--- In [email protected], Adrian Stott <re...@...> wrote: > > I recently received the following as an email, presumably as a result > of participating in the earlier thread about decking. > > > VERSATILE NON-SLIP, PLASTIC DECK TILES > > > > Available in: black, blue, yellow, cream, > > green, grey or terracotta > > NEW: BURGUNDY, DARK GREY, ROYAL BLUE > > 300mm square x 12mm deep > > Sits on little "feet" allowing 9mm for drainage > > Non-slip, pliable, "soft step" > > Weather resistant > > Interlocking > > Can be cut to fit with a Stanley knife > > Made in the UK, hurrah! > > Order code: VERSATILE - please state colour > > £4.95 per tile + P&P £6.00 for up to 50 tiles > > > > http://www.baddiethepirate.co.uk/baddiepages/versatile.htm > > From the photos on this site, this decking looks very like Dri-Dek > (see www. dri-dek.com). Which is nice stuff, but I feel far too > pricey at five quid per (30 cm X 30 cm) tile. The late lamented > Homebase tiles were about £10/m2 when I bought mine a few years back, > at a time when Dri-Dek was five quid per tile. Plastic extrusions > like this are usually very inexpensive to make, so I feel that Dri-Dek > (and Versatile) are applying rather too much of a mark-up. > > Has anyone found any less expensive candidates since the earlier > thread dried up? > > Adrian >
The cheapest that I could find after the thread you mention (that I started) is straight from the manufacturer's on eBay at £3.25 per tile. See: http://tinyurl.com/25dol7 This is much better than Dri-deck from Midland Swindlers at about 5.25 per tile. The products are completely compatible, as I can confirm having just done the stern deck of my barge with a mixture of 3 year old Dri-deck and brand new Versatiles. There was also another identical competitor called V-deck but they seem to have faded into the background as far as I can tell. It is a bit unfortunate though for retail dealers like Baddie and Cabin Care that the manufacturer/supplier is undercutting them on eBay. The only differences that I could find between Dri-deck and Versatile is that the moulded logos are facing the opposite way on the tile and that Versatile's mould sprue joint is visible in the middle of the tile whereas Dri-deck's isn't. Those small differences wouldn't persuade me to buy Dri-deck again though at about £2 per tile more from the only big supplier that I could find. Roger Roger
