GFWC Indiana - Cleaning & Home Improvement

Most homeowners around the country have a deck to enjoy cookouts and family get togethers. In the past, wood was normally the first and usually only choice when building a deck. Today wood decks are still very common and when taken care of can last a very long time. But it is that “taken care” of process that some homeowners have fallen behind with or are just sick and tired of doing. Many different types of wood are used for decks. Pressure treated wood is the most popular choice followed by cedar, ipe, and many other exotic and hardwoods. The bottom line is no matter what wood is used for an outdoor deck, maintenance is the key to its longevity. Every couple of years the deck needs to be cleaned and sealed to protect it against water and sun damage. To have this done properly can be expensive and in many cases decks have been ruined by weekend warriors or do it yourselfers. Professional deck restoration services are a must in order for the deck to last a long time.

It is because of this hassle of maintenance that in recent years composite decking has become increasingly popular. Most composite decking material is 50% wood and 50% plastic. It does make a nice deck but in my opinion the reason it is becoming so popular is because it is sold as “maintenance free.” For the above homeowner that is sick of the high maintenance wood deck, a composite material seems to be a logical choice. Many neglected wood decks are being torn down and replaced with this man-made material and many new home construction contractors have gone to the composite decking as their first choice on new decks.

But do homeowners really know what they are getting? Is this material really maintenance free? What does maintenance free actually mean? Well according to Google the words “maintenance” and “cleaning” mean the same thing. Maintenance free, to most people, means free from having to clean or do anything to the material once it is installed. Unfortunately, this is not the case with any composite decking material on the market today. That’s right, unsuspecting homeowners are being falsely sold on this man-made decking! Because this material is half wood, the sun turns it grey just like a wooden deck and mildew is a huge problem with this material. Mildew loves this material and appears in the form of little black spots or blotches. Once it is there it spreads and will take over the entire deck. It can be cleaned but many homeowners are extremely upset that their “maintenance free” deck needs to be cleaned.

It is no secret that this material is not maintenance free, at least not on the Internet. Just do a search for “composite deck lawsuit” and you will see page after page of complaints, lawsuits, and outraged consumers fighting back. It has become common practice for these composite deck companies to become so overwhelmed with consumer complaints that they simply shut the doors only to start up again under a different name.

Again, I want to stress that there is nothing wrong with a composite deck, it makes a nice surface for enjoying time outdoors, as long as homeowners know what they are getting. The fact that big box stores, deck building companies, and general contractors sell this material as maintenance free is what is borderline illegal. It is false advertising and they are betraying consumers when they sell composite decks as being maintenance free, because it is not. It is also a fact that there are composite deck sealers on the market. Why would you need a sealer for a maintenance free material? The bottom line is before ripping down your old wooden deck and having a new composite deck built, just know what you are getting. Nothing that is subjected to Mother Nature is maintenance free, composite deck cleaning will be necessary every couple of years just like it is for a wooden deck.