What 20 years of composite decking tells us

featuring BiForm Solid Composite Decking

27 October 2026

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Two decades after BiForm entered the New Zealand market, its anniversary offers a point to consider how composite decking has developed and what matters when specifying it today.

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BiForm Solid Composite Decking

Written by

Alice Thompson

Founded in 2006, BiForm Solid Composite Decking entered a New Zealand market where composite materials were still relatively new and traditional timber remained the established choice. Twenty years on, the company is marking two decades in the industry, providing a useful point to look at how the material has developed and how expectations around its performance and environmental impact have changed.

BiForm's original focus was environmental. Its founders had seen the impact of deforestation and wanted to develop an alternative to traditional timber decking. That principle continues to shape the company's approach, with its current solid composite decking made from 60% FSC-certified timber fibre and 30% recycled HDPE. The remaining 10% comprises an anti-fungal agent, UV inhibitors and colour. The company also holds a Red List Free Declare label and supports native tree planting and a packaging take-back programme.

The product itself has also been developed around the conditions it will face in New Zealand. BiForm's current decking range is formulated and tested for the local climate, with BRANZ appraisal, an R11 slip rating tested to AS 4586:2013 and a 25-year limited warranty forming part of its technical documentation. Fire performance has also been part of its testing history. When Auckland International Airport assessed decking for a public smoking area, comparative testing reportedly found BiForm to have the slowest burn rate among the composite boards evaluated.

The range includes FORM 130, FORM 140 and the face-fixed FOREST BOARD, allowing the specification to respond to different applications and installation approaches. All three profiles are solid throughout, rather than hollow-core.

The sustainability conversation has similarly become more detailed. Rather than considering environmental impact as a single attribute, BiForm's current approach considers material sourcing, recycled content, product longevity, waste generated during installation and what happens to packaging. Its bespoke decking layout service is intended to optimise board use and reduce offcuts, while packaging can be returned for reuse or recycling.

Twenty years provides a useful measure of that evolution. Composite decking is now an established material option, but the specification still comes down to understanding what a particular product is made from, how it has been tested and how its environmental claims are supported.

For designers and builders assessing decking options, BiForm brings together its products, technical information and project applications, while the wider composite decking category on ArchiPro provides context for comparing materials and systems.