Composite Decking

Avoid Improper Decking Gaps

When composites came out they were touted as never staining, never needing maintenance, and never fading. Now that a few years have passed, homeowners have seen the real truth behind these claims. While no product will ever be able to replace the natural beauty of wood, since composite decking materials are man made, they can also be man-improved. One of the biggest problems with older Trex decking is color fading. Everybody knows color fades in the sun, but composite decking companies seem to be oblivious to how badly their products actually look when left out in the sun. Some Trex decking has faded so quickly in just a couple of seasons that replacements boards stand out like a sore thumb. Color fading is something the company knows about and acknowledges.

Most homeowners know that finding mold inside their homes is a huge hassle and potentially very scary; however, if it’s outdoors, is it a big deal? Outdoors, mold plays an integral part in breaking down dead leaves, trees, and plant matter to go back into the ecosystem. However, that also means that wood decks and traditional composite boards are prime real estate to hungry mold spores. When a home inspector says, “Mold is eating away at the foundation of your deck,” they mean it literally — mold isn’t a cheap date. Left unchecked, mold can lead to structural damage. In these locations, it’s probably best to avoid the use of composite decking materials that contain wood fibers that have not been treated with chemicals that prevent wood rot. Trex decking does not typically get hotter than pressure-treated wood, although on a hot day with a blazing sun, nearly any surface will get uncomfortably hot.

So unless some sort of anti-fungal material is added, wood flour can be a very attractive home for mold and mildew. Manufacturers caution in their care instructions that keeping the deck free of pollen and debris that may be food sources for mold is important to assuring a mold-free deck. What they forget to tell you is that the wood flour itself is a food source for mold.

Trex Company, Inc

Despite composite having texture, it does little to provide solid footing around pools or swimming docks. In reality, composite decking is prone to fading, especially when it’s exposed to the elements and sun. Many composite decking materials also stain easily. Anything from the tannins of a few fallen leaves on the surface to an additionally spilled glass of wine or splotch of ketchup can leave stains.

I had no choice so I took them and rearranged the boards I had already installed to have these appear as another accent. Then I went to build a planter, ordered boards to use as top trim sitting on shelf angles and now the Trex boards are no longer flat on the underside. They are scalloped on the underside and are useless to use as trim for the planter. Trex is definitely a long lasting product if you care for it properly and are lucky enough to avoid all of these potential decking issues. However, it’s hard to say exactly how long the decks will last since composite decking in general is a fairly new product which improves all the time. Many Trex deck owners have complained of flaking, deterioration and even in extreme cases virtual disintegration of their Trex decks.

Last October I had Trex decking installed by an improved Trex installer in pebble gray. Shortly upon completion it snowed so covered most of the surface. I did keep some 18 inch 'ends' of some boards in the basement. This spring I noticed along about 1/4 of the decking boards a strange blotching pinkish coloration. All the boards were in the same area covering approximatley 120 sq feet. I tried white vinegar and also dishwasher liquid and nothing made a difference.

Wood And Composite Decking Review: Pros And Cons

Of course, the real value is in the time that you enjoy spending outdoors on your Trex deck. Our Cost Calculator will have your closest estimate for materials costs. Over the past few decades, composite decking has skyrocketed in popularity as an alternative to wood. Many new decks are being made with composite decking rather than wood, as manufacturers have led homeowners to believe that their products are superior to any real wood.

Decking & Railing Duos

On their own website and in their own literature they state decking will fade and even give guidelines in their warranty regarding how much fading should occur and how much would be covered. Capstock deck boards, with their plastic shell, fade less than uncapped composite boards. Most will fade a little bit because the exposed material is plastic, the fading is minimal. Some capstock manufacturers, such as Fiberon and Timbertech, now guarantee some of their products against excessive fading. But, most continue to specifically exclude color changes, fading and graying from their warranties.

If you're hiring a pro, note that the cost of labor—either to build a new deck or to replace worn planking on an existing structure—can easily exceed the cost of the materials. Composite decking is a man-made synthetic mixture of ‘wood flour’ and plastics which are highly susceptible to mold.