Wood Decking Still Outperforms Composite Decking

Composite decking sales are on the rise. That being said I think the reason for this is the marketing dollars that are invested into these products. They have saturated the industry magazines, TV commercials, internet websites and all kinds of informational literature as well as all the big box stores. Promises of maintenance free decks and lifetime durability entice consumers to buy. Lifetime warranties seal the deal on the purchases for consumers who are looking for reassurance that they are buying a premium deck worth the investment they are making.

Wood decking encompasses many different species of lumber so results will vary accordingly but if you compare tropical hardwood such as ipe and cumaru than there is no doubt that wood outperforms the synthetic decking products in the market. Let's take a look at some of the reasons for this statement. Ipe decking has a janka hardness rating (measurement of hardness of wood) over 3600, compare that to California Redwood at 420 with a life span of over 100 years. The density of ipe makes it resistant to insects, rot, mold and fungus. No chemicals are required on this tropical wood. Many commercial projects are specified with this product due to the performance and aesthetics of wood.

Composite decking is relatively new to the market when compared to wood decking. This mix of resin and wood particles and dust product has had some improvements over time but still has complaints about discoloration, de-lamination, warping, molding, fungus, and deterioration. Lawsuits have literally put some composite companies out of business making warranties null and void and on the extreme, have left some homeowners with defective decks and no resolutions.

Another big marketing push for composite decking companies is the whole eco-friendly recycled materials aspect of the product. Yes a percentage of the product may come from recycled plastic but they may be part of the deterioration problem as post consumer materials have been proven to breakdown quicker especially in the environment it is exposed to. The life span on some of those decks have been as little as 3-5 years and at that rate with little to no facilities to recycle the deck boards, there would be many more decks in the landfills than if those decks were made with wood. Eco-friendly is not what I would label that.

If you are in the market for decking than do yourself a favor and research first so you don't have the headaches of replacing your deck or worse living with a deck you are disappointed with. We are always looking for the next best thing but find out that the grass is not always greener on the other side. All products will have maintenance to some degree and no man made products completely biodegrade without some footprint on our earth. Look beyond the smoke screens and use logic and reasoning to help make an informed decision and one you can live with.

Rosi Lehr is a contributing writer for Advantage Trim & Lumber Co.
Ipe Decking

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.