248-802-8460 House washing Concrete cleaning Vinyl siding Wood decks cleaning Staining Sealing Brick paver Commercial and Residential professional power / pressure washing in Michigan

Is Composite Decking the Best Decking Material?

Big advertising dollars have been spent to persuade home improvement consumers to believe that composite decking material has no maintenance and has the longest life expectancy.

If you do some searching on Google for "Composite Decking Complaints" or you can take any major brand name of composite decking and add the word complaints at the end of your Google search and you will find all kinds of comments and pictures from unhappy composite deck owners.

The truth is that most composite deck material has not been thoroughly tested but it has been thoroughly marketed. That's why most home owners think composite decking is a great choice. Many people are also lured in by the long warranties these companies offer but if you do some research on that as well you will see that many companies after realizing their product does not hold up like they promised end up shutting down their company and then open a new company under a different name that way they don't have to deal with the warranty issues when their product fails.

Composite decking manufacturers are quick to admit that their products are not perfect :

It is common to find detailed cleaning instructions included with manufacturers warranty information
“Grease will stain any surface. Deal with stains quickly.”
“A deep red composite deck would fade to pink, which nobody wants”

Most manufacturers suggest periodic cleanings with deck cleanser to prevent the buildup of mold and mildew

Composite decking materials are also not structurally rated.

Composite decking is weaker than wood.