The terrace of an apartment balcony in Helsinki was in need of renovation. UPM ProFi had a solution: a convenient aluminium Click System substructure for the base, with a UPM ProFi Deck 150 deck on top of it.
“We were looking for a durable deck to replace a wooden one. The old deck was only a couple of years old, but the sun and weather had already deteriorated the wood surfaces,” explain the Auranens.
The balcony is in the sun all summer, so the deck material needs to be really resilient.
“We had several options between pressure-treated wood and composite. We ended up choosing UPM ProFi composite, and it has proven to be a very durable deck material,” say the couple.
Click installation speeds up substructure construction
The old wooden deck was dismantled and the pieces bundled together so that they could be easily moved. A crane was then used to lift the bundles of deck board from the balcony. They were replaced with new deck boards which had already been cut to size and labelled to make the installation as efficient as possible. The whole lifting operation only took a few hours.
They used the new Click System installation for the substructure of the deck. Aluminium support rails were used to form a strong frame, and plastic supports helped the installer get just the right height for the deck.
Click installation does not require any screws or drilling; the deck boards are attached to the aluminium substructure by simply pressing them into place.
“The installation went smoothly, even though the parallelogram shape of our balcony is challenging. Our deck actually comprises two separate areas as there is glazing between them,” says Timo Auranen.
“The end result was amazing – like an extension to our living room,” says Sirkka Auranen.
Sample pieces helped to choose the colour
“We had two colour options: dark stone grey and light pearl grey. We decided to go for the light colour, as it complemented the design of the balcony,” the couple explain.
The light composite felt comfortable on bare skin, even in the summer heat.
The couple saw sample pieces for the deck at a hardware shop. You can also order samples directly to your home from the UPM ProFi website and pick exactly the right hue and surface material for you.
Composite is easy to take care of
“Wooden decks require constant oiling. Changing weather conditions cause wood to curl and become splintered. We don’t have to worry about that with composite,” says Timo Auranen.
Birds like to visit balconies, so the surface of the deck needs to be cleaned now and then.
“Composite decks are really easy to take care of. I just use water and a brush,” says Sirkka Auranen.
Click installation also enables the substructure to be cleaned. Angle irons allow the deck boards to be temporarily removed to allow easy cleaning, even with a vacuum cleaner.