want to bring it back, you can sand and oil it to look brand new again.
For clients who care about architecture, detail, and long-term value, it is our opinion that there really is no substitute for real timber.
Our Verdict
Right now, recycled Australian hardwood still wins for patios, pergolas, and decks.
That does not mean composite has no place. There are situations where it makes sense, and there are also new composite products coming onto the market that we are watching closely. If a composite product proves itself over time — genuinely proves it — we will be the first to say so.
At Hardwood Projects, we are not interested in trends for the sake of trends. We care about materials that last, age well, and deliver value decades down the track. Our recommendations are based on what we are seeing on real sites, in real conditions, right now.
If that changes, this blog will change too! Because good craftsmanship is not about being stuck in the past — it is about knowing what works, and backing it with experience.
Thinking about a deck, pergola or patio built from recycled timber?
Book a consultation and let’s talk through the right material for your space, your climate, and your long-term plans.
Oracle Tree