| PERFORMANCES ADVANTAGES OF COMPOSITE DECKING |
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| For pool and hot tub surrounds, an essential advantage composite decking offers over traditional wood decking is its moisture resistance. As surrounds are regularly exposed to water (i.e. splash out, or get wet when bathers climb out of the water or sit/lay on the deck in their wet bathing suits), the decking’s ability to resist moisture is crucial. Moisture absorption in decking can lead to rot, delamination, or other premature failures. Although some composite decking is specifically designed to resist moisture, not all are, so it is important to confirm this with the dealer or manufacturer.Water protection The most effective way to protect composite deck boards from water is to fully encapsulate the wood fibres in water-resistant plastic, such as polyethylene (PE). Full encapsulation defends against moisture to the board’s core, allowing the boards to be cut, drilled, ripped, routed, and fastened without creating compromised areas where water can enter. As it is difficult to achieve full encapsulation, many manufacturers have moved from composite-only boards to making decking with a composite core and a protective plastic cap (called ‘capped composites’ or ‘cap-stock decking’).Capped composites rely on a thin outer layer of polymer plastic to keep moisture away from the composite core. Caps can be an effective enhancement for deck boards; however, they are not sufficient on their own in preventing moisture damage when the core comprises a composite in which the wood fibres are not fully encapsulated.This is because: • Some only have a cap on three sides, leaving the bottom of the board vulnerable to moisture intrusion; • Typically, even with a cap on all four sides, both board ends remain unprotected; and • Installers breach the cap in many spots when fastening deck boards to the underlying structural supports.One product recently introduced combines the added durability of a cap with the moisture defense of a composite core that has fully encapsulated wood fibres. In this case, the cap is used for enhanced resistance to staining, fading, and scratching; it is not primarily for water protection since the composite core is already moisture-resistant.Bug protection In addition to moisture resistance, another performance advantage of composites over traditional wood decking is resistance to termites, carpenter ants, and other insects. This is important in any deck, and is an added consideration for pool and spa surrounds, since they are often in warm, moist climates where wood-destroying insects are prevalent. Composites, which are made of substantial amounts of inedible plastics, are impervious to insect attack and, therefore, do not require chemical treatment. This is an important selling point with homeowners, as they typically do not want decking with toxic chemicals near their pools, and which their wet, bare skin will contact.Splinter protection Another benefit is the absence of splinters. This is an important safety and comfort feature for any deck, and especially for pool and spa surrounds, as there is typically more direct bare skin contact with these surfaces—including bare feet, gripping the edge the deck to rest while in the pool, using the deck to climb out of the water, or while sunbathing. |
3. Breakup the lines
Altering the direction of deck boards can also help make large decked surfaces feel more inviting. A few options for variable board placements include:
- changing the plank direction, with some boards running horizontally and others vertically;
- creating inlaid patterns such as a diamond, a compass rose, or specialty shapes that reflect the homeowner’s interests; and
- setting numerous short boards in repeating, tight patterns such as herringbone, hounds tooth, or intricate parquet.
Changing the board direction requires more planning in terms of the substructure to ensure appropriate deck plank span limits, as well as more measuring and cutting of boards, but homeowners appreciate having a deck that stands out from what their neighbour might have. As with curved-deck elements, this design tip is another way to differentiate deck design from competitors.
To reduce the number of individual cuts, along with the amount of scrap to dispose of, many repeating patterns have complementary angles where a flipped over cut-off will have the appropriate mitre cut. When building this type of deck, it is important to use reversible composite boards that have embossed wood grain patterns on both sides. This allows them to be used with either face up.
