Page 570 - 2018 National Home Improvement

2018 National Home Improvement Estimator, All Rights Reserved Page 451

All wood deck requires occasional maintenance. Check for splits, warping, popped nails and splinters.
Unless the owner likes the look of aged wood, he'll need to apply a coat of sealer every few years.

Synthetics include composites made from a combination of recycled wood fiber and recycled
thermoplastics. These products (Fiberon is one name) look like real wood and have characteristics like
real wood. For example, composites don't expand and contract as much as thermoplastics. But
composites made from wood fiber will absorb moisture and tend to age like real wood. You can cut or
drill composites with an ordinary hand drill or hand saw equipped with a carbide tip blade. Composites
can be stained or painted and should never require maintenance. Deck planks made from rice hulls
(Edeck®) are stronger than other composites and don't absorb moisture like deck lumber made from
wood fiber. Edeck® requires installation with T-clips that permit expansion and contraction as the deck
material heats and cools. Synthetics tend to be more slippery than real wood, especially when wet.