Composite Decking Over A Concrete Porch

Never apply decking tiles directly on grass, sand or other unstable surfaces. However, you can apply composite decking boards onto pre-existing concrete or patios. The bright, crisp composite decking color you get fresh from the factory is not going to be the color you see a year or even 3 months, after installation. Non-capstock decks fade a lot and will eventually fade to a drab weathered gray that looks little different from the color of dingy, weathered wood. Capstock deks also fade, just not as much or as quickly. Walking on the deck eventually wears through the plastic that "seals" the wood particles that make up the bulk of the material in a composite deck board.

(For a complete report on and ranking of the environmental impact of various plastic and composite materials by the non-profit Healthy Building Network read the Guide to Plastic Lumber). The most enviro-unfriendly material used in composite decking is plastic, particularly "virgin" or new plastic made primarily from petroleum or natural gas.

• With Trex Decking’s simple to install clip system, even amateurs can effectively install a new deck.
• In contrast, composite decking brands like MoistureShield and ChoiceDek are fully moisture-resistant to the core, which allows them to be installed in high moisture conditions without decaying.
• Trex even provides simple how-to guides for those who want to make their deck a DIY project.
• Without the regular application of stains, sealers or paint, wood decking is susceptible to warping, splintering, cracking and rotting.
• A key wood decking problem is that boards readily absorb water.

Facts About Composite Decking

Getting composite decking 20 years ago meant you were signing up for a singular “look.” To many though, the benefits of composite outweighed the lack of variety. Different brands offer different colors and textures with major headway being made in the design and look. ” – a great selling point – but it’s not entirely accurate. While it is true that composite decking requires much less maintenance than traditional wood, it doesn’t mean there’s no maintenance.

Composite Decking: Does It Really Stack Up?

Can You Install New Decking Over Old Deck Boards?

So, even if the factory's binder creates a perfect seal, and that's not possible, that perfection is soon compromised in the normal course of using the deck. Keep in mind that all composite decking materials, including composites, are still largely experimental. Unlike wood – with which we have worked for about a million years and the characteristics of which we know very well – composites are a new and imperfectly understood material. The most common complaint about composite decking is mold growth.

Some manufacturers use vinyl which is decidedly un-green. On the surface, composite materials look mighty un-"green" with lots of unpronounceable chemicals, some of which can be highly toxic. So, are you trading convenience for some sort of health or ecological disaster when you select composite decking materials? But, neither are composites especially environmentally friendly. What is certain is that making WPCs requires a careful mixing of ingredients not just for performance but to keeps costs under control.

This is good in the winter when slush, frost and piles of snow can sit on your deck for extended periods. With composite decking, you do not have to worry about the moisture seeping into the material and causing rot or warping. Once temperatures warm up and snow melts, composite decking also dries quickly.

If placed on top of other decking, there will be little drying potential beneath the new decking and more rapid decay of both the new and old can be expected. For manufactured products, installations over old decking or solid surfaces are prohibited and will likely void the warranty.

Now, with an array of choices, more homeowners and builders are trending toward alternative deck board materials such as composite and PVC. And as time has gone on, composite decking has gone through a number of incarnations. Technological advances have dramatically improved the look, feel, durability, and overall quality of composite and PVC decking materials. According to Popular Mechanics, basic pressure-treated lumber goes for about 80 cents per linear foot, while redwood or cedar runs up to three times that amount.

At Fiberon we usePermaTech Innovationto ensure the ultimate deck consumer, satisfaction in scratch, element, and stain resistance. Because you cannot sand composite decking, deep scratches are destined to remain in the boards, though over time, they may becomes less and less pronounced.

Attitudes have changed, realities have changed, and most importantly – composite decking has changed. Natural wood versus composite ultimately faded into the back ground and the conversation over how to make composites better took center stage. To this day, the “right” option depends on the individual. However, even decades after the introduction and evolution of composite decking, myths persist and J&W Lumber would like to fix that. In the early days of composite decking, there was both excitement and skepticism.

The making of composite decking is virtually waste-free, and the product contains no toxic elements. Thousands of tons of wood and plastics are diverted from landfills and incinerators each year in the composite deck manufacturing process. Hidden deck fastener systemsare an option when installing a composite deck. Composite deck boards are manufactured with grooved edges on the sides to allow for the placement of hidden deck fasteners. Hidden fastener systems provide uniform spacing and gapping between the boards, which means there is no guesswork involved in the installation process. This type of system also gets rid of the need to pre-drill holes since there are no exposed screws.