Exterior Products Review: Colorful CompositesLow-maintenance decking imitates vibrant rainforest hardwoods to win upscale customers

Owning an elegant hardwood deck can feel like a tropical fantasy. The rich color variations and stylish grains of woods like ipé, mahogany, and walnut provide an exotic twist to a home's outdoor extension.

But caring for tropical hardwoods can be a nightmare due to the staining, oiling, and washing required--and that's not to mention those pangs of guilt every time the environment-conscious homeowner thinks about the rainforest from which the woods were harvested.

For these and other consumers, composite decking manufacturers are delivering durable, low-maintenance boards with the more refined look of tropical wood. "High-end decking people like the richer colors, the hardwood look," says Kevin Brennan, vice president of sales and marketing for TimberTech, which offers its Earthwood plank in a tropical walnut color.

Though these high-end composite offerings are generally three times more expensive than basic pressure-treated pine, they're priced only slightly higher than lumbers like redwood, cedar, or ipé, and can be cheaper than more exotic woods. Basic composite decking, offered with fewer colors or options, is about two times the price of pressure-treated pine. Considering its minimal maintenance cost, composites can be a better value after just a few years.

Composite decking is sustaining its growth. Demand will expand more than 15 percent annually through 2009, faster than any other decking material, projects the research firm Freedonia Group. Some manufacturers even are experiencing growth rates of 20 percent to 30 percent annually.

Much of that growth is coming from new homes that are built without a deck, says Tim Machelski, executive vice president of Elk composite building products. "The reason is a lot of consumers don't like the deck that's provided for them," usually made from pressure-treated wood, he says. Many manufacturers are therefore focusing on remodeling projects for this "new" construction, he explains.

Great Outdoors
These days, homeowners are more concerned about the appearance of their composite decks. "The outdoor space seems to be becoming more of an outdoor living area," says Scott Gregory, a custom builder and owner of Scott Gregory Designer Homes in Ada, Mich. He has been adding outdoor fireplaces, grilling areas, and pizza ovens that turn the deck into a virtual second kitchen.

New colors and plank designs give deck builders the capability to create unique looks, Gregory says. Often he'll blend different colors or create designs with accent boards, such as a deck he created with the points of the compass highlighted in different colors.

Deck builder Chris Warner, owner of Warner's Decking in Plainfield, Ill., also uses different hues to create borders or inlays, and says distinctive shapes like circles are becoming more popular. "People are spending a lot of money and getting the unique deck," he says.

And despite the higher price, about 90 percent of his customers are choosing composite over pressure-treated, up from 50 percent only three or four years ago. "The low maintenance is worth it, and they have the warranty" of up to 25 years, he says.

Composite decking also can help homeowners avoid any pangs of conscience for using rainforest hardwoods. The wood fiber in most composite deck boards is reclaimed from activities like furniture construction or sanding, and even the plastic content can come from recycled materials: Trex, for instance, says it is the largest user of recycled plastic grocery bags in the country.

Fasten Fashion
The quest for great-looking decks is even extending to screws and nails, with decking systems that conceal unsightly fasteners becoming more common and easier to use. Most hidden fastening systems use pre-grooved decking boards with fastening biscuits that connect adjacent boards and screw into the support beams.

The system is ideal with both homeowners and deck builders, says Patti Pellock, marketing manager of deck and railing products at CertainTeed. "For consumers it's popular because you don't have any screws popping or nails popping or the mushroom effect," she says. "For contractors it does save time and labor."

Custom builder Gregory agrees on both counts, pointing out that to install the grooved product, "You just lay it down, screw it in, and you're good to go." But Warner says this is one area where his customers prefer not to spend an extra $1,500 to $2,000, so he simply flattens any resulting "mushrooming" with a mallet.

The added cost is actually the main factor slowing the growth of composite decking in the marketplace, says Shellie Sellards, director of marketing for decking and railing at Trex, so some manufacturers are developing more price-competitive composite products. "There is a need for a product that offers the durability and ease of maintenance but at a price point closer to wood," she says. The company recently introduced Contours decking, which is narrower and has a scalloped bottom so it can be manufactured and sold at a lower cost while still meeting codes.

Other manufacturers are also moving toward value products, but a crowded marketplace is forcing some companies to give up the business entirely. Integrated Composite Technology, for example, recently ceased production of its EverGreen decking. "There are too many manufacturers right now," says Dan Gauthier, director of consumer products at Universal Forest Products. He predicts a dozen more will shut down in the next 18 months.

The good news? Only the best will survive. "The trend is going to be higher quality, lower price, and better accessories," he says.

Deckorators. The Stacked Stone collection of postcovers is made of high-density polyurethane epoxy that uses a proprietary molding process to create the realistic look of dry-stacked stone, the maker says. Each column is 42 inches tall and is designed to fit over standard 6-inch-by-6-inch posts. They are available in canyon, gray, and Sedona colors, and are warranted against cracking, splitting, or warping. 800-332-5724. www.deckorators.com.	Swan Secure Products. The Dexxter screw for composite decking has a unique thread form that removes exhaust while driving to prevent mushrooming, according to the manufacturer. The small head diameter is available painted to match the color of most composites. Screws are available in both 305 and 316 grade stainless steel and come in 1-1/2-inch, 2-1/2-inch, and 3-inch lengths. 800-966-2801. www.swansecure.com.	Maine Ornamental.Tiffany-style Sunflower glass rail accents coordinate with the manufacturer's stained glass post caps, with or without lights. They are shown here with the maker's preassembled railing, a mission-style "rail in a box" that comes in 6-foot sections. Other new products include a sundial and rectangular copper post accents. 866-780-3507. www.postcaps.com.	Titan Metal Werks.SplitStop Titan III Composite Screws eliminate mushrooming around the screw head, reduce splitting near the ends of deck boards, and have no difficulty in head-setting, according to the manufacturer. The screws are now available in stainless steel to meet the needs of coastal markets, and dark brown to match more exotic decking colors. 888-578-3273. www.splitstop.com.

--BUILDING PRODUCTS