How Does Composite Wood Decking Compare with Natural Wood Decking?
Composite wood has increasingly become a popular alternative as an alternative to
natural wood decking , extensively promoted as a product requiring little regular maintenance that will not twist, warp or fade like natural wood products used outdoors. And most certainly it is true that composite wood does exhibit some excellent features, but there are other characteristics of composite wood which should be noted. Let's look at these in turn.
At the outset, it should be noted that like most products, composite wood will vary between different manufacturers since not only can the basic components vary : polyethylene or polypropylene, new or recycled plastic materials or any ratio of the two, wood fibre, bamboo fibre or other fibre components or a mixture of these plus reclaimed wood material , but minor components such as UV stabilizers, processing aids etc will also vary. And any of these components together with the actual processing and extrusion procedures can influence the final properties of composite wood decking. So the observations below must only be taken in general terms .
1. No twisting or warping. On condition that that the composite wood profile has been extruded with due care so that no stresses have been allowed to build up in the profile, then it should be expected that composite wood decking should not display any twisting or warping under normal conditions. However in some situations has been reported that composite decking may experience some bowing along its length, though this will not automatically be a problem if the decking is securely attached to bearers. It may however cause some slight problems with interlocking composite wood deck tiles where the slats on the tiles are not firmly attached to bearers underneath .
2. Minimal fading . Provided that the manufacture of the composite wood decking has used good quality colour pigments resistant to fading in sunlight , then indeed composite wood decking will as a rule exhibit very little fading . Typically the colour may fade only about 10% in the first three to six months but will then fade very little in ongoing exposure.
3. No splintering . Composite wood decking should not splinter because it does not contain long sharp fibres.
4. Staining . Composite wood is not resistant to staining, and it is suggested if the material is to be used surrounding outdoor grills etc, that a sealing product intended explicitly for composite wood is applied.
5. Structural strength. Typically , composite wood will not have the structural strength comparable to the strongest hardwoods such as Ipe . Decking planks will normally need to be supported by bearers at closer intervals than natural wood decking, since it is prone to sagging. With composite wood deck tiles however which are installed on solid surface, this will not be an issue.
6. Mold and mildew resistance. Whilst composite wood may contain some additives to reduce the formation of mold and mildew, most consumer reports tend to indicate that composite wood does not show any improved resistance to mold and mildew compared with natural wood.
7. Decay & Rot Resistance. Composite wood used in exterior locations should not decay or rot under ordinary circumstances , although there have apparently been cases of faulty manufacturing of faulty components where composite wood has shown premature failure in use.
8. Insect resistance. Since composite wood decking is partly composed of a plastic material it will not normally be attacked by wood boring insects.
8. Resistance to scratching and marking. Composite wood is not a very hard material , so will not have the same resistance to scuffing and marking as the hardest natural woods such as Ipe.
9. Fire resistance. Since composite wood is composed of a plastic material and wood fibres, it is not fire resistant , whereas some hardwoods such as Ipe are rated as Class A fire resistance .
So like most materials, there are pros and cons of using either natural wood or composite wood, so it's really up to the individual consumer to resolve which characteristics are important to them
How Does Composite Wood Decking Compare with Natural Wood Decking?
By: Malcolm Kay
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