The Latest On Composite And Plastic Deck Durability

Weathered Wood

Some PVC decking materials can fade or peel as a result of exposure to the elements. PVC decking is made completely from synthetic materials. PVC consists of polyvinyl chloride, a type of vinyl typically used for outdoor siding and fencing. Your source for the latest products and trends within the architecture, construction, interior design, and building materials industry. Modified wood is stronger and longer-lasting than composite, not to mention more versatile. Modified wood can be used in any region or climate as well as alongside water as poolside decking, piers, or docks.

What may work on a properly built deck in a dry area — may not at the beach or on a ground level deck in a moist area. They are not universal products … some of the composite products will not work with typical 16″ spacing when replacing a wood deck — especially one that’s not firm to begin with. If you are doing a composite — read the specifications and installation instructions. For now, I’d say the best way to avoid problems with composite decking are to avoid it altogether and stick with wood. Especially prevalent on older and uncapped composited decking, mold shows up quickly and is more difficult to eradicate than you’d expect. The mold seems to grow heavily not just on the surface, but inside the rough texture of uncapped decking.

Trex Composite Decking Company Information

• Mold, mildew, and dirt attack every deck - plastic, metal, wood or composite – with evenhanded tenacity, and have to be taken care of at regular intervals.
• Every decking material needs at least a periodic washing.
• Just like the mold, this issue is unpredictable and hard to understand which decking will have problems and which will not.
• I am merely talking about some of the issues that have been noted with the material.
• All composite manufacturers now recommend a periodic maintenance schedule, specific procedures, and even products by brand name for cleaning and maintaining their composite materials.

Again, our thanks and best wishes to all in your claims / suits against Trex. My husband chose to settle with Trex because our deck was getting dangerous. We sent in our recipt with pictures and a claim form.

Decking

Probably the first thing a homeowner will notice is white spots on the deck. These are exposed wood particles bleached by the sun and rain. This is a sure sign that the deck's seal has been damaged. Exposed particles, besides creating unsightly white spots, swell when they get wet, and can cause the decking to split and degrade over time. It is simply not possible to keep the plastic from being worn away or compromised by UV.

NyloBoard moves beyond wood and HDPE, with a decking product made from recycled carpet and a VOC-free resin. Trex uses 95 percent recycled material, including sawdust, wood pallets and polyethylene bags. The company says 70 percent of all recycled grocery bags end up in a Trex product, making it the country’s largest plastic bag recycler. In 1999, only 3 percent of residential decking was made from wood alternatives. Wood retains 61 percent of the market, while metal deck and rail systems have grabbed 5 percent. High density hardwood decking materials like Ipe, Cumaru and Garapa decking can be cleaned effectively with a wide variety of environmentally friendly cleaners. Softwood decking species such as pineand cedar must be treated, stained or painted on a regular basis to keep mold from causing problems.

Typically if you install Trex decking on a 45 degree angle you need 12″ o.c. Setting the gaps for your deck boards is a tricky issue. Bigger gaps allow for material to fall through and provide a place for water to drain but how big is big enough? This is where Trex hidden deck fasteners come into play. They not only look great because you don’t see the screws but they also set each gap perfectly. Just install the fasteners and deck boards, your gaps will all be perfect.

ormal use of the deck wears off the protective plastic coating that surrounds the wood particles in the composite, leaving them exposed to mold and mildew. They look like composites, but these boards are actually 99 percent virgin PVC plastic, very different stuff from the polyethylene-wood mix found in most composites. Run-of-the-mill boards start at $4 per square foot, while the premium products that closely resemble tropical wood run up to $7.20 per square foot. VEKADECK is the best deck board in the entire vinyl decking industry.

That’s what happens to logs that fall in the forest and get wet. It makes sense rot could happen with composite decking that uses wood fibers or wood flour that’s not treated to prevent rot. The current written instructions show that there should be a 1/4-inch gap between the boards to provide for both expansion and air circulation. However, I was shocked to discover there was no real minimum clearance distance referenced with respect to how close the bottom of the decking should be to moist and dark soil.

Recently there was a new item on channel 4, washington DC metro area. Some of the composite deck were over heated due 2020 summer heat.

Decking Reviews.

Posted: Wed, 05 Feb 2014 08:00:00 GMT [source]