Video: A Better Product for Composite Decks

SEBASTOPOL — Host, Sarah Rutan: When planning to build a composite deck, it’s important to purchase a high-quality product. Today we’re in Sebastopol with Diamond Certified Expert Contributor Weston Leavens of Deckmaster Fine Decks to learn more.

Diamond Certified Expert Contributor, Weston Leavens: Everybody loves decks, but nobody wants to do the maintenance that most decks require. So, that’s why in the last 20 years or so, we’ve seen a profusion of non-wood decks. All different composites have hit the market with varying degrees of quality and varying degrees of success. Some have had real problems, some have been okay. But the big challenge for a composite deck maker is people don’t really want to see decks that look like plastic, and they also don’t want decks that get really hot.

Heat has been a big problem with wood plastic composites because they’re very dense and they build up a lot of heat. So, you can actually blister your feet on a hot deck. So, the different manufacturers have been looking for ways to reduce the heat on decks and also give them a more natural surface.

The product that we’ve been really excited about is called Zuri Premium Decking and it’s a PVC composite. It actually has a simulated wood grain. It looks more natural than anything else. And the way it’s designed, it actually is much cooler to the touch on a hot day.

So, I just wanted to show you here. This is the Zuri decking, and you can see how all the boards are different. They actually take a print of the wood, so it looks more like wood than anything else I’ve seen. And this surface that they have is actually five times tougher than any other composite decking on the market. It’s extremely durable. So, dog toenails, high heels, just moving furniture around, really nothing is going to mar this decking.

The other thing is that even on a warm day like today, the deck is warm like anything else, but it stays within a degree or two of a wood of a similar color. So, if you have a real dark wood, it would get hotter and lighter woods like cedar might be cooler. So, the Zuri decking is going to stay within a degree or two of a similarly colored wood.

And that’s about it. It’s just a great looking deck. It has better fade resistance than anything else we found. If you have to replace a board in five years, it will probably match up perfectly with the older deck boards. So, this is the decking that we’re most excited about today. It’s called Zuri Premium.

Host, Sarah Rutan: To learn more from local, top rated companies, visit our Diamond Certified Expert Reports at experts.diamondcertified.org.