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MAN MADE DECKING BOARDS: THERE ARE SO MANY COMPOSITE, PLASTIC AND/OR MAN MADE DECKING PRODUCTS FLOODING THE MAKET PLACE (TOO MANY!). WE HAVE GROUPED THEM TOGETHER BELOW BY CATEGORIES, AGAIN THESE ARE MANUFACTORED BOARDS RATHER THEN REAL WOOD. MOST ARE COMPOSITES, WHICH CONTAIN A PLASTIC BINDER AND WOOD FIBERS,DUST OR FLOUR. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF FORMULAS, AND GRAIN SIMULATION TECHNIQUES, SOME CONTAIN PARTIAL RECYLED MATERIALS, ALTHOUGH THE TREND SEEMS TO BE LESS RECYLED AND MORE VIRGIN MATERIAL FOR HIGHER QUIALITY BOARDS. |
Basic Composites single color, simple grain or combed finish USUALLY CONTAINS HDPE (HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE) AND A WOOD FIBER OR FLOUR. SOME MANUFACTURERS USE RECYCLED PLASTICS AND/OR WOOD. Most of these materials are very similar in looks, performance and pricing. |
NAME |
MATERIAL(S) |
COLORS |
WEBSITE |
NOTES |
BOARDWALK (CERTAINTEED) |
|
|
|
DISCONTINUED |
CHOICEDEK |
RECYCLED HDPE/RED OAK FIBERS |
6
|
http://www.choicedek.com/products/ |
SOLD AT LOWES ,NON STANDARD GROOVED BACK BOARD |
FIBERON PRO |
HDPE /WOOD FIBERS |
4
|
http://www.fiberondecking.com/default.aspx?page=deckprofessional |
SOLID AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
LATITUDES |
HDPE/WOOD FLOUR |
4
|
http://www.ufpi.com/product/latitudes/ |
MAY CONTAIN HIGER THEN 50%WOOD FLOUR SOLID AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
OASIS (ALCOA) |
HPDE FINE WOOD FIBERS |
4
|
|
DISCONTINUED? |
PORTICO |
HPDE/MAPLE WOOD FLOUR |
3
|
http://www.porticodecking.com/home/home.asp |
SOLID AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
PREMIER |
HPDE/WOOD FLOUR |
3
|
|
PURCHASED BY AZEK |
SYMMATRIX (DOW) |
|
4
|
|
DISCONTINUED |
TWIN FINISH & VALUPLANK |
HDPE /WOOD FLOUR |
3
|
http://timbertech.com/Products/ DeckingPlanks/TwinFinish.aspx |
SOLID AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
TREX ACCENTS |
RECYCLED POLYETHYLENE & HARDWOOD FIBERS |
4
|
http://www.trex.com/accents/default.aspx |
ORIGINAL TREX COLORS , BETTER QUALITY BOARD THEN 1ST GENERATION TREX ,GRAIN ONE SIDE PLAIN OTHER SIDE |
RHINO DECK |
50% RECYCLED HDPE & WOOD |
5
|
http://www.rhinodeck.com/index.php |
SOLID AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
VERANDA |
HDPE/WOOD FIBERS |
4
|
http://www.verandadeck.com/decking/faq.htm |
HOME DEPOT STORE BRAND MADE BY FIBERON |
WEATHERBEST PREMIUM |
HDPE/RECYCLED WOOD FIBERS |
4
|
http://www.weatherbest.com/composite- decking/premium.aspx |
|
Enhanced Compositesmultiple colors or hues to more simulate or copy natural wood species |
NAME |
MATERIAL(S) |
COLORS |
WEBSITE |
NOTES |
VIBRANCE |
HDPE RECYCLED WOOD FIBERS DUST |
3
|
http://www.evergrain.com/create/decking/ colorsVibrance.jsp |
EMBOSSED GRAIN VIA COMPRESSION MOLDING PROCESS |
FIBERON TROPICS |
HDPE /WOOD FIBERS |
2
|
http://www.fiberondecking.com/default.aspx?page=tropics |
SLOTTED BOARDS |
MONARCH EXOTICS |
HDPE RECYCLED WOOD FIBERS |
4
|
http://www.monarchdeck.com/deck.php?content_id=21 |
SLOTTED BOARDS |
MONTEREY |
HDPE RECYCLED WOOD FIBERS |
2
|
|
SOLID BOARD IRONWOOD COLOR LOOKS SIMILAR TO AGED IPE |
TIMBERTECH EARTHWOOD |
HDPE /WOOD FLOUR |
3
|
http://timbertech.com/Products/DeckingPlanks/ Earthwood.aspx |
SOLID AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
TREX BRASILIA |
RECYCLED POLYETHYLENE & HARDWOOD FIBERS |
3
|
http://www.trex.com/brasilia/ |
NO GRAIN, EASILY SCRATCHED, PRICEY |
WEATHERBEST TROPICAL |
HDPE/RECYCLED WOOD FIBERS |
2
|
http://www.weatherbest.com/composite-decking/tropical.aspx |
SLOTTED BOARDS |
High End Composites COMPOSITES WITH SUPERIOR GRAIN AND/OR MATERAILS *PLEASE NOTE SOME HIGH END PRODUCTS FELL INTO OTHER CATEGORIES* |
CORRECT DECK CX |
POLYPROPYLENE 60% RECLAIMED HARDWOOD FIBER |
6
|
http://www.correctdeck.com/products/decking/cx/ |
CO-EXTRUDED ANTIMICROBIAL TOP LAYER SOILD AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
EVERGRAIN |
HDPE RECYCLED WOOD FIBERS DUST |
4
|
http://www.evergrain.com/create/decking/colorsClassic.jsp |
CONVINCING EMBOSSED WOOD GRAIN VIA COMPRESSION MOLDING PROCESS |
CELLULAR PVC (POLYVINYL CLORIDE) process developed by Procell, now owned by Azek. CELLULAR PVC BOARDS LOOK MUCH MORE SYNTHETIC BUT ARE LIGHTER AND HAVE A HARDER SURFACE, FASTENING IS VERY EASY, MAY BE MORE SLIPPERY WHEN WET, POSSBILE CHALKING. |
AZEK |
CELLULAR PVC FLAX |
5
|
http://www.azek.com/viewProduct.php?id=5 |
PROCELL TECHNOLOGY WHICH PIONEERED CELLULAR PVC PROCESS PASTEL COLORS |
CELLEK |
CELLULAR PVC |
5
|
http://www.structuredecking.com/ProfileFeatures.html |
AS WITH OTHER PVC PRODUCTS POSSIBLE CHALKING SOLID AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
SANCTUARY |
FOAMED PVC CORE NO FIBER FILLERS |
2
|
http://www.fiberondecking.com/default.aspx?page=sanctuary |
PHOTO REALISTIC EMBOSSING PATTERN SQUARE AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
SENSIBUILT |
CELLULAR PVC FLAX |
4
|
http://www.sensibuilt.com/our-products/decking/index.php |
GLOSSY COLORS, CLAIMS NOT TO CHAULK HAS "LUMENITE" URETHANE SURFACE LAYER |
TIMBERTECH XML |
CELLULAR PVC CORE |
3
|
http://www.timbertech.com/Products/ DeckingPlanks/XLM.aspx |
CORE AND SKIN DESIGN CO-EXTRUSION SOLID AND SLOTTED BOARDS |
TREX ESCAPES |
CELLULAR PVC |
3
|
http://www.trex.com/escapes/default.aspx |
LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO AZEK |
VEKA DECK |
REINFORCED CELLULAR PVC |
5
|
http://www.vekadeck.com/default.asp |
HARD COAT IMPACT SHELL CO-EXTRUSION SATIN FINISH |
SOLID HDPE (PLASTIC LUMBER) SOLID DECKING BOARDS MADE FROM HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE, SOMETIMES ReHDPE (WITH SOME TO ALL RECYCLED PLASTIC) and usually no substantial fillers |
BEARBOARD |
HDPE |
9
|
http://www.epsplasticlumber.com/ |
ALSO SELLS BENCHES ETC. |
DURAWOOD |
HDPE |
6
|
http://www.american-plasticlumber.com/decks.html |
ALSO SELLS BENCHES PICNIC TABLES ETC. |
ELOLVE |
ReHDPE |
5
|
http://www.renewplastics.com/ |
GENERALLY 90% RECYCLED |
FOREVERDECK |
HDPE |
9
|
http://plasticlumberyard.com/foreverdeck.htm |
|
TRIMAX |
HDPE |
7
|
http://www.trimaxbp.com/pages/index100.php |
FORMALLY CARE-FREE DECKING |
There are also many more less standard decking products.There are decking boards with voids or holes like Crosstimber, Geodeck, and Ameradeck to various Tongue and grove materials like Timbertech's Floorizon and Eon and even hollow vinyl snap together decking like Deck Lok. we prefer to work with standard deck boards and have not added these products to our chart. |
Our Choices Each category has it's advantage. The "basic" composite will be your most economical board, and really all the products in this sector are very similar and will perform just fine. We have been using Trex accents, only because it is readily available, well received and competitively priced. Veranda is probably the cheapest board and lower on the desirability list. Interesting enough Symmatrix Dow's offering which received top spot from consumer reports has discontinued their product. Most of these basic composites will price out very closely. We have like the Evergrain product for quite some time, Evergrain has arguably the best wood grain and has good color choices. An Evergrain deck looks more natural or more "wood like" then all of the basics and certainly less man made then most of the high end materials. We have found Evergrain to hold up well, be fairly scratch resistant and easy enough to clean, although it does require some cleaning from mold, mildew and dirt, like anything left outside. We like Azek's "procell" board, great product to work with and makes for a very 'clean" look, although definitely much more artificial looking, but if you are not looking for a wood-like appearance and you like their more subtle or pastel colors this is a great deck board. Similar but with more vibrant colors and even less natural looking is the Sensibuilt offering. Sensibuilt has a co-extrusion harder outer layer and 5 very vibrant colors. Another co-extruded man-made decking is TimberTech's XML , a cellular PVC board worth considering, again very man-made in appearance and among the most expensive decking material, and also Correctdeck CX a polypropylene composite with a hard co-extruded shell with antimicrobial properties and a nice embossed grain pattern. Please note, we have some reservations with the co-extruded products, the harder top layer can be a good thing, but is chipping or scratching of this thin layer and exposing the core a long term issue? Some manufactures' suggest using a torch to blend in chipped areas and others sell touch up paint, as these products are newer to the market time will tell if this becomes a problem. We have been using Foreverdeck's solid HDPE boards for our solid white rail systems for several years and have been very pleased, these are solid HDPE planks with no internal voids and a subtle but pleasing grain that looks similar to painted wood. |
|
|
TimberTech twin finish Latitudes Trex Accents |
|
Monarch Exotics Correct Deck Evergrain |
|
Sensibuilt Azek TimberTech XML |
|
BearBoard Rhino Deck real Tigerwood Monarch composite Tigerwood |
AArgh! |
Cross Timber Floorizon |
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