Capped Composite Decking: What Is It?
Currently the king of the hill among high-end deck builders, capped composites are popular because they mimic the look of wood but require almost no maintenance. Capped composite deck boards are composed of a traditional composite wood / plastic core with a durable polymer protective shell. They come in a range of quality and price, so you’ll need to do some research to get the best deal. The advantage of capped composite decking is the PVC coating prevents mold and mildew from feeding on the organic fiber found in composite material.
Look for Durability
Some capped composites have a thick, hard shell that will hold up to heavy abuse, while others are less satisfactory. A reliable product should have a 25-year warranty against things like warping, stains, swelling, and fading. (You cannot expect a warranty against scratching, because no product can hold up against severe scratches.)
Good & Better
Many companies have two or more models of capped composites, to suit different budgets and tastes. At the low end, boards may be monocolored (though with a choice of 4 or 5 different colors) with an embossed wood grain. Mid-priced boards may have two or three colors to look more like wood. And top-end boards will have sophisticated patterns that use multiple colors; the patterns may repeat so seldom that you would have a difficult time seeing any repeats. Durability and fade resistance may be the same for all three levels, or the higher-end boards may be better quality.
Composite Cores
Capped boards with composite cores are more environmentally friendly because they are mostly made of recycled products. The ratio of plastic to wood flour is usually about 50/50.
Composite vs Wood
Composite and wood decking differ in terms of maintenance, costs, labor, and lifetime value. Compare composite vs wood decking at Decks.com.
Fiberon
Fiberon low maintenance decking is manufactured by Fiber Composites, LLC in New London, NC
Latitudes
Latitudes composite decking and railing materials are manufactured by UFP Ventures II, Inc. in Prairie Du Chein, WI.
Cutting a Concrete Pad
Learn how to use a concrete saw to cut a hole in a patio slab to install a deck footing.
How many footings do I need?
Learn how to determine the number of footings and support posts you need for your deck when designing your deck frame.
Can I reuse existing footings
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Fence Post Spacing: How Far Apart Should Fence Posts Be?
Spending a little more time and effort up front on determining the best fence post spacing for your deck project, could save you a bunch of time and money when it comes time to build it. Here’s how to do it…
Carefree
Carefree Decking is manufactured by U.S. Plastic Lumber Ltd. in Chicago, IL.
How many footings do I need?
Learn how to determine the number of footings and support posts you need for your deck when designing your deck frame.
Deck Footing Depth
Find out how deep you need to dig your footings in your area. Look at our U.S. map of extreme frost penetration.
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Explore Articles by Topic
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Information related to installing frost footings for decks
![Framing](/media/5wrarsgy/all-articles_framing-2x.png?format=webpg&quality=80)
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