January 2023 Composite Decking

Learn How to Help Your Clients Take Their Outdoor Space to the Next Level with a Composite Deck

Composite decking materials are growing fast in popularity because Canadian homeowners want less maintenance work than wooden decks often require, and they also want longer deck life. The world of composites offers many choices and a big part of your job as a contractor is to explain to clients the pros and cons of the different options. Composites are a premium choice for people who like quality, and they offer you the chance for greater creativity and greater profits, too.

What are Composites?

Composite deck lumber gets its name from the original non-wood decking lumber to hit the market in August of 1996. This material was a 50/50 blend of recycled plastic (mostly shopping bags) and reclaimed wood (mostly from shipping pallets). Many composites still use the wood/plastic formula, but the term is now loosely applied to other non-wood decking lumbers too, including mineral-based composites and even all-plastic options like PVC.

The most economical composites are hollow composite extrusions made of wood and plastic. While hollow extrusions do save money, they don’t offer the same design options as solids that allow decorative routing of edges and bending of boards to create interesting effects. Since all composites come in colours that require no finishing, different shades can be used creatively in the same deck. At the moment, composite decking is only for the actual walking surface of a deck. Deck frames still need to be made from solid wood beams, posts and joists.

Maintenance is something you should explain to your clients to avoid misunderstandings leading to trouble. Many homeowners believe that composites are completely maintenance free, but that needs clarification. Composites may never need re-finishing, but this doesn’t mean they don’t need cleaning. Composites can occasionally foster mold and lichen growth when used in shaded and damp locations. If you don’t explain this ahead of time, disappointed clients could come to you in a couple of years wondering why their “maintenance-free” deck is not entirely maintenance-free. Oxygen-based cleaners and scrubbing are currently the best option for removing mold and lichen if it starts growing on composites. It’s still way less trouble than refinishing.

Benefits of Composites

Freedom from the need for re-finishing, complete resistance to rot and excellent resistance to abrasion are the main reasons people choose composites. The greatest homeowner hesitancy to composites comes down to the apparent high cost compared with wood, but this requires some client education on your part. When a client chooses composites over solid wood they’re essentially paying for the material itself and the freedom from finishing and refinishing that they won’t need over the years. Remind them that they are only paying a premium for the decking and not the substructure which will still be built with pressure treated wood. As a result, the cost for this portion of the deck will remain the same. In addition, when you consider that composites also last many times longer than wood, total lifetime cost of composites is quite reasonable.

Skillfully installed and expertly finished solid wood decking will show well for a year or two, but only when that wood is freshly finished. On balance, over the normal life of a typical wood deck finish cycle, composites look better because there’s never any visual deterioration of the finish setting in. Composites save your clients from the nagging thought that “oh, I really need to get that wooden deck refinished” for months before they get around to it. Composites are typically made from recycled and reclaimed materials, so there’s a definite ecological benefit, too.

Working With Composites 

To get the most out of composites for your clients, you should keep in mind the following practical and design considerations.

Use hidden fasteners: Composites are a premium material, and they deserve a premium installation. While hidden deck board fasteners do make wooden decks look better, the enhancement is even greater with composites. Once upon a time all hidden deck fasteners added a lot of time to deck construction, but not necessarily anymore. The simplest and fastest hidden fastener systems are often part of the design of composite deck boards. The best of these actually speed up construction time compared with face-screwed deck board installations. Even when using hidden fasteners, it’s often helpful to use a few face-driven screws where deck boards meet exterior house walls or at the outer edges of a deck. The best composite systems also offer colour-matched, small-headed screws for these purposes. Also, the plug systems available from most brands offer surface screwed strength with a hidden fastener appearance.

Contrasting colours: Since composites don’t need finishing, it’s possible to use different coloured boards in the same deck for effect. The results can be quite striking.

Curved designs: Many composite deck boards are flexible, even when bent along their edges and this allows the option of high-end, curved designs.

Manufacturers' recommendations: Always follow the manufacturers recommendations on proper installation. This will ensure your customer is happy and minimize the number of necessary warranty claims, saving you time and money.

Composite Design Options

Flexibility and factory-embedded colours are two reasons why composites offer more design options than wood. A rim of darker composite along the edges of a deck creates a very interesting effect. Consider a herringbone pattern of alternating colours. Varying deck board width offers a lot of creative options too, and so does dividing the deck surface into different visual “rooms” by using single boards of a different colour. Some of the most stunning composite decks are curved, with boards bent along their edges during installation.

Composite materials can also be used to make outdoor tables, shelves and accessories. It’s a great way to make use of scraps. Clients will love it if you surprise them by building a little composite table or bench or step stool they weren’t expecting beyond the deck itself.

One vital thing is that you leave nothing up to chance when it comes to composite deck design. Expectations are often high with clients who choose this material, so be sure to get agreement from them on final design. This means more than just deck shape, but also the colour of composite you propose to use and any colour patterns or visual details planned. Ensure you make your client aware of colour matched fascia options for around the perimeter. These complete the look of the deck and complement their colour choice.

The more composites you can use in your deck projects, the better it is for you. Profit margins are often higher on bigger-budget decks, and the beauty of this material will make it easy for you to create a striking visual portfolio of your completed decks to share when selling to future deck prospects.