July 2008
Best decking
Work-saving choices
‘WOOD’ WITHOUT THE WORK The best composite decking, such as Veranda, above, kept its color in our tests without the restaining real wood typically
requires. At $425 per 100 square feet, Veranda costs less than almost all other decking we tested.
About 80 percent of homeowners who install decks use real wood. But our latest tests (available to subscribers) show that synthetic planks can offer lasting good looks with less upkeep.
Composites, which blend ground-up wood and plastic, are chipping away fastest at wood's popularity. Some, including Trex, contain recycled plastic. Composites eliminate the refinishing that wood requires every one to three years. Deeper graining and grooves help today's materials look more like wood; optional matching railings offer a unified look.
Our one-year exposure tests under teeming rain and scorching sun also include solid-plastic, aluminum, and some pricier wood alternatives to the usual pine. We didn't stain our wood decking, as most people do, to focus our tests on the wood itself. Staining would have helped wood keep its looks longer, but different stains would yield different results. And staining adds ongoing work.
Our grueling tests (available to subscribers) also show that some synthetic decking didn't make the grade for rigidity, and some tonier wood products looked worse for wear. Some details from our testing:
Synthetics resist sun and spills. All of the composite, plastic, and aluminum decking kept its original color better than our unfinished wood. Many also fended off mustard, wine, and other spills.
Some decking is stiffer and surer. All of our wood and the LockDry aluminum resisted slips best in our wet and dry friction tests. Wood and aluminum were excellent at resisting bending and sagging. Some plastics and composites came close in those tests, but several flexed or sagged notably. The Trimax DuraWood plastic felt bouncy even at the usual 16-inch span, and the plastic Deck Lok scored lowest for sagging.
Synthetics offer a range of design options. Many of the synthetic products are available in a number of colors: white, gray, and several shades of brown. Surface textures include smooth (like plastic lawn furniture, in some cases), subtle wood grain, ridges, and other decidedly unwoodlike patterns. Some composite planks are flexible enough to be easily curved into patterns or shapes that would require much money and skill to duplicate in solid wood.
Composites, which blend ground-up wood and plastic, are chipping away fastest at wood's popularity. Some, including Trex, contain recycled plastic. Composites eliminate the refinishing that wood requires every one to three years. Deeper graining and grooves help today's materials look more like wood; optional matching railings offer a unified look.
Our one-year exposure tests under teeming rain and scorching sun also include solid-plastic, aluminum, and some pricier wood alternatives to the usual pine. We didn't stain our wood decking, as most people do, to focus our tests on the wood itself. Staining would have helped wood keep its looks longer, but different stains would yield different results. And staining adds ongoing work.
Our grueling tests (available to subscribers) also show that some synthetic decking didn't make the grade for rigidity, and some tonier wood products looked worse for wear. Some details from our testing:
Synthetics resist sun and spills. All of the composite, plastic, and aluminum decking kept its original color better than our unfinished wood. Many also fended off mustard, wine, and other spills.
Some decking is stiffer and surer. All of our wood and the LockDry aluminum resisted slips best in our wet and dry friction tests. Wood and aluminum were excellent at resisting bending and sagging. Some plastics and composites came close in those tests, but several flexed or sagged notably. The Trimax DuraWood plastic felt bouncy even at the usual 16-inch span, and the plastic Deck Lok scored lowest for sagging.
Synthetics offer a range of design options. Many of the synthetic products are available in a number of colors: white, gray, and several shades of brown. Surface textures include smooth (like plastic lawn furniture, in some cases), subtle wood grain, ridges, and other decidedly unwoodlike patterns. Some composite planks are flexible enough to be easily curved into patterns or shapes that would require much money and skill to duplicate in solid wood.
