Advantages of composite decking

Listen to this radio story (MP3 download) or read below.

Radio interview source: Craig Sherrett, marketing director, Fiber Composites, LLC

We live in an old farmhouse that was built long before decks were a popular addition. If we decide to build one, it will have to be low maintenance. There are not enough hours in the day for us to keep up with it.

Composite decking has been around for a decade as a "build-it-and-forget-about-it" solution. It's a 50-50 mixture of recycled plastics and wood. Craig Sherrett works with a company that makes the product.

"The recycled wood comes from the furniture industry and is primarily maple wood flour," Sherrett says. "Wood flour is obviously another name for sawdust. On the other side, the 50% of the recycled plastic all comes from high-density polyethylene -- plastic that's used in yogurt cups, plastic plates and that type of thing."

Composite decking doesn't require as much upkeep as wood. It's not totally maintenance-free though -- you do have to hose it off every once in awhile. But it resists weathering, twisting and rotting, and never has to be stained or sealed. The stability comes from UV stabilizers and antioxidants infused in the boards.