Home Repair and Paint Guide

... Composite decks are advertised as maintenance free and able to withstand weather extremes. But this is not necessarily true. Not all composite decking materials are the same. Some are made from recycled materials, and the strength can vary widely between types and brands. There are a lot of composite deck installations that have not held up to the original claims. There are several in my neighborhood that look very rough. The surfaces show exposed “wood” fibers that are obviously not wood. The fibers look more like old newspaper and are just awful. On top of that, water has started to penetrate and the material looks like it’s getting bloated and soggy. Definitely not something I want on my house. The way to prevent these types of problems is to get the right product for the intended application. Weather extremes have to be taken into consideration. Does it rain or snow a lot in your area? How much direct sunlight will the deck be exposed to, and are outside temperatures regularly very high in the summer? What about average humidity? Mold? Will large pets be walking or running on the deck? How much traffic will the structure be exposed to? There are a lot of companies that offer composite deck boards and railing. What if you buy one of these products and the manufacturer goes out of business? You can purchase enough excess material to make repairs, but your warranty will be worthless if the company goes belly-up. Composite deck boards are made by mixing wood fibers and plastic ...