If composite or plastic decking is absolutely the way you want to go, avoid any that contain PVC. As an alternative wood product, there should be more options for stylish finishes that don’t try to replicate a natural look. You can probably recall off the top of your head a deck or other structure made with composite wood that looked a little less sophisticated than a wood counterpart. Though fake wood has merits, it can often look incredibly cheesy. This can be problematic for handrails, top rails, and, of course, bare feet. We’ve seen decks start to disintegrate and become really rough to touch – basically threatening splinters and making you want to avoid touching them. Instead, full boards will have to be replaced which may be difficult to color-match to the neighboring boards. Pressure washing and bleach do not remove the staining. The wood component is not immune to rot – we’ve seen many composite decks become discolored and stained due to mold that has gotten into the wood portion of the decking. ![]() This requires joists to be more closely spaced, which may increase your overall price. ![]() Composite deck boards lack structural grain that lends wood its rigidity, so they tend to become springy which can be pretty unsettling to stand or walk on. As with all decks, the structural components are your joists, beams, and posts which are typically pressure-treated dimensional lumber. Speaking of sagging, plastic and sawdust are not structural. This back-and-forth can cause the boards to push up into each other as they swell creating tripping hazards or large gaps as they pull away from each other. Solar heat will also cause the plastic in the boards to swell and sag, while cold temperatures will cause the plastic to shrink. Solar exposure will also fade the color of the composite, which cannot be rejuvenated to the original color. Outdoor area rugs and umbrellas could help alleviate some of this challenge. This is an important consideration if you have small children and pets. If your deck has a lot of solar exposure, the boards will heat up more than wood and will be really hot on bare feet. We’ve seen this material in a variety of conditions and have some thoughts to share before you make a final decision. Sounds appealing, right? As with everything, it depends. Its composition prevents splinters – a win for kids and pets – and the use of recycled elements makes everyone feel good. The low maintenance aspects reside in the addition of plastic to stabilize and limit the natural tendencies of wood to rot, thus avoiding annual, labor-intensive cleaning, sanding, and re-staining that wood typically requires. Composite wood comes in a variety of colors, and some even replicate the texture of wood by having wood grain patterns stamped onto the surface. As the name implies, composite woods are typically a composite or mixture of plastic (typically recycled) and sawdust (also sometimes a reclaimed byproduct of manufacturing, like lumber mill scraps). More than a decade ago, composite wood decking hit the markets as the low maintenance, eco-friendly, and long-lasting material of choice for exterior applications. What are the main things you need to know about composite decking? This post covers composite decking materials. Way back in 2018, we covered the wide variety of wood materials available for decking. Deciding what material to use for your new deck is an important first step that deserves some careful consideration. ![]() If spring has you starting to think about how you can update your yard, you might be considering replacing or installing a new deck in time for summer BBQs.
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