The 4 Major Disadvantages of Wood Composite Decking

1. Wood Composite Decking Lacks Strength

Wood composite deck boards tend to weigh more than traditional wood while providing less strength. Their lack of strength leads to sagging and bending. Because traditional composite decking cannot be used as a load-bearing or structural product, builders must use wood for understructure and framing. You will need to purchase traditional timber for posts, beams, joists, and stair stringers. If you select composite decking for environmental reasons, remember that your deck may still depend on pressure-treated wood for adequate support.

2. Hot Decking

Homeowners often complain about the temperature of their wood composite decks. Composite decking absorbs and retains heat, especially when exposed to direct sunlight. The boards may take hours to cool down before you can walk on them comfortably without shoes. Besides preventing you from fully enjoying your investment, scorching deck boards can put children and pets at risk. Look for the coolest material available in the lightest colors if surface temperature falls on the list of your concerns.

3. Expansion and Contraction Leads to Damage

Composite decking has a high rate of expansion and contraction due to temperature swings. It actually moves greater distances and more unexpectedly than traditional wood. When the boards expand and contract, they may split, delaminate, and peel. The movement can cause your decking to shrink, warp, twist, and bend. Unsightly and often unusable, damaged composite decking from expansion and contraction will likely need to be replaced right away.

4. Susceptible to Mold

Composite decking companies brand their products “mold-resistant,” but composite deck boards still contain wood. When exposed to moisture, wood molds and rots. Uncapped wood composite boards exclude a protective casing, leaving their organic ingredients vulnerable to the elements. Capped wood composite boards may only be enclosed on three sides and allow mold to infiltrate the uncovered portion. Fully encapsulated composite deck boards offer more protection, but moisture can still enter the boards through holes in the skin. Mold can grow on the surface of composite decking or inside the decking once the boards become wet, especially in the shade where boards cannot dry out properly.

A Better Alternative to Wood Composite Decking

We designed Owens Corning® Lumber, both our WEARDECK™ decking and Deck Framing, to overcome the disadvantages of composite decking, so your project lasts for generations to come.

Our fully synthetic, lumber boast over two times the strength of composite boards and can be used for decking, framing, and understructure. Every board comes with our heat-reflective technology, and our two Barefoot colors stay cool enough for bare feet in extreme heat. OC™ Lumber experiences virtually no expansion and contraction, so you never need to worry about warping or shrinking. Unlike composite decking, our boards contain no organic ingredients that support mold and can be completely submerged underwater.

Experience the Owens Corning® difference with OC™ Lumber. Contact us today to talk to an expert and request samples to embark on a journey that's built to last.