What is a composite deck board?
Composite plastic lumber is made of plastic and wood flour. Usually, there is as much as 70% wood flour in a composite board. Wood flour is used to reduce weight, cut costs, reduce thermal expansion and add stiffness. If the wood is not fully sealed by plastic, it will absorb water and will eventually delaminate. The use of wood flour in composite lumber can also cause decking to fade and be more susceptible to stains from oil or grease. A heavier deck board with wood flour also tends to increase the retained heat from the sun making the deck hotter on feet.[TOP]

Is VERDURA Deck a composite board?
No. VERDURA is solid plastic. The board is a blend of plastic resins including polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, ABS and other polymers. . These are very rigid plastics that give the decking board twice the strength of composites with less weight. With less material being used, our costs are lower allowing us to remain competitive. Since there is no wood in our decking, there is no chance for delamination or splinters or cracking. [TOP]

Can VERDURA Deck be painted?
Our decking can't be painted by latex or oil based paint. While the surface of the decking is very tough and will wear for a very long time, it is possible to gouge or burn the decking. If that happens, we will sell a repair kit that will resurface the board where it is burned or gouged. [TOP]

Are there any chemicals that will affect the deck?
Generally the deck will withstand most chemicals. There are some industrial solvents that will melt the plastic, but these are not usually found in homes. Detergents, bleach, grease, gasoline, oil, rock salt, and ice melt have no impact on the plastic. Because the plastic is impervious to most liquids, it can't be easily stained. [TOP]

Will I have to remove mold from my deck?
If any mold or moss grows on your deck, it will be because there is dirt on the deck to grow in. Plastic deck with no wood flour has no nutrients for moss and mold to grow on. Simply hosing down your deck should remove dirt that may accumulate on the deck. [TOP]

Can I saw VERDURA Deck?
VERDURA is hollow. Any hand or circular saw can cut the boards. It can be sawn on a diagonal angle and butted to other boards, but you will have to plan the cuts or joist system so that the groove edge of the board can be screwed to the joist. [TOP]

Can I put VERDURA on floor joists that are more than 16" on center?
Check your local building codes. We warrant the board for installations that are 16" on center. [TOP]

Do you make board that has no ridges?
No. We believe that the ridges are necessary to clear water off of decks while maintaining high slip resistance. [TOP]

Do I need to pre-drill the boards to screw the boards onto the floor joist?
No, using a battery or electric power driver will drive screws through the lower groove edge. Any decking screw can be used. [TOP]

Will the board expand and contract?
Yes, the boards are made of plastic which will expand and contract. Because the boards are screwed down every 16 inches, and the amount of expansion and contraction is negligible, expansion and contraction will never be noticeable. [TOP]

Will expansion and contraction loosen screws?
Our board design has been in use for almost 10 years and there have been no reports of screws loosening. [TOP]

Since the boards fit together in a tongue and groove, how does the water get between the boards?
Water freely passes down through the tongue and groove. [TOP]

What happens to ice and snow?
Like any deck surface, you should remove ice and snow for normal foot traffic. Snow can be shoveled off and ice can be removed by an ice melt product. As snow and ice melt, the water will pass between the boards. [TOP]

Will my feet burn on the surface of the deck?
Composite lumber boards which have wood flour have more mass and hold heat better. Quarter inch thick VERDURA boards do not have the mass that retains heat and tend to be much kinder on bare feet. [TOP]

How does sunlight affect VERDURA Deck?
The color coat of the deck has additives that protect the deck from ultraviolet light that can break down plastic. [TOP]

Can VERDURA Deck be placed on the ground?
Yes, there is no harm to water or soil from VERDURA Deck as nothing leaches out from the board. [TOP]