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The Deck Handbook - Contents Click to select another page

	Part 1: Introduction to Decks
	Part 2: Domestic Wood for Decks
	Part 3: Exotic and Imported Wood Decks
	Part 4: Composite and Plastic Decks
	Part 5: Railings, Lighting, Pergolas and Seating
	Part 6: Staining, Sealing and Maintaining Your Deck
	Part 7: The (Almost) Maintenance Free Deck

Trex Settles Product Lawsuits
September 14, 2004

Trex and Exxon-Mobil (the former owner of Trex) have agreed to settle a class action lawsuit. The suit claimed that Trex decking rotted, splintered and degraded, contrary to widespread advertising and marketing claims by the company, and that Trex failed to live up to its warranties against product defects. After initially calling the lawsuit "frivolous", Trex agreed to stop all advertising claims that its deck products do not require sealant and are maintenance-free. Trex also agreed to replace any defective product sold between 1992 and 2004. For more information, contact 1-800-289-8739 or question@trex.com.
Trex Delamination

Trex settled a similar suit by one of its large distributors in 2000 for fraudulent business practices in which it was claimed that Trex materials tended to "disintegrate, crumble, turn pink, turn blue, spot, bubble, blister, contain lumps, contain hidden defects such as metal objects ..., or grossly warp if exposed to sunlight or weather" and that the company failed to honor its warranty. The actual settlement terms are secret.

GeoDeck Products Recalled
August 16, 2005

Proving that not even the best product testing is fool proof, the GeoDeck composite decking products top rated in 2004 by Consumer Reports have been recalled for safety issues.
GeoDeck Delamination

The Consumer Products Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of certain GeoDeck products manufactured by Kadant, LLC for dangerously rapid degradation, especially in hot climates. Although no one has yet been hurt, the recall was prompted by several hundred confirmed reports of composite deterioration to an unsafe condition. Kadant, LLC is a subsidiary of Kadant, Inc. Kadant sold the assets of its composites business to Liberty Diversified Industries which continues marketing under the GeoDeck brand. Kadant, LLC used the money received from the sale to pay warranty claims and has reportedly paid out $4.6 million on its defective GeoDeck product. When the money ran out in September, 2009, it simply ceased business and shut down its recall web site.

EON Declares Bankruptcy
January 7, 2009

CPI Plastics Group Limited, the maker of EON decking, announced that it has been unable to withstand the ravages of the current economic crisis and was seeking relief in bankruptcy. Its CEO and all of its directors have resigned. The company is being liquidated under Canadian bankruptcy law.

Trex Sued Again
January 13, 2009

Trex has been sued again for warranty violations. In the lawsuit, a Washington homeowner claims his two-year old deck began degrading, cracking and rotting and is now unusable and unsafe for his family. The homeowner claims Trex offered to replace the damaged boards but refuses to pay for associated labor costs. In exchange for the new materials, Trex asks for a signed release freeing the company from further liability. The lawsuit alleges Trex's warranty documents violate the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a consumer protection regime.

Trex has responded that it fully complied with its warranty and is not liable to the plaintiff for labor costs.

Louisiana-Pacific Composite Decking Recalled
May 13, 2009

The Consumer Products Safety Commission with the voluntary cooperation of Louisiana-Pacific Corp (LP) has recalled composite decking materials made by the company and sold under the trade names LP WeatherBest®, ABTCo, and Veranda®. The recalled decking can prematurely deteriorate and unexpectedly break. Consumers can fall through broken decking and suffer serious injuries. LP has received 37 reports of composite decks breaking, resulting in 14 injuries.
Weatherbest Delamination

For additional information, contact LP toll-free at (888) 325-1184 between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.deckingnotice.com.

Click here to contact us for more information.

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For a limited time, we are offering a free initial deck design. This offer won't last, so take advantage of it now. Contact us for more information.

The Deck Handbook Part 4: Composite and Plastic Decks
When composite decking first hit the market around 25 years ago; it was trumpeted as the best thing to happen to deck building since decking screws replaced nails.

Courtesy Epoch Composite Products, Inc.

A composite deck is typically made of wood fibers and plastics extruded into a plank. That enthusiasm was short-lived. Within a very few years significant flaws in the material began to surface. The most common complaints were that it scratched and gouged easily, sagged, and warped over time, delaminated and splintered, developed mold and mildew problems that could not seem to be cured, and just looked too "plastic-y".

Low maintenance deck

Before you leave us today, see how we build the (almost) no maintenance deck. Wood-plastic composite (WPC) materials are commonly made of a combination of wood fibers or wood dust (which is called "wood flour") and plastic binder formed, usually by hot extrusion, under great pressure. The theory behind these products is that the wood fiber helps shade the plastic from UV rays that cause the plastic to deteriorate, while the plastic coats the wood particles to protecting them from water, mold and insect damage.

How Much Does it Cost?
The first question we are usually asked about any deck material other than treated pine is "How much more does it cost?" Here's the answer. These are the average prices in 2007 for a single level 16'x20' deck in the seven Midwestern states as compiled by Remodeling Magazine. The price of materials has climbed quite a bit during the last year, so expect slightly higher prices today.

Total Cost		Cost S/F
Treated Pine Deck
Specification: Build 16'x20' pressure treated pine deck with joists supported by 4x4 posts anchored to concrete piers. Install surface nailed pressure-treated deck boards in a simple linear pattern perpendicular to the joists. Include a built-in bench and planter of the same material. Include stairs, assuming three steps to grade. Provide a simple but complete railing system using pressure-treated wood posts, railings, and balusters. Does not include staining or sealing. Assumes level site and construction at ground level.
$10,546		$32.96

Composite Deck
Specifications: Build a 16'x20' composite deck using pressure-treated joists supported by 4x4 posts anchored to concrete piers. Install surface fastened composite deck material in a simple linear pattern perpendicular to the joists. Include a built-in bench and planter of the same composite material. Include stairs, assuming three steps to grade. Provide a complete railing using a matching system made of the same composite as the decking material. Assumes level site and construction at ground level.
Total Cost		Cost S/F
$15,368		$48.03

Other Factors Affecting Deck Prices

Size:	A larger deck is a more expensive deck.
Fastening:	Fastening through deck boards is faster than using hidden fasteners.
Height:	It takes nearly twice a long to build a deck working from ladders or scaffolding
Stairs:	Building a strong, good looking staircase takes time.
Railings:	Railings also take time, and the fancier and more involved the railing, the more time they take.
Levels:	Multi-level decks require more framing, take longer to build, and cost more than single-level decks.

The practice is getting closer to the theory, but the products are far from perfect still. Wood-plastic composites are still very much a work in progress, and like any developing technology have not quite worked out all the kinks. Many early problems have been fixed, but many have not been and are still with us after 25 years.

The earlier, very wide gulf between consumer expectation and actual product performance has been narrowed somewhat, not so much by making the products better, but also by scaling back the advertising rhetoric and outlandish claims.

No composite manufacturer now claims its products "never need maintenance" and most have acknowledged that their products will fade and change color. But after all the improvements, and there have been many, deck composites have had and are still having a hard time living up to their reputation and justifying their relatively high price.

Composites are offered in a huge and growing variety of different textures, colors and styles. Many are embossed with wood grain. (This is supposed to make them look more like actual wood. But real wood seldom shows exaggerated grain, especially under paint, so all this embossing does is make the material look fake. Composite decking makers need to emulate vinyl siding which has largely done away with fake woodgrain ad looks more like wood every day.) Still, many of these composites do look a great deal like wood, to the point where a second look might be required.

But, they are not wood, they are a mixture of wood dust or fibers and between 30% and 50% plastic. This composition has an effect on how they behave. They don't behave like natural wood, they behave a lot like plastic. How much like plastic depends on how much plastic is included in the mix. The more wood in the product, the more the material behaves like wood. But also, the more wood, the more the materials weathers and deteriorates like raw wood.

The more plastic, the more the material behaves like plastic, including substantial expansion and contraction as the weather moves from hot to cold and back again. This behavior affects not only how they must be installed, but also how they look after they are installed. But, on the plus side, these very plastic composites seem to resist fading and hold up to weathering much better than those with a higher wood content.

Some manufacturers are combining a high wood content filler with a plastic wrapper. Capstock is the industry name for these types of composite boards. Capstock deckboards are stiffer and less expensive that all-plastic boards and do not retain as much heat. The shell (or "cap") is intended to keep water away from the wood content of the interior filler. But, since not all sides of the board are capped, it does not work very well. Water gets into the unprotected ends of the boards where it is absorbed by the wood in the filler. This causes the filler to swell, flaring the end of the board. Unfortunately, once a board is flared, the flare is permanent.

In this article we take an objective look at WPC decking materials. We want to know what actually works and what is just hype. Are these materials actually so much better than wood decks that their premium price and reputation is justified? After building composite decks for nearly a quarter century, we thought it time to find out.

Are There Real Advantages of Composite Materials Over Wood?
Ask anyone who has chosen composite decking why composite was their choice and you are overwhelmingly going to get one, two, or all of three answers:

Composites require little or no maintenance,
Composites are more environmentally friendly than wood and
Composites are longer lasting than wood.

After twenty-five years of experience with these products, we can confidently say that, with rare exception, none of these beliefs is completely true. So how did these misperceptions come to be? They were fostered by composite manufacturers in the early years of the product when claims of "maintenance free" and "lifetime decks" were tossed about freely, but with no long-term research to substantiate the truth of the claims. Now that the research has been done, the claims are not holding up.

Little or No Maintenance
Exposure Testing
You can bet that any claim that a product is particularly resistant to rot or deterioration is going to be tested by the paint companies. After all, their living is made protecting stuff from rot and deterioration.

Here are some results from a Sherwin-Williams study of what happens to composite decking after years of exposure. The dark gray and black areas are mold growing on the boards. The pictures tell the whole story.

Trex® natural weathering

Trex® Natural™ new and after 3 years.

ChoiceDek® weathering

ChoiceDek® new and after 3 years.

CorrectDeck weathering

CorrectDeck® new and after 3 years. Are composite decks lower maintenance than wood decks? The answer is, barely, "yes". But, composites are not uniform in their maintenance needs, and some types of composites require much more attention to maintenance than others. All decks, no matter the material, require weekly brooming and semi-annual washing just to control build-up of debris, mold and mildew. Most composites are, like wood, subject to staining and discoloration by such things as grease, ketchup and red wine, and these stains need removing. Unlike wood, however, most composites do not need to be sealed or stained, thus avoiding that chore that wood deck owners have to go through every five years or so.

Never Needs Sealing?
Most wood decks, except some of the very pricey premium woods, need to be sealed to preserve structural integrity. Composite decks mostly don't.

"Never needs sealing" is a common composite decking refrain, and for most composites, the claim is true. Composite decking comes from the factory already stained and "sealed". It was given its color and sealed with incorporated plastics under great heat and pressure during the manufacturing process. When installed it does not need further staining or sealing. That work is already done, and it is part of the purchase price of the material.

Deck wood, on the other hand, is raw lumber. It is neither stained nor sealed when received from the lumberyard. Sealants are applied by the deck builder, and sealing is part of the builder's price for building the deck.

Most wood decks need to be sealed to maintain their structural integrity. Without sealing, treated pine decks have a lifespan of 15-25 years. There are as yet no true "lifetime" sealants. They're coming, but they are not here yet. A wood deck needs to be resealed periodically. The new preservative treatment for pine, ACQ (alkaline copper quaternary) that uses no arsenic, is not only safer and longer lasting, but takes stain and sealant better. New multi-year sealants and coatings have made the annual chore of cleaning and resealing a thing of the past (See Staining and Sealing). So while the maintenance difference between wood and composite decks has shrunk very dramatically over just the past 10 years or so, it has not yet disappeared. Wood decks need to be sealed about every five years, most composites are presealed at the factory and never need to be sealed again.

But, not all of a composite deck is made of composite materials. Look under that beautiful faux-redwood deck surface and what will you see? Pine. The understructure of any composite deck is treated pine. So, while it is true that the composite never needs sealing, it is not true that the deck never needs sealing. Its pine structure needs periodic sealing to maintain its structural integrity just like any wood deck — not as much as wood exposed to direct sunlight, but still some. And, you are going to be very unhappy if you don't maintain it and it fails after 20 or 30 years leaving your "lifetime" composite deck sitting on the ground.

Never Needs Staining?
The bright, crisp composite decking color you get fresh from the factory is not going to be the color you see a year after installation. All composite decks fade. Some fade a lot, some very little. Some eventually fade to a dingy gray that looks little different from the color of old, weathered wood.

The theory is that by coating the wood filler material with plastic, the wood would be protected from the two elements that cause fading — sun and water. Recent research has show that the theory does not work as well as expected. Rather than each small particle of wood being coated with plastic, the wood particles tend to clump together during manufacturing and the relatively large clumps are what gets coated, not the individual wood particles. Once the plastic coating is penetrated, as, for example, by the wear and tear of walking on the deck, sun and water can reach the wood causing fading over time. Weathered deck

A composite deck after 1 year. The "white" dots are exposed wood clusters that have been bleached by sun and rain. The only cure for this type of fading is to stain the deck.

Some manufacturers are very up-front about color fading. ChoiceDek and Trex are among those manufacturers who will show you post-fading colors so you can see what you deck will really look like after a few months. What none will show you is what they will look like after a few years. Testing organizations like Consumer Reports are conducting tests that look at, among other things, color changes over time. Coatings manufacturers like Sherwin-Williams have already finished testing some of the composites, and the results are not encouraging. After three years, most composites tested were gray or nearly gray.

The key seems to be how much wood in the product composition is exposed to the elements. Composites that contain a high percentage of plastic fade less than those with a high percentage of wood particles. Evergrain, because of its 100% plastic coating fades only slightly, but Trex and ChoiceDek with their high wood composition fade a lot.

Once fading starts, there is no cure but to seal the deck with a sealant that protects against water and UV rays from the sun to prevent further fading. If you want to restore the original color, the only solution is to stain the composite. Some composites, such as Evergrain, cannot be stained at all because of their high plastic content. Fortunately, these tend to fade very little. Those with high wood content often can be stained, but don't expect the manufacturer to advertise the fact. Generally, however, buried somewhere in their cleaning and maintenance instructions, manufacturers will recommend a stain for use on their decks. Use the recommended stain. But, if you stain the composite, you have to periodically re-stain the composite. How does this differ from maintaining the color in a wood deck? If there is one, we don't see it.

So, while it is true that most composites do not "need" staining or sealing — that is their structural integrity does not require staining or sealing — the choice may be to live with the often ugly faded color of the deck or bite the bullet and stain and seal.

Heavy mold

Mildew on a Trex deck. All decks require regular maintenance to keep them dirt-, mildew- and mold-free. There is no such thing as a no-maintenance deck. Maintenance Free?
Routine cleaning and maintenance is required for both wood and composite decks. Composite manufacturers now admit that there are no "maintenance free" decking materials of any kind. Every decking material needs at least a periodic washing. Mold, mildew and dirt attack every deck - plastic, metal, wood or composite — with evenhanded tenacity, and have to be taken care if at regular intervals. No reputable composite decking manufacturer now claims that its product is no maintenance. All not only admit that maintenance is necessary, but usually recommend a periodic maintenance schedule, specific procedures and even products by brand name for cleaning and maintaining their composite materials.

This is, of course, a far cry from the expansive claims common in the early days of composite decking that they "never need maintenance". This was very much over sold when composites first appeared on the market and got pioneer manufacturers like Trex into real legal trouble (see sidebar) when these exaggerated claims grooved to be less than true.

How "Green" Is this Stuff?
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? Probably not. But, neither are composites especially environmentally friendly.

PVC Factory

All composite decks use some plastic, much of which is new or "virgin" plastic made primarily from petroleum using an enormous amount of energy. Virgin Plastic: Every composite uses some form of plastic. New or "virgin" plastic is made primarily from petroleum products and is decidedly not green. On the bright side, the plastic binder most often used is polyethelene. While no plastic is environmentally benign, analyses by the Healthy Building Network concluded that polyethylenes possess fewer chemical hazards and environmental health impacts than other common industrial plastics such as vinyl (PVC), making them marginally more eco-friendly. For a complete report on and ranking of the environmental impact of various plastic and composite materials by the non-profit Healthy Building Network go to Guide to Plastic Lumber. Some manufacturers use vinyl (PVC) which is decidedly not green. It has the advantage over polyehelene that it is a stiffer material, less likely to sag or bounce, so it is attractive to composite makers.

Recycled Plastic: To their credit, some manufacturers use a high percentage of recycled plastic — plastic water and soda bottles, milk jugs and those ubiquitous plastic shopping bags are the most common sources. By recycling plastic that would otherwise end up in landfills for many centuries before it deteriorated, these producers provide a valuable ecological service. Quality control problems with recycled plastics have, however, caused a few manufactures to move away from recycled plastics and use more virgin plastic.

Recycled Wood: Most composite manufacturers also use wasted wood products, primarily sawmill waste, but also post-consumer recycled wood products such as used wood pallets.

Embedded Energy: All composites use an enormous amounts of power to manufacture and the generation of that electricity is a primary source of greenhouse gases. This "embedded energy" as it is called by environmental folks, detracts from the products' green-ness.

So while 100% recycled composites can be somewhat "greenish", they are still a lot less green than most common deck woods, even treated wood, from certified managed forests. (To learn more about how forests are managed and which wood comes from certified forests, take a look at the Forest Stewardship Council). Most composite manufacturers now shy away from calling their products "green", and instead simply state that they use post-consumer and industrial waste (if they do, some don't), leaving it to you the consumer to decide if the stuff is really green.

Also, keep in mind when choosing between wood and plastic composites that wood smoke is toxic, but gases from burning plastic are very, very toxic. Good thing decks are outside.

A Lifetime Deck?
No responsible manufacturer now claims its composite deck is a "lifetime deck", although some dealers and installers seem to use the phrase in their advertising. There are no lifetime wood or composite decks. You can realistically expect a treated pine deck that is never sealed to last up to 25 years. A composite deck will typically last as long a 50 years. But, there is a great deal of variation among products, some barely outlasting wood decks. And the comparison between unsealed wood and composite is a little "apples to oranges" because composite decks are already sealed at the factory while raw lumber is not sealed until the you or your builder seal it.

Assuming you are a responsible deck owner and want to keep your deck looking good, you will seal and stain your wood deck. If you do this, then what is the difference between you wood deck and a composite deck?

If treated pine is properly sealed and maintained, it will last nearly forever. So, will a composite deck. The difference is not how long a well-maintained deck will list, but how much work is required to maintain it. As shown above, wood decks may require somewhat more maintenance over their lifetimes than do composite decks.

Unfortunately, one place where composite decking will probably last a lifetime is in the landfill. There is so far no recycling for composite decks, and those that end up in the dump will probably be there for about 2,000 years. Treated wood, on the other hand, returns to nature in 10 years or less, and untreated wood in as little as 2 years.

The Disadvantages of Composite Decks
While composite decks have few real advantages over wood decks, they do have some real drawbacks. These are their high overall initial cost, heat retention and expansion and contraction problems.

Initial Construction Cost
Expect just the cost of composite decking material itself to be a 60% to 400% more expensive than treated pine (ACQ) decking. But, that's not the whole cost of a composite deck. Here are some of the other factors that add significantly to the total cost of a composite deck. Composite Deck Railing

Once you have selected composite decking you are almost compelled to choose the manufacturer's color-matched railing systems. Manufacturers know they have a mini-monopoly on railings, and price them accordingly.

A More Elaborate Deck Structure: Composite decking is denser and heaver than wood, but not as rigid. Most composite decking boards are a mixture of wood dust and polyethelene plastic. Polyethelene is a soft, springy, flexible plastic. It needs more support from the decking structure to keep it from bowing and sagging. Deck joists are typically spaced 16" to 24" on center for wood decking, but for many composite products they have to be spaced 12" on center to achieve the same feeling of rigidity. Most manufacturers admit this problem, although you may have to look in the very fine print to find it. This extra structure adds to the cost of the deck.
Proprietary Fastening Systems: Wood decks can be attached to supporting joists with screws through the face of the deck board, or by using hidden fasteners. It's your choice. But, there is often no choice with composite decking. Not all, but a good many composite decks are designed to be attached only with proprietary hidden fastener systems. These can add to the costs because not only are the proprietary systems pricey, but there is about twice as much labor involved in using hidden fastening systems.
Accessories and Railings: The price of composite deck boards is very competitive. Producers complete with each other in quality and appearance, but also in price — keeping the price as low as possible for the basic deck board product. But, once you buy a manufacturer's decking, you are probably going to have to buy its accessories and deck railing systems if you want the rest of your deck to match your decking. Here's where they get you. Accessories such as trim boards, nosing and railing kits are very expensive. These are the profit makers for the composite decking companies, not the decking itself, and manufacturers are not at all bashful in pricing these items.

If your composite deck does not have natural shade, a pergola or awning is necessary in sunny climates where heat retention can make a composite deck uninhabitable. Heat Retention
One serious drawback to composite decking is ignored by everyone except engineers and scientists, and certainly never talked about by composite manufacturers. This is the problem of heat retention. If you live in a place like most of Nebraska with hot, hot summers, you need to be very aware of heat retention.

A deck exposed to direct summer sun gets hot. A wood deck gets hot enough so that walking barefoot is mildly uncomfortable. All composites and plastics get a lot hotter than wood — some get hotter than concrete. It's merely a function of density and color. Dense materials retain more heat and get hotter than non-dense materials. Dark colors absorb more heat than light colors. Wood contains a lot of air pockets and is usually at least 10% water, so it is not nearly as dense as composites. Composites and vinyl decking get very hot — often to the point of being completely uninhabitable for most of the summer months.

This does not mean don't build a composite or vinyl deck on the sunny side of the house, but it does mean either building in a place that does not get much sunshine or providing some shade. If natural shade from trees is not available, consider a pergola, awning or roof. You are going to need it.

One downside to building on the shady side of the house is mold and mildew. These seem to form more readily where the deck does not get direct sunlight.

Expansion and Contraction
All materials expand when heated and contract when cooled. Wood expands and contracts, but very little along the length of the board. Most expansion and contraction in wood is across the width of the board. The movement along the length of the board is so small that it is usually largely ignored as inconsequential. For many thousands of years, carpenters have contended with expansion and contraction across the width of wood boards and learned how to compensate for this wood movement.

Composite decking is not wood. It contains wood, but it also contains plastic, and plastic is one of the all time great expanders and contractors. A plastic board not only expands across the width of the board, but also along its length. A lot. The seasonal movement along the length of a 20' composite board may be as much as one inch.

This means that special processes must be used in manufacturing and installing composite decks to account for this un-wood-like expansion and contraction. For guidance, we can look to the experience of the vinyl siding industry that has been contenting with the problems of plastic expansion for over a half century. Many of the techniques of installing composite decks are taken from the vinyl siding professionals. But, there are still many problems that have not yet been conquered. The consequence to you as the composite deck owner is that the nice, tight, wood-like joints in your deck when it was installed in July may be wide, unsightly gaps in February. And, since plastic does not expand and contract evenly, those gaps may still be there the following July. There is not a lot that can be done about it — it's the nature of the material. Composites may look like wood, but they are not wood, and they don't act like wood. So, don't expect a perfectly convincing wood-like appearance. It just won't happen.

How to Buy a Composite Deck
The key to buying a composite deck is, like any major purchase, research. Here is the information you will want to have to make your decision.

Composition: What is the composition of the decking material? A composite deck that contains more plastic is less prone to fading and will not as easily support the embedded mold and mildew that has plagued some high-wood-content composites such as Trex. But keep in mind that the more plastic that is in a composite the more it acts like plastic and the more problem you are likely to have with heat retention and seasonal movement. Where do you find out how much plastic is in a composite? Ask your decking supplier for a Material Safety Data Sheet. All manufacturers must have them by law and must give them to you when you ask. Many companies publish their MSDS sheets on their web site. This disclosure will not tell you everything about the composition of the material, but will usually tell you how much wood fiber and plastic it contains, and, as a bonus, usually how much wood and plastic is recycled waste.
Fading: Composite manufacturers have been beat up pretty bad over fading, so most now will cheerfully provide samples or at least images of their decking after six month's exposure. These are the colors you want to rely on, not the new-out-of-the-box colors. New colors may last as little as 90 days.
Railing and Accessories: Unless you are going to buy another manufacturer's railings, look at the complete cost of the deck, including railings. Railings and trim accessories are where manufacturers make their big profit. You must buy the manufacturer's accessories to get an exact color and texture match. But, make sure the manufacturer actually makes its own railings. Many farm these out and the color and texture match is much less than perfect. Look at actual samples, not just pictures.
Structure: Find out if the decking requires a heavy super-structure. You can find this out in the manufacturer's installation instructions, usually available at its web site (but you may have to pretend to be a decking professional to see them). These usually specify the maximum spacing of deck joists — typically 16". But don't stop there. Keep reading and you may find that a 12" spacing is "suggested" for a greater feeling of "firmness". This means that while a 16" spacing will result in a deck that won't fall down, a 12" spacing is going to result in a deck that feels less flimsy, and is the spacing you should use. Give preference to decking that is firm enough to allow 16" spacing. The downside: firmer composite deck boards often contain a high proportion of vinyl (PVC) which is considered less environmentally friendly that the usual plastic, polyethelene.
Fastening Systems: If the decking can only be installed using the manufacturer's proprietary fastening system, factor the price of the system into your decking cost. Some of these systems are quite expensive. Some are difficult to use and require special tools. And, some are only sold to professionals with special training.
Ratings: We give little credence to on-line ratings by commentators we don't know anything about, or who have something to sell. But, do take a look at the on-going Consumer Reports test of composite decking, and stay away from lower ranking products. Not an on-line CR member? Pony up the $2.16, you cheapskate!
Warranty: All composite deck warranties are relatively useless. No manufacturer that we can find will warrant its product beyond replacing any defective material. No one will pay (1) for the labor required to initially install the deck, (2) for the labor to disassemble the defective deck or (3) for the labor required to install the replacement deck. All they will do is dump a bunch of deck materials in your driveway. Everything else is up to you. Some have a "lifetime" warranty, some for ten years. Some warranties are transferable, some are not. But our sense is unless the company is willing to pay for the cost of labor — which is the big cost — as well as defective materials, they really don't have much faith in their product. There's not much difference between one warranty and another, so largely discount warranty.
Commercial Use: Many composite manufacturers do not guarantee their products for commercial use. Some even state that their decking is for residential use only. If the manufacturer cannot certify its product for heavy-duty commercial use — all other things being equal — skip that company and go with a company that has a little more confidence in its product.

Deck Calculus: Lifetime Costs: Composite v. Wood Deck
The real cost of a deck is its lifetime cost. Composite manufacturers a few years ago made lifetime cost a big deal in their advertising and sales materials. The idea was that while composite decks are more expensive to build, they require less maintenance over their lifetime, so the lifetime cost of a composite deck is less than that of an equivalent wood deck.

As problems surfaced with composite decks, and coatings for wood decks got better and longer lasting, these claims have all but disappeared. Still, lifetime costing is useful information, so let's compare a treated pine deck with a typical composite.

Assumptions: We assume, first of all, that you will carefully select your composite deck and avoid those that fade excessively, delaminate or harbor mold and mildew so all that will be required is routine cleaning. You will build your comparison wood deck out of ACQ treated pine. Each deck will be built according to building code and in a workmanlike manner using generally accepted construction practices. You are 35 years of age, so your life expectancy is another 50 years or so. This is how long we want the deck to last.

Initial Cost: The cost of the composite 16' x 20' deck built by Remodeling Magazine is $15,368 (See sidebar "How Much Does it Cost?", above). The cost of the same deck in ACQ treated pine is $10,546. Now we have to stain and seal the wood deck at an additional cost of $440.00, so its total cost, including sealing, is $10,986. You would save $4,402 in initial construction costs by building a wood, rather than a composite deck.

Routine Cleaning and Maintenance: All decks require brooming at least once a week and deep cleaning periodically periodically. This is true whether your deck is wood or composite. Most composite manufacturers recommend a good washing every six months or so, once in the spring and once in the fall. This is also a good schedule for wood decks. So, routine maintenance for both types of decks is the same. Figure about $100.00 to have a professional deep clean your deck every six months. Over the 50-year lifespan of the deck, you will spend $9,900 to clean your deck. The cost is the same for both types of decks. We assume you will broom the deck weekly yourself.

Staining and Sealing: Your composite deck never has to be sealed or stained — it comes out of the box already permanently sealed and tinted to look like stained wood. We gave your wood deck a good coat of stain and long-lasting sealant when it was built, so it's good for five years or so. But, at the end of that time, you will need to reseal your wood deck. This will cost, in today's dollars, about $400. (This is less than the cost of the first staining and sealing because the underside of the deck is usually requires no resealing since it gets very little exposure.) You are going to reseal your wood deck eight more times before the deck is torn down 50 years from now, for a total resealing cost of $3,600.

And The Winner Is....Wood?:

Deck Type	Initial Cost	Cleaning Cost	Resealing Cost	Total Lifetime Cost
Composite Deck	$15,368	$9,900	N/A	$25,268
Treated Pine (ACQ) Deck	$10,546	$9,900	$3,600	$24,046

Of course, if you do the work yourself, then the cost savings of the wood over the composite deck are more striking. However, be careful washing a deck. Wood decks can stand power washing, but most composite manufacturers recommend against power washing, and suggest that if you do power wash, use very low pressure.

Looking Good, But Not New
There is also the aesthetic factor. Every time you restain your wood deck, it looks almost brand new. So every five years or so, you have new-looking deck to enjoy. Composite Deck Fading

More pictures from the Sherwin-Williams study. From left to right: Trex Natural decking new, after three year's exposure, and after cleaning with a commercial composite deck cleaner. The deck cleaned up nicely, but the original color has all but faded away.

Every time you deep wash your composite deck, it looks really clean, but not new. Any fading, and there will be some, is still with you. So, what you end up with is a clean, but old looking, faded deck. Your can cure fading and discoloration on some composite decks by staining them using a specially formulated composite deck stain. But, if you stain your deck, you will have to periodically re-stain it to keep it new looking, just as you would a wood deck.. So you end up with a choice, a faded, old-looking, but clean deck or the chore and expense of regular re-staining to keep it looking new.

The Scorecard: Benefits and Disadvantages of Composite Materials

Some resist blistering, deterioration and splintering better than wood, but do not wholly eliminate some of these defects. Products that contain a lot of wood fiber such as Trex do little better than real wood in resisting certain kinds of deterioration (See "Trex Sued Again", above). Composites that contain a lot of wood fiber can be expected to fade over time. Some have been found to seriously deteriorate in certain climates (See sidebars, above).

Require less maintenance than many natural woods. A semi-annual washing is usually required - regular washing, most manufacturers do not recommend power washing. However, with the new coatings and sealers available for natural wood decks, the maintenance difference between composite and sealed wood decks has almost disappeared and over the next five years, unless there is some breakthrough in composite technology, will almost certainly disappear.

Are largely immune to infestations by termites and other wood-destroying pests. Since they are mostly plastics, wood-loving pests leave them alone. Insects also leave the common deck woods (redwood, cedar and treated pine) alone because of toxins in the wood. It is not clear that composites are any more resistant to insect damage than these typical deck woods.

Can be often stained or painted depending on your budget or aesthetic preference. But, if stained, they have to be periodically re-stained just like wood.

Resist warping - but how much depends on the product. Trex, for example, has a bad reputation for warping.

Some are notorious in wetter climates for growing mold and mildew. Lighter colors show dirt. Unlike wood, dirt does not penetrate into the material, but stays on the surface where it is very visible, and can be very slick to walk on.

Retains more heat than wood, but not as much as pure plastics.

Contracts and expands in all directions, not just across the width of the "board", so expect to see large gaps in Winter as the material shrinks in the cold. Remember, while it may look very much like wood, it is not wood, it is wood and plastic and acts more like plastic than it does like wood.

Pricey and more labor intensive to construct than wood, especially if a beefed up deck structure is built to support the softer polyethelene composite materials.

Conclusion
We have radically altered our opinion of composite decks over the past five years from generally favorable to generally unfavorable.

We just don't see value in composite decks that justifies the higher initial cost of the product. With new preservatives available for wood decks, the new treatment (ACQ) of pine for improved rot-resistance, and the increasingly evident problems with composite materials — problems that persist even though composite manufacturers are working mightily to make improvements (See "Louisiana-Pacific Composite Decking Recalled" above), we can see no advantage to spending more for composite decks. And, we hate to say that, because as certified composite deck builders, it is almost certain to cost us money.

Many people seem to agree with us, however, because the market share of composite decks has hardly budged since 2004. But if you like the look of composite decking, do your research and choose a composite that works best in your climate — or, if you live in Southeast Nebraska, contact us and we will do the research for you.

Vinyl and Plastic Decks
The most common plastic used in decks is vinyl. Vinyl (PVC) is a synthetic material used in the construction industry for siding, window frames and flooring. It has become an increasingly popular choice for deck components because of its very low maintenance. The material is not strong enough to be used for structural support but is great for deck flooring and railings – the parts you can see. PVC is not well regarded by the eco-conservation crowd. It is not at all "green". It is made from petroleum and in liquid and gas forms, is very dangerous.

Vinyl offers its own distinctive appearance that many believe that to be its downfall. It looks like plastic. Manufacturers have gone to a lot of effort to make it look more like painted wood, but their results have not yet reached the level of Courtesy Royal Crown Limited

This striking Dec-Lok® vinyl deck is almost maintenance free. But, be aware that vinyl is a more fragile material than wood or most composites, scratches easily, and can chip and break. sophistication of the vinyl siding companies whose products are often difficult to distinguish from wood except at very close range. (By the way, vinyl guys, embossing vinyl with woodgrain merely makes it look like embossed vinyl — real painted wood seldom shows woodgrain. It shows brush strokes if anything). Vinyl is offered in only a relatively few colors, but its range of neutral and attractive colors will match the decor of almost any home.

Vinyl planks used as decking typically are embossed with treads that enhance the look of the deck, maximize traction and disguise wear. Without them vinyl is slippery. Planking is usually installed using an aluminum or vinyl track that allows the planks to be easily snapped into place — a definite plus for the do-it-yourselfer.

Vinyl is not usually strong enough for newel posts. What looks like a vinyl post is often a wood post covered by a vinyl wrapper. However, recently manufacturers have started offering railing kits that feature posts strong enough to comply with the national building codes. These do not need wood reinforcement. For short lengths, vinyl will work as a railing and vinyl balusters are sufficiently rigid to stand on their own.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Using Plastic Deck Components

• Does not warp, rot or splinter, but it is the most fragile of all deck materials and can be broken by rocks thrown up by the mower, by hail and by hard use. If you have young children, plastic may not be your first choice.
• Immune to wood-destroying insects, because it's not wood.
• Does not need to be stained. In fact, it cannot be stained with any success. So the original color you pick • Very little maintenance. A periodic washing will usually suffice.
• Will keep its color without noticeable fading. Most products are warranted against fading for the lifetime of the owner.
• Stain resistant, but not stain immune. Light colors stain more easily than dark colors.
• Has a somewhat better resistance to fire than wood, but if it does burn produces toxic gases.
• Posts covers, railings and balusters (but not deck boards) scratch and mar fairly easily which can be a problem in heavy traffic areas.
• Retains much more heat than wood and more than most composites. The most heat-retentive material. Not suitable for sun-side exposure in hot climates unless shaded.
• Pricey and more labor intensive to construct than wood or composites.

Conclusion

Plastic should be your material of choice if its higher initial cost is tolerable, the look of "painted wood" complements your house and you want the lowest level of lifetime maintenance possible with today's materials.

Need to learn more about designing, planning and building a deck or porch? Try these articles:

Can I Do It Myself
You can always do at least some of your remodeling yourself. How much you can do depends on the extent of the work to be done, how much knowledge you have of building techniques and such things as building code requirements; and the three "T"s: Time, Talent and Tools. Find out what you can tackle yourself and what you should absolutely leave for the pros.

The Construction Process
Once your blueprints are completed, the real work begins. Your project manager works with you to develop a construction process that minimizes disruption to your household while work is in progress.

The Deck Handbook Part 1: Introduction to Decks
Learn the basics of deck design and construction using the latest materials and techniques.

The Deck Handbook Part 2: Domestic Wood for Decks
By far he most wood most commonly used for decks is pressure-treated pine. But it is not the only species widely used. Tamarack, cypress and the cedars have found their place in American decks.

The Deck Handbook Part 3: Exotic and Imported Deck Woods.
In the ever-widening quest for wood that looks good, is structurally adaptable and resists rot and decay, imported hardwoods have become significant niche players. The most common are Ipe (pronounced "ee-PAY") and the old standby mahogany. Others include Teak, Cumaru and Jarrah.

The Deck Handbook Part 5: Railings, Lighting, Pergolas and Seating
The feature that brings the most character to a deck is its railing. Deck railings are required in most localities on any deck higher than 36" (24" in some places) from the ground...

The Deck Handbook Part 6: Staining, Sealing and Maintaining Your Deck
Wood rots. Some woods rot quickly, some very slowly, but all are going to deteriorate to uselessness eventually. Learn how staining and sealing protect you deck and the products to use to reduce wood deck maintenance to a minimum.

The Deck Handbook Part 7: The (Almost) Maintenance Free Deck
It is entirely possible to build a deck that is almost maintenance-free. It requires understanding why deck fails, a little common-sense, some unlikely deck materials, and a fresh approach, but it is possible. In fact, it costs very little more to build an almost maintenance-free deck than it does to build a standard pine deck. Here's how we do it.

Building by Design: The Design-Builder Concept
A design-builder is a modern form of an ancient approach to building structures — that of the master builder. A master builder of old was a combination architect, engineer and builder, responsible for every phase of building a structure from initial concept to completion. Design-building firms such as StarCraft Custom Builders continue this oldest of building traditions.

The Design Process
If your plans include substantial changes to your kitchen or bath, or another room, or you are contemplating an addition; then a construction plan is required. Learn how your ideas are turned into a concept plan and then a construction blueprint in a three-step process using computer-assisted design.

Living Through Remodeling
Remodeling will disrupt just about every routine you have; including some you are not aware of having. But this noisy, gritty process doesn't necessarily mean you will be tearing out your hair. With a little advance planning, it is possible to live through even major renovations with your sanity and good nature largely intact. Check out our remodeling survivors guide.