Decks have become a very popular way of adding living space on your home over the years. Most of us grew up with the traditional wood deck that we cleaned every 2-3 years and immediately sealed. 30 years ago the options for decking were slim, which made it an easy decision. Mature trees are more dense and resisted rot and insect attacks much better then our tree farms which engineer trees to grow quickly and miss out on important growth stages.
First products on the market
Trex introduced the first composite decking in the early 90s which combined wood fiber and plastics. Rarely does the first generation live up to the hype- Trex was no different. Mold and mildew would grow easily on this organic mix because there was little protection and discoloration was on par with the old vinyl siding. While this composite type board still exists on the market, these issues (while still prevalent) are much more manageable.
PVC, a new type of decking
In the early 2000s, we saw a bump in interest from the public because a full PVC deck board was introduced to the market. The wood pulp/organic matter was completely removed from the application. This type of product is more scratch resistant, mold resistant and fade resistant then it’s predecessor but it comes with a steep price tag.
Capped Composite: a combination of the two
In 2009, companies came out with a capped composite deck board. An eco-friendly composite core with a PVC wrapped shell that offers the protection from the elements similar to a full PVC board. This is the type of board we like to sell to customers because of the lower price tag then PVC and the great reputation is has in the industry.