What Is Composite Decking Made From? – Part II

Inside Composite Decking Materials

This past week, we looked at a lot of the details related to the materials used in composite decking. Today we’re going to continue talking about some of those details of the materials such as the polyethylene and the polyvinyl chloride materials and the aging and deterioration process of those materials. Like almost all building materials, these materials also deteriorate, yet in some aspects they have higher properties of durability and resistance.

In this past week, we talked about the grooves cut on the underside of the deck boards. Not all composite deck boards have these groves cut, but they actually can help in stability and reduce the overall weight which is helpful in both installation and transportation and handling of the material.

Today we’re also going to talk about the texture on the upper walking surface side of the deck boards and resistance to slippage. At the deck board shown in the picture below, you can see there is a texture on the walking surface, the exposed upward facing surface of the deck board.

This texture resembles the grain of natural wood, a little bit, but doesn’t really look very real. Nonetheless, it can sometimes trick the human eye into thinking it’s more like actual natural real wood.   And either way, this texture does help with slip resistance which is very important, especially in our area where we have unpredictable rain throughout the year and we have lots of possibilities of icy and freezing precipitation conditions through the winter. 

What Is Composite Decking Made From? - Part II

This winter, for example, we have have had a significant amount of days of precipitation and lingering snow. Walking on deck boards when there are icy or slushy or snowy conditions, can be risky. This deck, although the walking surface is made from composite wood, which means that it includes some actual natural wood, has a high degree of plastic-like material at the surface. That plastic-like material, without this texture, generally becomes relatively slippery. Even with this texture, as shown in the picture, the deck boards can still become very slippery, and care should be used whenever walking on any surfaces that are either wet, or covered in ice, or covered in snow or any type of precipitation.

precipitation and lingering snow

The options for the texture patterns vary significantly. In the picture below, you can see that the outer surface of the deck board is made with a material that’s different than the interior core of the deck board. Not all deck boards are made with a different exterior, than some of them are made with a consistent material, all the way through including the outer shell and the core.  The material manufacturers may use different test standards to test the slip resistance of their deck boards. Some of these may include the following standards: ASTM D2394 (Static Coefficient of Friction) and

ASTM F1679 (Variable Incidence Tribometer).

Here in today’s article, we’re particularly showing examples of materials that are not only clean, they’re brand new. They have had no exposure to the elements. Although this material is relatively resistant to deterioration, decay, and even has degree of ultraviolet resistance, it still can change over time and deteriorate to a degree. Here though, we’re looking at examples of brand new materials in almost perfect condition.  In the real world though, in actual use, these materials are exposed to organic growth like mildew, mold, and algae.

Those materials, as they build up on the surface of the decking material which will increase the incidence and chances of slippage.  When decks are built against a north facing wall, they will receive much less sunlight and generally be in the shade almost all the time.

They may get a little bit of morning sun or a little bit of afternoon sun but not nearly as much sunlight as they would in the south facing side of a building, in our particular area, depending on other items of configuration such as nearby trees and other buildings. When a deck is in the shade all of the time it doesn’t have the same degree of daily sunlight, and as a result, it will generally stay humid or wet longer and therefore encourage mold or mildew growth or algae which will lead to higher degrees of slippage.

Here in Washington DC, our city happens to have a wonderful high amount of trees growing around our streets and our buildings. However, with our severe winter, in the fall or autumn seasons every year, these trees drop tons of leaves. As the leaves build up on top of the deck boards, if they’re not cleaned repeatedly and consistently or promptly, the leaves can decay and become mushy and slippery.  Also, not only in conditions or occurrences of ice and sleet or snow, but also even in just conditions of morning dew, it can make the deck boards more slippery.

the interior core of the deck board

At least a minimal degree of spacing should be installed between deck boards to allow for water to drain properly.  

 deck boards to allow for water to drain properly

Use a contractor who understands and cares about doing things right.  Always, feel free to reach out to us here at Dupont Decks and Patios.  We are happy to help with almost all steps of the deck building and design process. Let us know about your ideas and talk to us if you have questions about possibilities. You can call us at (202) 774-9128.  You can find us online at https://dupontdeckspatiosdc.com and you can email us there as well at https://dupontdeckspatiosdc.com/contact-us

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