New Composite Decking Materials Look More Like Real Wood

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Our body has a keenly intuitive sense of what it’s stepping on, even with shoes on our feet. One of the issues my clients and I had with the first generation of composite decking was that this decking had a little bit too much of a sheen to it.

Since the plastic protects the wood fibers from the elements, composite decking isn’t prone to rotting, decay, or termite damage. It also won’t fade or wear down from constant exposure to the sun and cold temperatures. Composite decking often comes with warranties ranging from years that guarantee it won’t rot or suffer structural damage under normal residential conditions. If you can’t choose, feel free to mix and match different deck board colors to create your own customized composite deck designs. To explore more of the customization options available to you, visit ourDecking Design & Style Center, then jump into our 3D Deck Design tool to bring your vision to life. With moderate color blending, a cathedral grain pattern, and a wire-brushed finish, the richly hued boards of this deck evoke a sense of timelessness that works well with many different types of homes. Traditional wood can only ever get you one look — and that one look will inevitably fade.

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• The components of composite decking often come from recycled materials.
• Made from a combination of plastic and wood fibers, composite decking is manufactured to look like real wood decking.
• That said, plastic decking does have its disadvantages.
• The surface gets extremely hot in direct sunlight and susceptible to mold and mildew in shade.
• And, while available in a wide variety of colors and styles, darker colors tend to fade over time and lighter colors sometimes develop a chalky coating.

The more expensive product lines include a high-quality shell layer tightly bonded to the core composite layer. Depending on the product line, they can be installed either by driving screws or nails through the top face, or by a hidden fastener system. Ends can be left uncovered, or can be covered by matching fascia boards.

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In order to prolong the life and look of the deck, it requires an annual power washing and then a new coat of exterior-grade stain or clear wood preservative every two or three years. PT decking may be chemically treated that doesn’t mean it’s maintenance free. Certainly doesn’t mean the whole category is junk, but trying to discern which company is making the good products is difficult since they all claim to be making quality, lasting composite decking. If you’ve founds some winners here then share them with us. For me, I’m not comfortable trusting the same companies who told us 20 years ago that their product was foolproof and failed that now they’ve REALLY made it foolproof.

What Is Color Blending?

Therefore, the ultimate decision is going to come down to which company provides the styles, colors, and accessory options that most match your construction needs. Many of the synthetic products are available in colors such as white, gray, and several shades of brown. Surface textures include smooth , subtle wood grain, ridges, and other decidedly nonwood-like patterns.

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Again, it seems completely random when this happens, but it happens often enough that you should know about it. Sadly, most composite decking falls into that category. It has been improving slowly over the years with the introduction of capped products and other upgrades, but still, the reports from consumers and contractors are not promising.