Hi! Thanks for reading my Decking Blog. I’m Mike Danzilio and its March, 2010. Initially, I wrote this article about 9 years ago and I revise it every year at this time to include the latest products and changes in the industry. After over 25 years of installing new and removing old decks, I have observed almost every deck product and method used to construct decks.
The evolution in the alternative decking industry has increased to a rapid pace in the last few years. The awareness of brand names and the desire of the public to specifically express their preference to purchase name brands is more powerful than it’s ever been. People would rather spend their money on a tried-and-true product than to save a few pennies on an off-brand product. Trex, Timbertech and Azek dominate the alternative decking market. See table below:
In the next few years, I would expect to see the larger brands capture additional market share and the lesser brands will cease to exist all together. By now, the more established decking companies are aware of the problem areas and how to deal with them. One hundred years ago there were dozens of US automobile manufacturers. Fifty years later there are now only three. I see the decking industry going in the same direction.
At No Maintenance Decking & Trim, we have done the home work for you! We have looked at all of the products on the market. Some have very good features and others are not much different than all of the rest. We have considered many factors: cost, warranty, maintenance, durability, product integrity, concealed fasteners as well as having the entire deck built out of the same product (visible parts) and the overall “look” of the deck. I rate these decking products using a scale from 1 to 10: 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.
If you are in the market for a deck, look at all of the alternatives and consider everything. If you plan to own your home for more three years or just want the best value for your deck, then please read on. I’m asked often “what is the best product” I feel that there are many great products and what’s best for me is not what’s best for you.
In recent years, homeowners have come to realize that wood decks will be cheaper than a wood composite or a plastic deck. If you just want a deck and don’t care what it looks like, then build a wood deck and let it crack, check and enjoy the splinters. If you desire to have a beautiful deck and don’t what to spend any time maintaining it once its completed except for periodic cleaning, then an all-plastic product may be right for you. Keep in mind that the maintenance of the wood deck plus the initial outlay will cost more than the difference between the up-front cost of the plastic deck.
As a decking distributor, builder and retailer, we offer the public the best products at the best price. We also feel that having these products in stock is also a big advantage for our customers. This concept works because we believe in the products that we sell. I don’t see any reason to sell a product that has inherent problems just because it costs less. When we purchase a car, we don’t buy the cheapest thing on 4 wheels. We look at characteristics such as safety, gas mileage, size, style, maintenance, comfort and other amenities. We also consider that we will only have this vehicle for about 4 years. As an independent plastic lumber retailer, I can sell virtually any decking product that is currently available. The minor price difference in relation to the benefits over time, is money in the bank. For 2010, the alternative decking manufactures have realized that all-plastic decking is much better than products that are made with wood and plastic. As I’ve been saying for many years, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and the weak link in wood composites is the wood! Take the wood out and you will have a better product. If the wood composite is facing the sun, rain & snow it will start to degrade as soon as the decking is put down. Trex has capped their wood composite with a polyethylene cover that has a 25 year no-stain no-fade warranty. We can call the Trex Trancend a hybrid decking.
All things considered, I have chosen four decking lines to carry: Azek, Trex, TimberTech and Tandeck.
We sell Trex because they have been making alternative decking for many years and will always be the top seller. Trex has weathered all of the inherent problems that come with any new product. They have listened to their customers and their new product line is proof of that. Trex has great marketing and brand recognition; it is the envy of all decking manufacturers. In 2008, The Trex Company introduced Escapes decking. This all PVC product is made in three very rich colors and is similar to Azek Decking formally called Procell. We carry the aforementioned Azek decking; this PVC product is probably the flagship decking sold in the USA today. For 2009, we added the TimberTech decking line. This was a great move because we sold more TimberTech than we ever thought we would. The TimberTech Twin Finish is a very popular composite decking. The TimberTech XLM is a nice all plastic decking with the very popular Radiance Rail in matching colors. The TimberTech Earthwoods line is a higher quality wood composite decking. Earthwoods has a great “wood-like” look. It may not be the product for a family with kids but for the right customer, it will achieve a unique look. We also carry the Tandeck Decking system which is lesser known and made with high density polyethylene which is a superior plastic for building products. Tandeck boasts 6 colors of decking along with matching railing in 2 styles. Tandeck also has a beautiful stair tread along with multiple profiles that can provide a sophisticated look.
The next question you’ll have is “what should I buy”? One way is to look at the history and the composition of the product. If you see a product like Correct Deck that has a “new and improved” product every year, than that tells you they’ve had so many problems they had to change the way they manufacture it. I have seen products come and go, and the one thing they have in common is wood or sawdust as filler. We now know that the weak link is the wood. The all-plastic decking is certainly the wisest choice but all plastics are not created equal.
Let me spend a minute talking about different types of plastic. The decking manufacturers are using four types: Poly Vinyl Chloride PVC), Polystyrene (PS), or Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE). These plastics have different characteristics that are better in some applications and detrimental in others.
Stiffness - All residential decking products are tested to hold 60 pounds/square foot and all manufacturers must adhere to that engineering code. PP and PS are stiffer but fail miserably in fade testing. PVC and PE are less stiff as opposed to the others but still pass all testing,
Fading - In our testing, PE didn’t fade at all and has the ability to be made into more rich, appealing colors. PVC decking will show minimal fading in the first year and is produced in lighter, more muted colors.
Longevity - PE building products have been around for many years, it is a little more susceptible to expansion and contraction due to temperature fluctuations but will look better longer. You don’t have to look any further than the length of warranty PE decking warranties are twice as long as that of PVC decking.
We will speak about these individual products further on in this article. PVC and PE, the plastics in Trex Escapes, Trex Trancend, Azek and in Tandeck are very durable, colorfast and resistant to chemical staining. The price of PVC & PE has risen over recent years for a few reasons; the price of oil and natural gas is important but supply and demand of plastic also needs to be figured into the equation. Another is that the world has realized that PE in particular is a better plastic for use outside in the harsh elements. PVC and PS decking look great only when they are new. PS decking (EON) looks better than PE decking when it is new, but in one year the PE decking will still look the same and PS decking will have lost that nice shine. I would hope that you will want your deck to look as good in ten years as it was the day it was installed.
At No Maintenance Decking and Trim we feel that a six-inch piece (a sample) of most decking looks pretty good but a two-year old deck is the proof! At No Maintenance Decking and Trim we have 1500 square feet of decking set up outside, yes, outside in the elements, so that you can visualize what your decking will look like over time. Some of the displays have been outside in the harsh elements for up to 8 years! Every year we attend the Deck Expo. We see beautiful decks constructed with great carpentry skills. The problem is that if you put these decks outside for 6 months, they will look terrible!
Concealed Fasteners
After many years of selling and installing alternative decking products, we have noted that customers with a discriminating eye prefer decking with a concealed fastening system (no unsightly screws on the top of the deck board). Most alternative products are not set up for this system and need to be altered to accommodate the fasteners. There are two widely used types of after-market deck fasteners systems: Eb-tys and Tigerclaw. There are a few others but they cost about the same. Both fastener systems take a considerable amount of time to apply but the result is a very clean look! The retail price of these products adds approximately $1.45 per square foot. Factoring in the extra labor costs will increase the price of the deck.
Trex Hideaway fasteners are made for the new Trex Trancend and cost about 50¢ per square foot and the TimberTech Concealoc stainless steel clip sits very low in between the decking and cost about $1 per square foot. The Tandeck clip has a retail cost of 45¢ per square foot and it takes less time to apply to the decking than using two screws per joist as you would apply to standard decking.
Cortex Concealed Fastening System by Fasten Master is a great product that covers the screws with a plug made from the same decking material. The retail cost is about 80¢ per square foot and is available for Azek and for Trex Escapes. Cortex is available for Trex Accents & TimberTech TwinFinish, although most people will opt for a less expensive fastener on a wood composite decking.
Does Plastic Decking get Hot?
This question comes up all the time and it shouldn’t! A common perception is that plastic decking is hotter than wood decking. This question is usually asked in the summer months and it’s always accompanied by “I have a friend who has a composite deck and it gets very hot”. When someone asks me this question I have them put their hand on white Azek decking. When they do so they say, “It feels cold”. Then I say “if plastic is hot, than the white decking should be hot as well. Since it’s not hot, it’s not the plastic that’s hot but the color that affects the temperature”. This is just common sense. I own two SUVs one black and one white. When it 95°, the black one is much more difficult to keep cool.
Many years ago, I had a wood deck at my house and one year I stained it a dark gray and it was very hot! The next year I stained it a medium gray and it was much cooler. I posed this question to a salesman at a decking supply company in Florida and he replied with a great comment: “They told me that in Florida it’s very hot and people know and understand that everything is hot when its 100°”! We can conclude that dark colors absorb sun light (hotter to the touch) and light colors reflect sun light (cooler to the touch). People like rich deep colors, which is fine and lighter colors need more frequent cleaning. Therein lays the trade off with heat and cleaning.
Different Decking materials
Wood
Until the early 1990s, wood was the only product used to build a deck. There are many types of wood and I will try to cover most of them. The first decks that I encountered were originally built out of whatever was left over from the frame of the house, usually Douglas fir or Spruce. These decks were stained or painted every 1 or 2 years and lasted anywhere from 7—15 years depending on the care given and its proximity to the sun. Replacement decks were built to look better and last longer. In the early eighties, we began to use Pressure Treated wood (wood treated with the chemical, Copper Chromium Arsenic, which was banned by the EPA for residential use in January, 2004). We used it only on the frame and on high-end homes because its cost was about three times that of conventional wood. As the cost came down and more profiles were introduced, we began using it for the entire deck.
Pressure Treated Wood
Pressure Treated ACQ (Ammonia-cal Copper Quaternary, CCA’S replacement) is acceptable if you’re looking for “just a deck”. If you don’t care what it looks like, this will be the best deck product for the money. Water will not damage it but if the deck is in the sun, it will dry it out until the areas exposed to the sun disintegrates. If you have a pressure treated deck, you may be able to make it look better by painting, pressure washing, sanding, caulking & staining with a solid body stain. This will have to be done every year, but it will at least look good. Building the frame out of Pressure Treated wood is fine, because it is not in the direct sunlight. ACQ has great strength but only time will tell for the ACQ treatment process.
Rating 3—if you plan to have the deck more than 3 years, buy a different product.
Cedar, Mahogany & Redwood
These decks always look great for the first couple of months after they‘re installed, but before long they will require some kind of maintenance. Depending on how you take care of the deck and the frequency of this maintenance, will directly relate to its looks and length of life.
Cedar
Cedar is very soft and needs a lot of maintenance but will look good for its short 6—10 year life. This product maybe the most expensive deck (per year) to own.
Rating 3 — looks good when it’s installed but requires costly, annual maintenance in order to extend the life of the deck. If you have a cedar house, this deck will look great with a transparent cedar stain applied every year.
Redwood
These decks have a natural beauty but required a lot of maintenance to keep it looking good. Redwood may have a longer life in a dryer, western climate. A few years ago, I dismantled a 16-year old Redwood deck. It was an ugly, dark brown but there was no rot at all! Yearly staining with a solid body stain would have extended the life of this deck at least another 10+ years.
The owners had vinyl siding applied to their house and opted for a deck that matched the house.
Rating 5 — If an entire deck package is offered, take it and it will look good. Redwood requires a lot of maintenance.
Mahogany/Vertical Grain Fir
Deck-grade mahogany from Malaysia and Indonesia or vertical grain Fir from the United States is harder than Cedar and will last up to 20 years. For homes that are in the woods or that have a wood motif, this is the right product to attain this look. Costly annual maintenance is the down side.
Rating 5 —lasts longer than Cedar.
Teak and other Hardwoods
There are many varieties of South American Hardwood. Teak (Ipe, Ironwood etc.) is best known for its use with furniture and ship decks. They have a very high upfront cost and require maintenance; they look great and last a very long time. This decking may be reasonably priced (3 times that of treated wood). I visited a distributor of alternative decking in Florida and I surveyed all of the various products that were displayed outside. They had a few types of hardwood displayed nicely in the sun. They were installed just 2½ years ago and looked terrible! Every type of hardwood was terribly cracked. This changed my outlook on hardwoods. Remember that it was in the hot Florida sun, but it looked dried out. I was shocked! In the July/August 2005 Deck Builder Magazine, I read an article about a marina in South Carolina. They were proudly showing off their dock which looked great! But further along I read that they will be treating it with Penofin four times a year. While the dock is new, they will spend the money to keep it looking good, but in a few years they’ll tire of the cost it takes to maintain it. The dock will begin to look tired and worn out. The finishing components (rails, fascia & trim) are very expensive.
Rating 8— Highest cost of all the deck products tested and will need costly maintenance.
In the late eighties, we noticed that Pressure Treated wood wasn’t susceptible to water damage but it would dry out and crack leaving the worst splinters that any bare–footed person could imagine. Pressure Treated wood, due to its wet-treatment process, swelled up in both its length and width so it would shrink and crack when it dried. In my dealings with homeowners, I flatly stated that to keep the deck looking good, a solid body stain would need to be applied every year. In ten short years we were back to the maintenance game! In the early nineties, we were introduced to plastics used in decking. As with any new product, people were interested and I built quite a few decks with a composite called Trex. Soon after, I was asked to be a consultant to a new company on Long Island New York that sold 100% recycled plastic decking. I could see that we had two similar yet very different schools of thought:
Wood Composites
When wood breaks down after a few years, the decking may become rough and flaky. The plastic will stay in place but the wood will disintegrate. Wood is a cellulose material that absorbs water & bacteria. The bacterium feeds on the wood to produce the mold that you see on many of the popular composite deck products. Most consumers don’t realize that mold is a microscopic organism that produces enzymes to digest organic matter to produce spores. In nature, mold plays a key role in the decomposition of plant debris and wood. However mold presents a problem on the surface of the wood or composite decking, resulting in substantial damage over a long period of time. Mold on the other hand, can’t eat Polyethylene or PVC and can easily be removed with a brush and cleaner or often times a good hard rain. The wood doesn’t hold the color for very long, so fading is also an issue. Another important issue, not widely known, is that you shouldn’t use wood composites under 18” above the ground unless your deck it is fully ventilated. You will find this written in very small print in the way back of the product information guide. These small words will be used to deny all claims when the product fails, which it will sooner or later. The wood will absorb moisture and puffs up like oatmeal does in water. Naturally, higher quality wood composites like Trex will hold up much better than the cheaper products. Other composite deck products which possess different characteristics will be reviewed later on.
Trex
The largest alternative decking company in the world. The marketing and brand recognition is second to none. Trex has decking in all categories except the high end PVC. In 2010 Trex introduced Trex Trancend Decking and Railing. The decking has a wood composite platform (core) with a polyethylene cover, this hybrid has dark rich colors at a mid range price along with a 25 year no fade, no stain warranty. At No Maintenance Decks we stock Trex Accents, Trex Escapes and Trex Trancend. With all decking you will need to see the decking in order to make the decision on which one you like better.
Rating 9— The Complete line is great! They need a product to compete in the higher end streaked PVC decking along with deck lights.
Evergrain
This is a lower quality, composite decking. People love the wood grain. It is molded not extruded; they must add a coating in the mold before pouring in the mix. I’ve had some Evergrain on an old display deck for a few years and it looks very good.
1. It stains and fades more than Trex composite.
2. They have problems with color variations.
3. They have raised their very limited warranty to 25 years.
4. Evergrain must be nailed or screwed through the top of the deck board. As I mentioned previously, there are methods to conceal the fastening, but it’s expensive and a lot of work.
6. The railing system is not visually appealing and is expensive.
Rating 5— it’s a fair product, both Trex Accents and TimberTech Twin Finish and ReliaBoard are nicer.
Timbertech
TimberTech maybe the best all around brand of alternative decking. In 2009 we added the Timbertech Decking line to the No Maintenance Decking Line of Decking and railing. We have done great with the product. The company is great to work with! TimberTech has a complete line, ranging from the new ReliaBoard, TwinFinish, XLM with base colors through the Desert Bronze and Earthwoods. The Radiance Rails have five colors including the very popular Black Radiance. TimberTech also has a full line of low voltage lights that look great.
Rating 10 — A complete decking line with something for everyone.
Choice Deck, Veranda
This is the composite decking sold at Home Depot and Lowes. It is a good, cheap wood composite decking with only one or two colors in stock. If you can’t tell the difference between Choice Deck, Veranda and a premium deck board, than by all means, buy it!
1. They only offer 8’, 12’ and 16’ lengths, so if your deck is longer than 16’ you will have seams.
2. These products must be nailed or screwed thru the top of the deck board. Again, there are methods to conceal the fastening, but it’s expensive and a lot of work.
3. These low end alternative decking products are very susceptible to cracking and splitting and must be predrilled on the ends.
4. The railing systems are not very good.
Rating 4—it costs less than all most wood composites and it doesn’t splinter.
Correct Deck
Correct Deck claims to be a premium, higher quality, longer lasting deck product. In the April 2005 Deck Builder magazine, I read that they put a new additive in it that will keep it from fading and prevent mold. I went to a local specialty decking retailer and bought a few 16’ pieces and screwed it down. In 5 months, it was a pale pink color with green mold all over it. This is the worst product I have ever seen! Of course, they had a new improved formula for 2006. It also looked terrible. I know a large deck builder that has been burned so often by Correct Deck that he will not even say the name. As of 2010 it was sold to another company. Correct Deck was the first to use a composite platform and cover it with plastic. Unfortunately for Correct Deck they used polypropylene instead of polyethylene like Trex Trancend.
1. It has a 25-year warranty.
2. Concealed fastening system yielding a clean look.
3. Its finish is more of an orange peel than a wood grain.
4. This is the worst product I have ever seen!
Rating 2 Use wood instead
100% Plastic Decking Products
Azek
This is a excellent decking product which is made from poly vinyl chloride (PVC). Azek has a natural wood look.
1. They have three styles with eleven colors of decking
2. Azek must be screwed through the top of the deck as per their installation guide.
3. Azek offers a deck board and a fascia board and now offers a matching railing. The railing uses bulky hardware that people don’t like its look
4. Azek has products at 3 price points including the higher end PVC. Azek’s Arbor collection has nice streaking and colors similar to TimberTech’s Earthwoods line but made with a solid PVC.
Rating 8 - if you like to look at screws, it’s alright.
Trex Escapes
For the ultimate in worry-free outdoor living, there's no substitute for Trex Escapes. Engineered with revolutionary cellular PVC technology, Escapes offers unsurpassed stain, scratch and mold resistance, natural beauty that's guaranteed to last, and the convenience of soap-and-water cleaning. Quite literally, outdoor living doesn't get any easier than this.
The Trex Artisan product line of railing is a winner that was well thought out and tested before it was introduced in 2005. Trex Escapes is made in three very deep rich colors. The product is very nice and should sell quite well.
- Escapes has a deeper wood grain than Azek or XLM.
- Escapes is considerably more impact resistant than Azek & XLM.
The Escapes & Artisan Railing I will rate a 9, It would be a 10 but there is no fascia or railing to match the Escapes colors.
TimberTech XLM
TimberTech XLM is an all plastic PVC decking. XLM decking and matching color Radiance rail is a great combination for customers looking for that same color of decking and railing look in
1. They have Four colors although two, RiverRock (gray) and SandRidge (Light Brown) are at a lower price point. Mountain Cedar is a nice dark color and cost a little more. Desert Bronze is beautiful and is the leader in the higher priced PVC decking.
2. XLM uses the very popular concealoc hidden fasteners.
3. XLM offers a matching deck board, fascia board and a railing (except Desert Bronze).
4. The Radiance rail comes in five colors including black to match the XLM decking colors.
Rating 9 – A great all around decking system
EON
The manufacturers of Eon claim that it is “The BEST in Alternative Decking” by Consumer Reports. This product is made from polystyrene; it’s not a good plastic for outdoor use. This is a great looking product when it is new. Their mahogany color decking is gorgeous, but in a few months it will look very dull. This company maybe out of business, This tells me that Consumer Reports will rate a product for a price and therefore should not be taken seriously.
1. Polystyrene is stiffer than polyethylene, and is not colorfast. It will fade quickly.
2. It has a hollow sound and feel when you walk on it.
3. Very expensive.
4. Stains very easily. On the Eon web site, they have a laundry list of products that you should not use to clean it with and they also say that pool chemicals will stain it.
5. We have it on a test deck. We applied paint and tried to clean it off but the decking melted!
Rating 2 - Looks great when it is new. Not much better than Correct Deck
Tandeck Decking System
This is the product that I believe is the best value in decking you can buy! There are a few minor players that make polyethylene products besides Tangent Technologies of Aurora, Illinois. Tandeck is made with Polyethylene (PE). To demonstrate just how colorfast it is, I have a piece of decking which was installed in 1992 and we checked out the deck in February 2006. This deck looks so good that we are replacing it for the customer just to get the samples in order to show the world that it hasn’t faded at all. I have a piece of this 13 year old decking in my office and pieces of it will be in all retailer location that carry the product. The Tandeck decking system is so much better than the rest! Check it out yourself! You will need to see a completed deck of any of the composite or PVC decking systems and then take a look at the Tandeck Decking system. It is obvious—whether you have vinyl siding, brick or stucco, there is a color and style that coordinates with your home. For product information see www.tandeck.com.
1. Tandeck has six non-fading colors. Ultraviolet inhibitors are added to minimize fading which is less than1% over 10years.
2. Stain resistant—virtually any stain will come off including permanent marker.
3. Not Slippery—The wood grain will grip your shoe or bare feet. It’s great around pools!
4. Concealed fastening system—no ugly screws on the top of the decking or the need to buy an after market fastener.
5. Matching rail system—strong, durable, sophisticated, hi-end rails that match the deck color.
6. Without question, using the Tandeck Deck stair and all the railing accessories, it makes the most stunning & elegant staircase that I have ever seen!
7. A 50-year warranty
I get a lot of feed back on Tandeck. I’m asked if there are any negatives with it. Since I like to be objective with all products, I will list them:
1. Expansion and contraction: This can be a problem if you do not read the installation guide.
2. Static electricity: This is a naturally occurring phenomenon similar to walking across a carpet in dry weather. High humidity reduces the problem. Low humidity conditions (less than 50% relative humidity) will add to the static build up. High humidity conditions take away the static. This condition will subside over time and eventually be non-existent. Years ago I built a large deck for a chemist and he remarked that when a low humidity condition is present, as in April, May and October, there is static build-up. The chemist, being a practical man, said that: it’s still better than the staining, fading and mildew that his old wood composite deck had.
- The manufacturer is not fully committed to the product
Rating 8 – It’s a great product, it’s very versatile the static and expansion issues have brought it down a little.
If you don’t see a particular brand of decking mentioned in this article, check out what’s in it made out of. If the decking is made out of wood it will perform like all of the rest We’ve provided you with the only straight talk about decks you’ll ever read so now when you see the characteristics of similar products, you will be educated to make the right choice for you.