Why The Fake Wood Decking Business Is Booming

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans stuck at home started to take a hard look at their surroundings, leading to a home improvement boom. Skyrocketing demand and historically high lumber prices bear excellent fortune for a couple of publicly traded companies that make a rather humble-sounding product - fake wood decks.
Two of the biggest names in this space are Trex and AZEK. Together they control 75 percent of the composite decking market, about 20 percent of the entire $8 billion decking market. A third brand, Fiberon, has about 10 percent share.
Chapters:
00:00 -- Intro
02:22 -- Big players
06:36 -- Why fake wood is booming
11:05 -- What’s next?
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Why The Fake Wood Decking Business Is Booming

[@dannyl3212]

CNBC makes the best long form commercials

[@Sensei_Lo]

I was thinking the same thing

[@damnkris]

Yeah. I live in a small apartment, but I really want a Trex deck now.

[@sailingsolar]

@@damnkris The Sun degrades Trex after 10 years or so.

[@worldnews4347]

U right.

[@mini9503]

Honestly I don't mind them. I like long informative ads that I can voluntarily watch more than short annoying ones that pop up everywhere I go.

[@WBSummerlin]

Custom home builder here. This stuff is a good product. Just like any exterior treated product that isn’t ipe because that stuff is just amazing. As a homeowner you will not save money installing this on your house plain and simple. If you don’t want to maintain your exterior it is a great option though but keep in mind maintenance every 7-10 years on a wood deck will cost less than this product. As for leaning in to sustainability’s because they believe social responsibility is a high priority for customers, these companies are trying to sell you recycled plastic. If they thought most customers were squirrels they would add an acorn per giant vat of product and say every deck is made with acorns. It’s a selling point and nothing less. Do what’s best for your budget and design aesthetic not because you want to save the world.

[@matthewhuszarik4173]

We put in a Trex deck fifteen years ago. Except for a little fading and damage from squirrels couldn’t be happier. No maintenance except of hosing off once in a while.

[@sstorm1328]

Is it fire-proof? I have heard it is extremely fire resistant.

[@NMBSUMMER]

I would consider a composite deck when needed, my 24yo wood deck is still solid so.. "10-15yr" for real wood is a low estimate, Happy to see they are recycling plastics

[@Ajibolaa]

Above everything it’s a massive step forward.

[@mikelisteral7863]

50 years from now the landfills will have the most resources haha

[@merlinious01]

It depends largely on climate and wood choice. Whether it gets lots of rain or direct sunlight are huge factors. Also, whether you maintain it, like applying seal to it regularly.

[@darex0827]

duration is heavily dependent on the owner completing preventative maintenance, weather and a bit of luck.

[@gregparrott]

I have a friend with a ski cabin built in 1962. (~60 years old) It has its original wood deck, which they were never diligent at maintaining or removing heavy snow loads. To be expected, the deck needs to be replaced, but it is still functional.

[@dickritchie2596]

We have some faux deck chairs made from recycled plastic. They are high end heavy chairs. They have been on our deck in the hot sun for seven summers now. They have not faded at all.

[@saulgoodman2018]

So it lasts 2-3 times longer. And don't need to be restained every 5-6 years. So in the end, composite is cheaper.

[@GURken]

I don't know where they found this 5-6 years life cycle of wood. Mine is 15 yo and looks pretty damn ok, no termites, no cracks, no rotting.

[@saulgoodman2018]

@@GURken 5-6 years for restaining and resealing.

[@NyDieselOwnage]

Cost of ownership!

[@sacadosify]

Where I live with severe winters and hot, dry summers, we have to reseal every 1 to 2 years and then sand and restain every 5 years or so, unless you get a sealant with stain in it. Our wood deck floor lasted about 17 years before I had to replace a few boards, but noticed that the joists, which are probably at least 30 years old, are starting to rot, so now we're just going to replace everything entirely, use joist tape on the wood joists and Trex for the deck floor. Our 15 year-old porch has Trex on it. Still like new.

[@saulgoodman2018]

@@sacadosify My next deck is going to get Trex. Just reuse my old posts and joists, those are in good condition. Just have to put more joist in between the old ones. They want 8-10 inches, mine are 16.

[@sacadosify]

Where I live with severe winters and hot, dry summers, we have to reseal every 1 to 2 years and then sand and restain every 5 years or so, unless you get a sealant with stain in it. Our wood deck floor lasted about 17 years before I had to replace a few boards, but noticed that the joists, which are probably at least 30 years old, are starting to rot, so now we're just going to replace everything entirely, use joist tape on the new wood joists and Trex for the deck floor. Our 15 year-old porch has Trex on it. Still like new.

[@marklapointe48]

They really need to normalize the audio volume. It's so annoying when you have to keep adjusting the volume to compensate.

[@benjaminw2194]

Moral of the story : "May be expensive in the short term but cheaper than wood in the long run."

[@davidpaprika5976]

But people will literally trow the decking out, because they dont like the look of it anymore

[@makeitmakesense2616]

Thanks for this

[@bobhailey1290]

My grandparents had a 3 story trex deck installed and the ground level deck was fine but the 2nd and 3rd story decking and skirting all started to buckle and warp. It’s been a nightmare to get it replaced. Trex says it was installed wrong even though they got it installed with trex recommended installer and 3 different contractors said it was installed to trex specs. 3 years later it’s still ongoing.

[@arturskuka4177]

Possibly next year there will be a company in Latvia that provides more robust composite boards (that don’t warp). Chemists there have found a way to make these boards more water-resistant than tiles. If you’re interested, send me your email and Ill contact you when per-order option opens. Although I think the first product line will be wooden tiles as an alternative to regular ceramic tiles in wet places (shower room, pool area etc.) . So I might be a while until the production of decking begins.

[@arturskuka4177]

And they will be manufactured 99% from waste - plastic and sawdust. So you will help clean the plastic garbage mess around the world while having a great product.

[@lx6000]

Yep, these composite decking definitely doesn't last that long in the real world condition. Unless you're living in a place with stable temperature with little to no rain.

[@Jason-le3of]

You need to keep in mind that plastics expand and contract in a much greater scale than it is in any sort of timber. Therefore it's quite important to leave gaps and room down the ends of each deck to provide a space for their expansion, which is much more of a trouble than contraction. Also, the fixtures can't be done too tightly, otherwise, you are asking for trouble. Buckling and warping only happens when the deck trying to expand in length but got nowhere to go. Once you have done them, you'd be worry-free for 25+ years.

[@shirshakbt]

@@lx6000 Is it just composite or PVC as well?

[@jack_brooks]

In my research of for my own deck, I found that all of the earliest composite decking products failed (chalkiness, embrittlement, sagging) long before 25 years. While the newest products look better (encapsulated products didn't exist at the time) in terms of longevity, none of them have been around for 25 years. The old failed products were advertised with 25 year lifespans also. In my opinion, they were too expensive to make it worth the gamble. I wasn't going to spend double or triple on the materials and end up in the same place as wood. If these products ever live up to their promises, I'll reevaluate.

[@niq872]

i never really liked them because of alot of them feel springy when you walk on them but if done right it looks nice. i still prefer wood though just take care of and clean off every once in a while and it last.

[@hackinglongevity]

the cost and time required for maintaining wood is the real cost. Long term, its much more expensive and time consuming.

[@jack_brooks]

​@@hackinglongevity Yes, wood requires periodic staining to keep it in good shape, but that cost, even if sub'ed out and done multiple times over the life of the deck, doesn't match the cost of paying triple for the decking material, if that material only lasts as long as wood. If I ever see proof that these new composites last as long as advertised, your supposition would be true, but only time will tell.

[@hackinglongevity]

@@jack_brooks You're only looking at the $ cost. Time is cost. Staining sucks. It's time consuming and a lot of work. I'm willing to spend 50% more on a composite deck just to avoid that.

[@jack_brooks]

​@@hackinglongevity Yes staining sucks, and I acknowledged the time as money when I stated the cost of having it sub'd out, where you are not doing the work. Even with their labor rate, It's still cheaper for a good size deck. I just checked, Home Depot wants $20 a 16' wood deck board. Trex is $40 and NewTechWood is an eye watering $100 each. The material cost is not 50% more, it's 100% to 400% more. If these products lived up to their 25 year claim, you could spread the cost of your saved time over it and it could be what I would consider a good deal. If they don't, your time would have to be invaluable to be a good deal in my opinion. I'm just presenting a value proposition, you are free to buy whatever you want.

[@theepanrealtorvaratharajan7497]

Working on a composite deck at the moment, there's a few downsides. Plastic gets very hot in the sun, water remains on top even after light rain, scratches very easily, comes in minimum 12 foot lengths (hard to work with). As long as your joists are perfectly level, and 12" apart as opposed to 16", it will look amazing.

[@GazzaDazzle]

I installed Trex composite on my deck for over a year now and it is very clean, good texture and feel on your feet. Don't have a problem so far. Looks very nice, but expensive for sure. No need to repaint anything.

[@Kyle_Lurz]

Those composite decks last forever but are very expensive.

[@rtz549]

The cost has kept the stuff from really becoming more common.

[@ChrisGilliamOffGrid]

I built a couple recently for one of my clients. She got the boards cheaper than wood at the time.

[@kenthhamner2641]

@@rtz549 except when 2x4s hit $10 each.

[@KodiD420]

Perfect for city and urban development!

[@grantadamson3478]

I built a deck 22 years ago out of Kwila and it's still as good as new. Yes it needs a stain every 5 years or so and that takes about a day but I can change the colour whenever I want for the price of a few cans of stain/paint.

[@MarcCardwell]

If you're considering a fake wood deck, be aware how hot this plastic gets in the summer. It. will. burn. your. feet.

[@Blender3DProjects]

Didn't expect to see a Perkins brother here, love their building series.

[@--JohnDoe]

Static electricity is always shocking the hell outta me on composite/plastic decks.

[@johnwattdotca]

You'd lose it if you walked by a new stack of sign-painting plastic. With your elbow resting on fresh plastic, the static electricity will pull a drizzle of paint from your brush.

[@--JohnDoe]

@@johnwattdotca A drizzle of paint from your brush, hmm still trying to figure out what you're talking about.

[@mycatiswaysmarterthanmosto8500]

@@--JohnDoe Hes saying the static electricity from brand new plastic signs is strong enough to pull paint off a paint brush. Meaning it's a lot of static.

[@--JohnDoe]

@@mycatiswaysmarterthanmosto8500 Thank you.

[@mycatiswaysmarterthanmosto8500]

@@--JohnDoe You're very welcome!😊

[@classicjonesy]

This could of been the perfect opportunity to hire a New Zealander just say to the phrase deck.

[@Stillcantthinkofaname]

We take great pride in our decks always keeping em clean and polished, nothing like a good deck scrub now and then🙃

[@uwone7778]

For awhile, Trex was the same price as Cedar. Helped us make our decision easier. There is no way I'm hauling around a pressure washer on a 2 tier deck and later painting it every 3-5 years. Trex all the way.

[@SenseiJae]

We frequently see temps over 100F for a week or more. How does trex perform in high heat?

[@FinancialShinanigan]

Because real wood is too expensive and requires more maintenance and replacement.

[@dangerboy808]

These composite decks cost wayy more than wood , what the heck are you talking about?

[@mercury6179]

@@dangerboy808 probably cost less but more maintenance, you gotta look how much you’ll spend on maintenance and cost overtime.

[@dangerboy808]

@@mercury6179 in that case then yeah in the long run

[@horsefly1020]

Lumber prices are back down now.

[@grahamstefaan]

@@mercury6179 buy Accoya pine. It lasts 50 years above grade, stable, and zero maintenance needed. Trex warps and is brittle, hot and looks extremely fake.

[@leonhardpauli5815]

It is not more environment friendly if a unnecessary pvc deck replaces renewable materials like real wood. It is maybe better than using tropical wood but it still is toxic waste

[@jibbyjackjoe]

Did you miss the carbon footprint study?

[@PeterLawton]

Toxic? PVC is used for distributing drinking water throughout homes. Throwing around the word "toxic" (when it isn't) just adds to false drama.

[@jmlewis435]

We are so glad we put in a composite deck 15 years ago! It still looks great!

[@scootersonlyrepair6773]

This is the first good thing I have ever heard about composite decking

[@joeking433]

@@scootersonlyrepair6773 We've had one for a couple years and it's so much easier to maintain than our old wood deck that we have to paint and repair constantly.

[@moonpiespotlight4759]

For those commenting on static, I put a metal pergola on a Trex composite deck and drove a copper rod about 4' in the ground inside the deck, and attached a grounding solid conductor to the metal pergola and to the rod. The pergola is lag bolted through the deck through a couple 2x12s (4" of wood in total). Never had a static problem since.

[@Robosci]

Eventually they should come out with fencing aswell

[@anthonyk423]

Was thinking the same thing

[@peterkim7888]

Well they have plastic fencing already available so its probably not gonna be that popular. However, if they can make these composite wood temperature stable and strong, then we could maybe use them for the frames of the house

[@poodudeelite]

Solid plastic fencing is really not necessary. Hollow core vinyl fencing is already wildly available and cheap. I did my entire fence with gates for around $2k in materials.

[@lionl4343]

I mean yeah, i would not want to have any fungus on real wood, nor would i want to put in the effort to clean and wax it all.

[@apok1980]

I moved in April. Old house had a wood deck. Old house was built in1982. I would repair the deck 3 times not including maintenance for the 12 years I lived there. New house was built in 2019 and has a composite deck (not sure the exact material). But the biggest thing is that it always looks nice, and is low maintenance. I’m really liking it so far. Also, less insects.

[@iuliuscaesar8922]

sounds good, but do you have plans to recycle those decks as well? I mean what is the plan 30-50 years down the line?

[@emadalruwishan8305]

After 30-50 you would be dead and recycled

[@Peppermon22]

I’m sure you waste more plastic in 30 years than replacing a deck.

[@J.Cameron.Stuart.Adams.]

With the UV damaged top layer removed the remaining portion can be melted down, blended with new materials, and formed again. The UV damaged, brittle top layer could be used as a filler material for other products like pavers, fencing, siding, etc as their ability to withstand suspended weight is a non-issue. Meaning so long as the health and safety of people and property is not at risk, new products can be made with this partially degraded but stable and treated material. When the replacement of composite decks begins to scale up in the fifteen to twenty years we will see recycling programs by top manufacturers scale up. Old decks will be virtually free material, less the cost of retrieval from former customers homes. Programs could be implemented for repeat customers to save on their new deck materials if the old product is ready for pick up when delivery of the new products is made. The recycling of old composite wood substitutes is still being tweaked by manufacturers. Most of their R&D is geared towards adding more single use types of plastic to reduce the cost of raw materials purchased from recyclers. Reducing the amount of these non-recyclable and contaminated plastics ending up in landfills will be a huge win for the composites industry. Using these shunned plastics will eventually lead to reduced cost product lines. Thus making composites more affordable while taking more of the market from the timber industry. I must agree with others regarding the average lifespan of wood decks. Decks left untreated and not maintained properly or at all will degrade rapidly. Wood products degrade differently and require different maintenance schedules in different environments. Additionally the wood species, installation methods, grade of wood, and the products and methods used to treat and maintain the wood decking plays a significant role in their lifespan. Wood decking can last from five, low grade lumber with no or incorrect treatment in the Pacific Northwest - from soggy 8 to 10 months to dried and cracked 2 to 3 months of the year, to over 30 years in dry climates with proper maintenance. A well maintained deck in the PNW can last over 25 years despite the climate. I've seen covered decks last over fifty years. Sure the boards show traffic wear, but the wood is still solid. So yes, I agree the claim made here is designed to sway buyers towards their composite material. I do agree the cost of having a wood deck properly maintained will exceed the added initial cost of a composite deck. For this reason alone, owners should choose composite over wood. My large multi level deck is sanded and stained every two to three years. This last June it cost me another $4600. This is up from $4100 in September 2019 and $3900 in July of 2017. The deck was rebuilt in 2015 at a cost of $52,000 (including railings and embellishments made by a local blacksmith and alterations to the original deck requiring more than just laying new decking). The deck had to be rebuilt because I failed to have it maintained properly between 2008 and 2014. The recession hit everyone. If I had a do over I would have chosen composite in 2015. Cheers!

[@ginebrasanmiguel1445]

Don't worry your propably dead when the time comes🤪😂😅

[@LannisterFromDaRock]

@@ginebrasanmiguel1445 Still, my children will live...

[@rd9102]

Good video and timely as i am looking to replace not only my deck but my fencing as well.

[@TeamRespawn]

Who does the audio for these videos? Some of the people interviewed are incredible quiet and then suddenly the narrator comes in very loudly. Pretty inconsistent.

[@checkavilatility]

Plastic decks are garbage, just like plastic siding. I don't understand why we use such crap on our homes. I've been in the residential remodeling business for two decades. Let me tell you that plastic fades and it doesn't feel good under your feet. It warps and needs to be supported with extra framing to get an acceptable result. It gets super hot in the summer and really slippery when it rains. If it is so great then why is it trying so hard to look like wood? My strong recommendation is to buy a GOOD quality wood product. Not the crap at the local home center, where they stock products to meet a price point and not a performance benchmark. I'm not talking exotics either, just a high grade of treated wood, which typically needs to be special ordered. If you really want to be smart, skip the deck and build a quality patio from real stone and have something that will outlast generations.

[@jbg2707]

You still need lumber to do the structure that is going to support the deck and the composite get hotter compared to ipe or mangarus because of density and yes it is expensive but installed properly it will hold perfect and just think about plastic trim on cars and parts inside engine plastic manifolds heat/Uv Rays is the fading or cracks/strikes it should just be a matter of time but I get it for basic simple scenarios it’s a choice it’s all about what you want/need for.

[@blist8329]

If it's cracking then it's because it's plastic and not composite. There's a big difference. Composite cost thousands of dollars more because it contains high end synthetic polymer (polycarbonate or acrylic plastic) along with glass fibers whereas if you're buying straight plastic it's probably cheap abs and doesn't contain any reinforcement.

[@johnm.peterson1095]

About 100 fake wood expensive park benches were installed in Balboa Lake Park in the valley of Los Angeles about 10 years ago. After a few years the fake wood started to disaggregate. Splitting in both directions and chunks of the fake wood started to fall off. They replaced the fake resin wood with more nicer looking new fake wood and the same thing happened all over again. These were expensive park industrial benches. In the end the park benches were all replaced with high quality all metal comfortable park benches. The fake resin wood might be okay for indoors projects, but the hot sun will destroy the fake wood in a short time..

[@shawneevee7490]

I love my composite fence! Holds up in our harsh Canadian winters and needs no maintenance.

[@PatrickKalinowski]

I wonder what happens when you have direct sun light hitting the deck during the summer days. It might not fade, stain or need maintenance. But does it release a pastic smell when it is heated by the sun like many other hard plastic products do ? Does it release oils when heating up ? Does it get retain heat as other plastics, meaning can I walk over it bare footed compared to a wooden deck ? Does it become brittle with colder temperatures ? I like the lack of maintenance. But I would like these questioned aswered by somebody who has it installed for a year or two, not from the company's sales reps.

[@PeteZam]

we install a lot of decks every summer, these things are gigantic heat syncs. they get extremely hot. be very careful if you wanna get one and your back deck doesnt have a lot of shade, because it will just eat up all the incoming heat, and they can get hot enough to where its not comfortable to touch with your bare skin(think walking across backing hot black top in a parking lot that gets no shade).

[@laurasanders6623]

Question does it melt. Need to watch out for glass amplifying it as well.

[@mymai2792]

Here in NZ we have a temperate climate but in Summer the plastic decks burn your bare feet. Wooden decks can get hot but the heat dissipates so it doesn't burn, where as plastic stays hot. This info has come from 2 separate builders . ( I don't know 1st hand )

[@SaltySparrow]

Just got one and love it. Very easy to clean. New Composite decks hold a good amount of static so be careful when you touch the slider after sitting out there, haha.

[@DavidJao]

Took me forever to learn how to discharge static without getting shocked. Put a piece of metal in your pocket (key, coin, etc.) Hold the metal in your bare hand and touch the metal to the slider. The static discharges onto the metal object you're holding, not onto you.

[@CrownRider]

These composite materials cannot be recycled after 25 years, in contrary to PET and wood. That is a huge setback.

[@noammusk519]

It's made from material that'd have otherwise been dumped into landfill. Also, decks made of pure wood need a ton of trees. Not having to cut those many trees is better for the environment.

[@chriseagle7231]

What kind of wood can be re used after 25 yrs?!

[@migratedcoconut]

The composite is already recycled but yes these decks are going to spell problem when they eventually fail due to needing to go to landfill. However pvc is pure and can be recycled as its a new product. You have technically 2 different items explained in the video.

[@losferwords100]

The idea with composite is that they'll never have to be replaced unlike wood. The longevity greatly outlasts other materials. Wood needs replacement after a certain amount of years which requires more material, which means more trees need to be harvested to maintain your deck which is just as detrimental to the environment as anything else. Also composite decking itself is made from recycled material and is possible to be recycled although many recycling facilities claim they can't do it because most facilities don't have the means of being able to separate the wood from the PVC elements that are found in composite. Doesn't mean it's not possible though. As composite becomes more popular, this will change as more and more of our building materials are becoming composites as well and recycling facilities will have no choice but to adapt.

[@patty109109]

@@chriseagle7231 lol, none. Wood decks end up in land fill.

[@milkgotmoney]

Please fix the audio. The narrator volume is often higher than the interviewees. Please adjust the individual tracks to be the same throughout. Thanks!

[@bronzedisease]

The cost can be drastically reduced. The companiee now enjoy healthy premiums that may not be there in the future

[@hooperhill]

No info about it being slippery when wet or in winter with temps and 96 moisture,it really must be the best?

[@dmytrokravets2264]

Probably about as slippery as wood covered in paint. They copying wood patterns on the top, so should have some grip

[@jbg2707]

O yea and ipe/iron wood was used to do bridges over water streams/ rivers it is a tropical hard “iron wood” for a reason and it only has to be installed good means time because it is a hard hard wood that will hold a lot

[@gregparrott]

I have a 22 year old Trex deck, exposed to extensive desert sun, and occasional rain and snow. It does not look like wood and never did. But the appearance is fine and I see no deterioration despite 2+ decades of intense sun most of the year, occasionally a foot or more of snow accumulation, and streams of water landing on it from roof runoff. As best I can tell, it will be fine in another 20 years as well.

[@montanasojourn]

I think this is an ad for composite decking. Our composite decking began deteriorating after TEN years. We were not able to find one product we could use to stop it. Sure, it will last longer, but it looks it's age :-( A friend had her composite replaced as well. Don't know if he's was a warranty issue. So, just say'in that my experience tel k s me that composite decking does not last "decades".

[@CentralNH]

You also can't walk on them in the hot sun. My deck was built in 1982...I just replace pressure treated with pressure treated. The 1982 deck was never stained. I only replaced it due to a rotted sill on my house.

[@66block84]

I used a plastic wood fiber deck board, cut to fit to replace my front sill plate of my front door 28 years ago. I no longer own that house, but that sill plate is still there.

[@rudridz]

The only thing that sucks about composite decks are that they warp. I'm using composite for my fence but idk about building a deck with it after seeing my father in laws deck

[@donnabanks7656]

Thanks for the tip.

[@dgw4049]

Wood warps too tho. Wood will be warped from the factory. This stuff is basically perfectly straight day 1 everytime

[@ChrisGilliamOffGrid]

I have to straighten the composite boards as I lay them, they tend to come slightly warped, but it can be worked out with a flat bar.

[@omnizen]

Someone needs to edit this video to smooth out the volume levels, which are starkly contrasting. The narrator should have turned down his mic sensitivity and placed the mic a little further away. Many of his sentences begin with an explosion in volume and then fade to nearly inaudible.

[@PwonedFTW]

put all that plastic that we throw away everyday to good use, noice!

[@andyjohnson3790]

Only about 10% of plastics get recycled in the US. That's Flipping so sad that so many people are lazy don't care about the only planet that we can ever live on. 😢

[@wshh8486]

Noice.

[@css9945]

My 40 year old wood deck is still in great shape.

[@atticus7830]

I hate them but I’m a woodworker & Nerd out when it comes to wood.Recently purchased a home it had a brand new trex deck, you should of seen the look on realtor face when I said I was going to redo it. Replaced it with ipe. it will last just as long it however it does require maintenance.I don’t mind but I know most people don’t wanna be out there oiling their every year.

[@rtaylor3350]

I'm getting Garapa also hardwood like Ipe. Both Ipe and Garapa you can leave it unoiled to grey naturally. I'm also doing an aluminum railing. I don't mind oiling a deck because you can roll it with a large pad. But a railing you'd have to use a time consuming hand brush which is why I want to do aluminum. Composite decks get extremely hot, more than wood would.

[@Blitznstitch2]

Why would you do that? Such a waste

[@compresswealthdivideeconom3757]

@@Blitznstitch2 Maybe some people are loaded with $. I would have at least waited until the deck got bad.

[@DejaunWright]

“Eco friendly” while also being made from “plastic”... not even “bio-degradable” just “plastic”. Make that make sense for me, please

[@chriswalker8361]

Every cut creates how much micro plastic? It’s sad people think this is somehow better than using real wood.

[@zackfrank8149]

Their argument is that it will prevent tress from being cut down but it’s just switching one problem for another

[@13kevifelt]

Instead of plastic floating in the ocean it's in your deck. That's why. The plastic waste is already created, they are repurposing it

[@greenteasunferncello]

Why would you want your deck to be bio-degradable? Tf You would want it to not degrade lmaoo

[@nastasiaj]

@@13kevifelt Couldn't have said it better. Dejaun, the plastic is already out there. Repurposing it into something useful makes sense if you're not dogmatic.

[@marissadower-morgan3313]

Don't Buy Trex , its a bad product!!!! , I was a remodelers assistant and I have seen many decks made of this at different ages . It dose not age well .It also sags and blister in sometime less than ten years . Red Wood can be treated with Marine Varnish , to all side and edges before building (Used for Boats ) It also comes in a Matte Finish , so it looks natural . It is water proof and UV protectant . About every Twenty years you will have to re-sand and reapply to the top surface . . Sherwin Williams has the most accessible products for this . But there are other brands . Make sure it is Marine Varnish , not Polyurethane which will not do well in the sun .

[@castillelarkin]

This whole thing felt like a commercial. Where are the cons? I helped my dad install a (name brand) composite deck. In the one Seattle summer that it took us to finish, some board ends (sticking out under a stack of shorter boards) had been bleached so much by the sun that they couldn't be used. And within two years, the entire deck was covered in mold spores. My father has to scrub down his deck regularly with harsh chemicals to keep it sightly.

[@lx6000]

Agreed, I'm not sure how valid these claims that composite deck last for decades. The park near my place has reinstalled their composite decking twice over the past 10 years.

[@brianb7059]

So how fast will this fake wood burn vs real wood? Is this highly flammable?

[@bobroberts2371]

Looking at the MSDS for a couple of the products, the stuff will " burn " but won't support combustion on its own. RE Remove the flame and the plastic self extinguishes.

[@zaphodbeeblebrox8382]

@@bobroberts2371 this is correct, it's too dense to burn on its own.

[@armonrakhman3791]

Can you use this for interior framing of a house? Can composite replace wood in that market?

[@maksatosmon]

High potential market, they can literally change everything to composite material.

[@indiancowpissdrinker7151]

hi

[@DunnickFayuro]

My parents had their wood deck made 30 years ago. Not a single cent has ever been spent on maintenance of any kind on this thing. And I don't see it becoming unusable until at least another 20 years. The timelines in favor of plastic decks are BS imho :/

[@zaxarispetixos8728]

I have seen wood that lasted 5 years outside and wood that lasted 100 years outside.

[@moonpiespotlight4759]

Pressure treated wood then had arsenic impregnated into it. That would last 45 years. Not true today. These last about 12.

[@tomdrummy4984]

Because it makes sense….no maintenance, lasts forever, and worth the extra cost. 😊

[@2partiesnotpreferred226]

Nope

[@roytai80]

So sad. There's no space in Taiwan to make any outdoor spaces.😢

[@MarkWTK]

I think it's the same for most countries.

[@sickre]

Move to America bro. Better Taiwanese than Central Americans.

[@TombOfFangs]

@@sickre Racist.

[@sickre]

@@TombOfFangs Average IQ central America: 87; vs 105 in Taiwan.

[@richardfowler3254]

I just wonder how much cheaper these would cost us the end user if there was not a lot of "College Guys" sitting in offices making a lot of money. I am all for everyone making a good salary (I did 39 years in my union) but the upper management that makes 100-200% more than the actual people that make the products make these products unaffordable for a large cross-section of the consumers. My Redwood deck is about 15 years and and is beginning to look it but replacing it with a composite material is just not an option...

[@markbelenchia1476]

Look … Erik has the experience, take what he says to the bank. He does first class work and is a prideful craftsman.

[@JJacobs803]

It's barbaric that we're still using slow growing wood trees vs bamboo

[@saynotop2w]

Yoo Perkins Brothers cameo!

[@lenobaggio2017]

Maybe we should consider getting composite spouses as well. They tend to last longer and have nearly no maintenance cost.

[@lavendersunsets7066]

There's a lumber shortage and it's very expensive these days.

[@nerd3350]

I think the speaker is actually tired ...the way he speaks is as if he is about to sleep 😂

[@valerief1231]

In his defense, I bet he never dreamed while in college getting his communications degree (same as my husband lol) that he would be reporting on the advantages of fake vs real wood for decks 😂 (my husband had aspirations of being a sportscaster due to a physical disability forcing him to use forearm crutches, he passed all the phone interviews for a VERY notable sports station in TX, however when he arrived for his final, in person Interview, the guy looked him up and down, and interviewed him for 5 minutes and then dismissed him with a “we will call you” He drove 3 hours to that interview into East Texas. How his handicap had anything to do with his ability to be on the radio is beyond me, as he graduated from Baylor University, and I’m quite certain the station mgr had never even attended one. Anyway, he’s a Financial Planner now and makes a significantly better income LOL)

[@Hydrospx]

Just one quick note. These companies like to tote how much they use recycled materials in their products, which I'm all for. But the truth is that the vast majority of products that are made out of recycled products can't be recycled again. So, say, 25-30 years from now when it comes time to replace that deck, guess where those boards are going? That's right. The landfill because they can't be reused again.

[@vicentealcober5959]

IPE Decking / Deck Tiles is comparable in price and if you don’t mind it getting grey in the sun, also maintenance free.

[@nickk4010]

Man I had to cut some IPE 4x4s and did it go through some blades ,crazy hard and ridiculously heavy

[@vicentealcober5959]

@@nickk4010 true! It is very hard and dense. Mills typically go with tungsten or diamond blades.

[@elrondhubbard9127]

You had me at "Fake Wood Decking Business"

[@TheNefastor]

I'm really going to need some proof for the durability claims. Also, what of the toxicity ? Especially in case of fire ? Not very interested in breathing plastic fire fumes.

[@domdrty]

They should use this type of composit wood to build homes. Especially in areas where termites are bad.

[@PHlophe]

i ws thinking the same thing

[@akm03051]

This is nothing but a long commercial! 15 max for a wood deck? The house I grew up in still has the same deck that was built in 1982. Our family camp still has the wood deck that was built in the 1991. I installed a composite capped deck on my in-laws house. In ten years it is all cracked and looks like crap. My current house had a composite deck that is falling apart after 10 years. What about the warranty you ask? I can assure you that the warranties these composite products come with are not worth the paper they are printed on. Read the fine print, must be installed by a certified installer, must have original recipe, must register product within 14 days of purchase, must go through original certified installer for warranty, and the list goes on. If you do meet all their ridiculous criteria you will have to wait up to a year before they can get an adjuster out to inspect your deck then six to eight months for the warranty to be processed. If they determine that your decking was not installed exactly the way the instructions said to your claim will be declined. Just search the internet about these warranties, I bet you can’t find one person that has been able to get a claim through, even when the is a recall! I just threw away around 900sf of junk composite decking and replaced it with good old pressure treated tree carcasses. I will never purchase a Trex product again!

[@sutats]

Maintaining decking is key for longevity in UK climate. There's only sun three days of the year in summer.

[@LannisterFromDaRock]

Funny to see that wood is soo expensive. It was pretty cheap back in the day. Now everybody uses fake wood? What the heck? Why?

[@ozzy2753]

What amazes me, is how these large companies can lose 100s of millions of dollars and not close their doors. Yet small contractors like myself can’t lose anything at all to survive.

[@jparker6114]

One word CAPITOL is Y , u want that lifestyle, grow your company, the more jobs you do the more overhead your company will have, these company’s got by on scraps just like you until they EXPANDED hope this helps !

[@FR-tb7xh]

It’s called economy of scale.

[@NicholasLittlejohn]

Loopholes

[@brandonsmith3060]

If you live in harsher climates at higher altitudes, these deck fail…They swell, delaminate, and split around crews and cuts. I have yet to see one deck last over 10yrs without major esthetic and structural failures. Good idea, but needs further R&D. …Plastics and PVC breakdown in sun and weather…Wood buildings and barns are still standing for over 100 years when regular maintenance happens, but it’s your money and time🤷🏽‍♂️

[@Casualplayer]

I built a business building custom AZEK composite decks.

[@ultraviolet7616]

fencing like horizontal ipe wood is another use

[@bmfairweather]

The only thing i hate about composite desk is the retain heat and you cant go out barefeet

[@Mitnixbinichfroh]

Maybe sprikling them with Water helps :) since its plastic, a bit of Water shouldn't harm it.

[@bmfairweather]

@@Mitnixbinichfroh I’ve done that and it helps but it becomes a chore if your outside for long periods of time.

[@kevinchavez5142]

Wear sandals bro, I have real wooden deck and it gets very hot still to the point i cant go barefoot but atleast you dont have to worry about splinters as well lol

[@diggingmystyle]

I got news for you: all surfaces are hot in direct sun heat.

[@NotShowingOff]

When they say “deck” fast 😂

[@DennisRay99]

Hehehe

[@cheetahkid]

I bought composite deck. it looks fab but still like wood need jet wash. I am happy with that and still in the 3rd year since.

[@phillipm3799]

Idk. I feel like re-decking your deck every 15 years with actual wood isn’t really that bad. Especially if you can do it yourself. That’s 4 times in 60 years. Reports say it’s 5x more expensive than wood so your still saving tons of money with wood AND if you actually Thompson water seal your decks you could probably get 20-25 years out of wood.

[@Freedacarlo]

Right! And it’s great that it lasts so long but tastes change. People will replace these decks before they need to because they want a new color. Then all that plastic goes back to the landfill!

[@wg8304]

I wonder if there are unknown long term effects of walking bare foot on these products.

[@paulkramer4176]

Hmm, lots of comments, but not a lot of experience judging by some of them. First, it is DECKING material. They make it LOOK like wood cause that is what folks are used to. I have put in about 20 decks in the last 40 years. (maybe more) I used to use clear heart redwood. (40 years ago, I could buy that in a VG green state for $1 per board foot, now, if it was available, it would be more than $15 a bdft. That old clear redwood lasted a long time, maybe 20 years. But that quality of wood is not available anymore. Ipe, is and I've used that recently too, but more maintenance. (I used it cause it was in a very fire prone area, and Ipe (a sub species) is pretty fire resistant, better than Trex for instance. I put in lots of Trex decks years ago, and had to replace most of them (about 10,000 bdft) under warranty. They had a bad batch about 2006 and it all failed. To their credit, they replaced it all, though not the labor. (again, they gave me a small amount toward that) The new trex seems to be much better. But I've used other brands as well. I've learned to put in the decks with the right fasteners, AND more importantly, to have LARGE spaces between boards, (1/2"!) that makes a big difference in that the wood has expansion and doesn't collect detritus that starts decay! NOT practical for many, if you have someone with high heals on the deck. (all these decks were for me or close friends, I have a ranch with MANY guest cottages). I've also considered AL decking, which is interesting, and obviously fire resistant, but it doesn't seem to be very available on the west coast, (where we have all these fires) It is a common complaint that the synthetic material is hotter than the wood. That is true. But then the color helps too. Use a light grey color and the heat is not bad. Still, hotter, but on the other hand, you NEVER worry about slivers like you do with a wood deck. I wouldn't use wood anymore for a deck. Why? cause here on the west coast, what are you going to use? Redwood? Poor wood quality or VERY VERY expensive. Just seems criminal to use a beautiful wood and then throw it away in 20 years. (yes, I pull it and run it thru the planer, but you know what I mean) Cedar? Also very expensive. Ipe? sure. That is fine, but it is fairly expensive and I'm still not sure if it lasts. Call me in 20 years and I'll tell you. And it is imported mostly from SA, and is that deforestation of the rainforest? You say it is certified? maybe. We all know that these things can be different than what they are claimed. The synthetic is not currently recycled, (and neither is the wood). But it COULD be I guess. Chop it up and use it as the filler for a future product? It isn't a simple problem.

[@fee_ic4981]

What does it take Better Nails or Screws

[@dreadog6425]

I have had both over the last 18 years.......I went back to real wood. I'm in south florida. The surface may last longer however it's too hot and the framing is real wood so the deck last as long as the frame and that's 12 years down here. Real wood if maintains beter,.

[@bgregg55]

Well my trex decking has lots of splits from the fasteners after 10 years.

[@TheTrexCo]

Hello, we are sorry to hear you are having a negative experience with your Trex. As customer satisfaction is very important to us here at Trex, we would like to hear more about this issue and find a solution for you. Please call us at 1-800-289-8739 and a member of our team would be happy to assist you. Thanks - Paul, Trex Customer Care

[@briansepolen4917]

Audio volume levels are all over the place in this video.

[@anthonyk423]

What about fencing and pergola’s

[@Eternalmotors]

We're literally building a Trex Deck right now lmao.

[@dmnddog7417]

And what happens after its recommended usable lifetime of 25 yrs? Does it get recycled again? What do we do with this stuff after its useful lifetime is done? Have the manufacturers thought about this? There's no mention of this in the video. At least, wood is biodegrable or can be reclaimed and repurposed.

[@gamertyper6476]

didn't need a 14 minute video to understand wood prices nearly quintupled, we been knowing this lol

[@Mike-uo2gg]

The down side is grilling easy to melt it hot cover grease and embers will melt it.

[@dracovenit9549]

I wonder what happens to the composite decks when their lifetime is up?

[@soil-play]

They go to the landfill - no way to recycle where I am at....

[@denos.2688]

We got that done in aug 2020 and I don’t like it when it get wet and try and walk down the stairs part. Plastic can be very slippery when wet. That’s what I don’t like about it. 😡

[@dummyxl]

Why do i see adds inside this add? 🤔

[@williammclaughlin186]

In hot climates you can not walk on it with out something on your feet as you will get burns

[@theturtle2121]

I’ve always wanted a “Trek” deck. Living in Alaska with snow, ice and lots of shoveling I have to repaint my deck every two years. My friend has a older trek deck and it can get pretty slippery when wet🤣

[@Q_QQ_Q]

plastic . how cold is it there ?

[@theturtle2121]

@@Q_QQ_Q where I live it can get down to -30 Fahrenheit. But that’s rare

[@Q_QQ_Q]

@@theturtle2121 in celsius . -34 c. thats cold , very very cold for me 😁😂

[@matthewhuszarik4173]

We have a fifteen year old Trex deck that has texturing so it isn’t excessively slippery when wet. Definitely no more slippery than wood. Also composites are cooler than wood and never a sliver. It is in the mountains here in California and sees plenty of snow.

[@lmsorenson8503]

Whollllllle lot of microplastics get made from "Sawdust" when cutting composite though. Super hard to control.

[@andrisberzins9053]

Also from wear. Afull to see people thinking more plastic is good as we are in the beginning of microplastic plague