Composite Decking and Other Deck Materials - By: jack shah

Till recently decks were primarily constructed using lumber. The rustic, old charm of wood is fast being replaced by composite decking. Composite decking has an edge over wood because of the fact that it is easy to clean, no splinters, does not warp easily and most important is low maintenance.

What is wood-composite decking made of?

Wood-plastic composite is a relatively new material that has been bought into the market. Composite decking is made from a combination of different materials. Materials like wood fiber/ flour, virgin or recycled plastic, a fraction of preservative is added to this mixture and heated and made into board shape and cooled.

Advantages

* Very flexible, comes in a wide range of colors, textures and does not require painting or staining.
* Low maintenance, you just need to sweep and hose it.
* It does rot, wrap or splinter easily.
* It is easy to work with.

Disadvantages

* It is costlier than pressure treated wood and it is also heavier than wood.
* The major disadvantage is it comes in small sizes, so if you are planning a large deck you will require smaller joist spacing.
* Most are temperature sensitive and under extreme temperature it might expand or contract.
* When opting for composite decking, you will also require special fasteners.
* Once it fades or gets damages you will need to replace the material.
* It is rather soft material and wears off easily.
* It has equal to no load-bearing capacity and you cannot use it for structural work.

What to check before buying composite board

It is essential that you check if the composite deck contains preservative or not. The preservatives act on fungi and molds and kill them. If there is no preservative in the composite deck you chose, chances are your deck will rot sooner than later.

If you live in a region with extreme and bad weather you should look for other options like hardwood, because composite decks do rot, splinter and warp in extreme weather.

Things to remember
Though the tagline for composite boards is environmentally friendly, one must remember the fact that one of the primary components of composite decks is resins which comes from petroleum. Also, not all composite boards are made from recycled material.

About the Author

This article about composite decking is written by author jack shah who contributes articles around the world wide web about the different decking materials out there.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/jack-shah/126196

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