Deck boards made of composites are the new thing in terms of home outdoor deck construction. Considered maintenance-free at some point, these ultra-modern natural building materials are also environment-friendly. Contrary to popular belief, however, certain types of composite decking boards are neither permanent nor maintenance free.
For a period of time, redwood was the most popular and most utilized wood for outdoor decks constructing. However, the growth time frame of this wood species takes about a century (Hundreds of years as recorded in the Western United States). What this means is that, once a tree is taken down, it takes another hundred years for another to take its place. So, what is obtained after a clear out by the timber industry is a vast area of land with nothing on it. To guard against this depletion, the composite decking board was introduced. Sadly, not all composite decks live up to expectations.
Composite deck boards are created to imitate the feel and outlook of natural wood. Created largely from plastic resin, like a fiberglass, these recreates have lived up to the standards of the original. The argument in favor of composite decking has always been that there is high cost embedded in maintaining wood and it is also susceptible to decay, with time. Composite deck boards of low quality have been, however, seen to be much less durable than wood, in most cases. These plastic resin replicates have been subject to chipping, breaking and fading. Dissimilar to wood, composite materials can’t be sanded, chiseled or painted directly so chemical cleaners resorted to. These chemicals invariably contribute to the fading, chipping and breaking of the decking boards.
There are many types of composite decking boards among which the virgin vinyl is the very best. This kind of composite decking is not made of wood pulp, like most vinyl decking products. Virgin vinyl has been seen to maintain quality and strength no matter the weather. Also, this type of composite lumber imitates the outlook and feel of wood better than any other product available in the market today.
