San Antonio residents love our beautiful city’s weather and want to enjoy it to the fullest. To do this, many homeowners add a deck to their homes. Traditional decks consisting of wood have recently tapered off to make room for composite decking.
With composite decking, you enjoy many benefits ranging from a more durable deck material to a variety of color, grain, and pattern options. Many homeowners ask their local composite decking contractor in San Antonio, TX, “What is composite decking made of?” In this brief guide, we’ll discuss the composition of composite decking, why homeowners prefer it to traditional wood, and which brands offer the most options for creating your ideal deck.
Composite Decking Composition
Composite deck boards consist of a mixture of wood fibers from wood chips or sawdust and recycled plastic materials from milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and juice containers. Manufacturers sometimes add other substances to the mixture to improve performance and longevity. Wood plastic composites create a strong material that can stand up to the outdoor elements and other conditions that could ruin traditional wood deck boards.
Some composite decks include the typical wood and plastic materials while also incorporating minerals like calcium carbonate. Called mineral-based composites, these types of boards cost more than typical composite decking while also providing an even more stable, longer-lasting base for your deck.
When making composite deck boards, manufacturers can use one of three production methods:
Solid Composite Decking
As the name suggests, solid composite decking boards come in the shape and size of regular decking boards with a solid interior of composite materials. Solid composites have a heavy, stable feeling to them that suggests their longevity as a flooring material. Their appearance and heft mimic that of natural wood, making the material ideal for decks catering to entertainment, dining, or hot tubs.
Hollow Composite Decking
Hollow composite decking has an empty interior and a thick, hard shell made of composite decking materials. While you can use these boards for your deck, they make great options as conduits for electrical wiring or plumbing for deck lighting, outdoor kitchens, and other deck accessories. Hollow composite boards don’t resemble wood as well as solid composite decking, so consider hollow board placement among your other deck boards.
Capped Composite Decking
Made from up to 95 percent recycled materials, capped composite decking provides a great option for eco-friendly homeowners. These boards consist of a composite core made of mixed recycled plastic and wood fibers covered in a thick shell of PVC. The PVC protects the inner core from stains, fading, or mold. While composite decking resists these issues anyway, capped composites can provide a longer lifespan for your deck.
Benefits of Composite Decking Over Wood Decking
When homeowners ask, “What is composite decking made of,” they also wonder why they should choose composite boards over natural wood. Some of the major benefits of composite decking include the following:
Longer Lifespan
Wood decks often last up to 15 years, while composite decking can last up to 30 years or longer with regular maintenance and care. This longevity makes it easier on homeowners because they won’t have to worry about splinters, soft spots, warping, or other problems typically seen with wood decks after a few years. If you suspect you need new boards or spot any issues, contact your installer or the manufacturer with questions.
High Durability
Composite decking has a high resistance to multiple outdoor elements. These boards won’t change in shape or stability due to rain, extreme sunlight, or snow, making them ideal for any season or temperature. In addition, composite boards resist invasive insects and rot that wood decks often fall victim to.
With such durability, you won’t have to deal with excessive maintenance or board exchanges as the years pass.
Low Maintenance
Using composite boards to build your deck guarantees you a low-maintenance experience with your new outdoor space. Wood decking requires regular cleaning, painting, staining, sealing, and more to keep the flooring safe for walking on and in good visual condition. Since composite boards look the same year after year, the most maintenance it requires includes keeping it clear of natural debris and spraying it down with a pressure washer once a year or so.
The Top Composite Decking Brands
While you can purchase composite deck boards from various manufacturers, some brands stand out among the best due to the way they make their boards and the warranties they provide. Some of the most popular composite decking brands include:
Deckorators
Shopping for composite deck boards with Deckorators provides you with many options for colors, grains, and board textures. From the distressed look of natural wood to the polished appearance of low-maintenance porch flooring, you can find the look you’re looking for with Deckorators composite flooring.
Deckorators offers regular composite and mineral-based composite boards so you can choose the type that best works for you and your budget. Both types of materials stand up against the elements and resist stains, fading, insects, mold growth, and fire.
When you purchase composite boards from Deckorators, you can rely on multiple limited warranties lasting everywhere from 10 years to a lifetime warranty.
Other Composite Decking Options
While Deckorators stands out as the best choice for composite deck flooring, homeowners can choose from other brands if it works better for their budget or ideal look. Trex, Fiberon, and TimberTech all offer composite boards for constructing home decks.
Each of these brands carry their own limited warranties that protect against stains, fading, or other defects.
Design and Install Your Composite Deck in San Antonio, TX
Wondering “What is composite decking made of” most likely means you’re considering using composite boards in your new deck construction. Whether you want to upgrade your current deck or design and install a brand new one, contact All Pro Deck & Patios in San Antonio, TX, at (210) 660-8250 or schedule an appointment online.
Check out our team’s answer to the question, “Is composite decking slippery?”
