Composite decking prices: Trex, Timbertech and Fiberon compete with wood.

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Composite decking prices have exciting new options for 2013.  Manufacturers have come out with new price-point products that are highly competitive with wood for initial installation cost.  Even when the short term costs of staining and maintenance are considered, the net expense of price point composite decking is far lower than real wood. This cost difference will only continue to compound for the life of your deck. The great thing about this seasons offerings is that they all are the new co-extruded type of composite decking, a wonderful benefit because of scratch, stain and fade resistance. Read more about co-extruded decking here. Previous years price point offerings of composite decking, were all of the traditional composite construction, not co-extruded decking.

Some examples of value priced composite decking.

Trex got the ball rolling with new composite decking prices on co-extruded decking, with their new line  of “Select” decking, which is now offered in all of the old “Accents” colors, Winchester Grey, Saddle, Woodland Brown, and Madeira. This decking is on the market in the $2.50 range per lineal foot, or $40 per 16′ length. Timbertech added a similarly priced  version of their “Earthwoods Evoluntions” product  in the “Terrain” line, colors “Brown Oak” and “Silver Maple”, also in the the $2.50 range, per lineal foot. Fiberon’s new Pro-Tect line of composite decking, which is modeled after the appearance of exotic hardwoods, is available for under $3 a lineal foot. The Pro-Tect line includes “Chestnut”, “Gray Birch”, and “Western Cedar”. Pro-Tect also offers two solid colors, “Canyon Brown” and “Harbor Gray” which are available for about $2.40 per lineal foot. We are currently building a Protect deck stay tuned for a portfolio post.

Value conscious homeowners would be wise to take advantage of the new composite decking prices! Give MBA Deck & Fence a call today for a free estimate.

ACQ treated lumber, corrosion and it’s causes.

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Several years back environmental regulation mandated the removal of arsenic from the treatment of wood products, definitely a good thing. Heavy metals were being found in the soil beneath play equipment at schools and other sites. This posed a real challenge for wood product chemists and manufacturers, how to market a pressure treated wood without the usual chemical cocktail. The way they achieved this is by adding large amounts of copper to the formula, ACQ. Here’s the battery part, batteries are made possible by the placement of dissimilar metals in an electrolyte to create a current by the corrosion of the metals. The same thing happens when steel or zinc plated hardware and nails come in contact with the high level of copper in treated woods. There are specially coated hardware and stainless steel alternatives to most products you can use on a deck. If you use a standard metal component the level and rate of corrosion is shocking. literally in a couple of weeks a regular zinc plated hanger will look like the battery post on an old car, greenish fuzz and all. One area of particular concern is deck screws. the steel used for screws is less elastic than that of nails and the ACQ treatment causes them to become very brittle and in the case of composite decks which expand and contract slightly the fasteners are highly prone to breakage. Even the ACQ rated screws are not immune to this. I almost exclusively use stainless steel fasteners on my composite or cellular PVC decks and only use stainless nails on fences. Not only is stainless more corrosion resistant but, the steel is more elastic as well resisting the shearing caused by the deck movement. Stainless will cost more on the front end but, save you big in the end.

ACQ treated lumber and non galvanized metal connectors, hinges and hardware, how to prevent corrosion.

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Why is this important?

It is important to understand that the corrosive nature of ACQ treated lumber comes from electrolysis, not a low PH(acid) quality of the lumber. The contact of steel with the high level of copper in the treated wood creates this electrolysis and corrosion. It can destroy or severely damage a metal component in only a few years. Significant aesthetic damage can occur in weeks on some cases. As a Seattle deck builder and fence installer,  weather and the corrosion that comes with it is a major concern.

What can be done to protect my hangers when using ACQ treated lumber?

One of the easiest ways to use a non ACQ rated metal component is simply to insulate it from the copper in the treated lumber with an adhesive flashing barrier. This interrupts the conductivity between the steel component and the copper in the wood. This is actually a building code approved method for when a hanger or other engineered component that is unavailable in a resistant form must be used. In the photo you can see how I have bedded the post with a strip of Vycor “deck protector and then scored the outline of the hinge to remove the excess flashing around the hinge. You can learn more about ACQ and electrolysis in my related post.

Vycor backing is peeled away from around standard coated hinge.

Vycor backing is peeled away from around standard coated hinge.

So what is co-extrusion anyways?

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coextruded cross sectionWhen composite deck first came onto the market it was a simple wood fiber plastic mix. Heat and pressure bonded the two components into a durable board. This product changed the decking market forever, less maintenance and no reoccurring staining costs were a great benefit to consumers.

There were some shortcomings though. Traditional composites could be scratched, not easily but, just the same, on a product designed to last at least 25 years, things happen… Color fastness was an issue too, also resistance to staining. Barbeque grease was the bane of composite decking oil-based product meets grease, not good. Azek products introduced their cellular PVC and co-extruded boards and the market changed dramatically. Initially other manufacturers followed with their own PVC boards but soon marketed their traditional composite with the co-extruded layer added.

Ok, so what is co-extrusion anyways. Simply put, when the board is formed, extruded from a machine heated and under pressure, it comes out with a layer of a different material over it. In most cases it appears to be a polymer layer, trade secrets so no manufacturer is forthcoming with it’s exact nature. In the photo you can see quite clearly the outer layer and the inner core.Image

What does this mean for the consumer? The outer layer is a much harder and stain resistant material than the inner core. The polymer layer is also capable of being died in rich and variegated colors that are quite striking. With the exception of Earthwood (see related post) I find it difficult to imagine a scenario where damage could be incurred to a co extruded board. They are just that tough. The color fastness is absolute, I’ve compared long installed material with new pieces and can detect no color shift whatsoever.

I find this development very exciting for the industry. I would encourage any prospective deck buyer to consider using a board of this construction, it really is that good.

Composite decking, is it a better choice than wood?

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The most oft asked question I receive as a decking installer is should I use a composite or real wood? Synthetic decking solutions have been on the market for close to 25 years now and are pretty much a known quantity at this point. In the early days there was some trial and error and for a while everyone wanted to be a decking manufacturer. This led to some not so great products. The market has weeded out the wanna-be’s and I feel a composite or synthetic deck is really the way to go. There are certain home styles and individual tastes that really prefer real wood but, if long term cost and ease of maintenance is your primary criteria composite or PVC decking is the best choice.

The major manufacturer’s have very convincing simulated wood grain products available now with some creative fastening methods. I just installed a small deck with Trex Tropical decking in the color Spiced Rum, and it is truly gorgeous. We used the Hideaway hidden fastener system and the lack of screws in the surface really adds to the appearance. Azek’s  PVC Acacia color is great, as well as several colors in TimberTech’s palette. Of course you pay a premium for these cutting edge colors but, many of the more basic patterns are barely more than wood.

Why not wood? I know that some individuals will give loving care to their deck and enjoy meticulously sanding and staining it every year giving them unparalleled beauty however, most customers with today’s busy lifestyles and troubled economy report that their main concerns are ease of maintenance and cost. I have found that with the narrowing of the gap in price between composite/PVC decking and wood decking that the price difference is usually bridged in either the first or second application of stain. Staining and especially re-staining a deck is a laborious and expensive task and that cost continues to accrue throughout the lifespan of the structure. Composite and PVC requires only a twice yearly rinsing with a dilute bleach solution to maintain it’s appearance. It takes about twenty minutes and costs about fifty cents per application. Ten years down the road a owner may have re-stained wood as many as 5-10 times possibly costing several thousand dollars and it will still look like a 10 year old deck whereas the composite/PVC deck will look essentially the same as when it was installed. This preserves the value of the home and is often listed in the bullet points on a realtors listing of a home.

I hope this answers the question for prospective deck buyers and builders, it’s not so much a definitive answer as a question back at the consumer, what are your expectations? your aesthetic tastes? what kind of a commitment are you willing to make to maintenance? are you looking for short or long term expense? Answering those questions should put you much closer to a decision on your best decking type. My next blog post will explore the difference between standard composites and PVC and co-extruded decking choices. Stay tuned or e-mail me your specific questions.brasilla 037