BR: So now let's talk about the composite. Azek, because it is fully PVC, expands and contracts more than Trex, making it more prone to cracking, especially in areas where there is a dramatic swing from cold to extremely hot … A special thanks to little Konstantino, who helped to test a synthetic deck (TimberTech Tigerwood). And, no, we did not burn him. We photographed him on a cloudy day in the low 70s.Â, A. Azek: ESR-1667: http://www.icc-es.org/Reports/pdf_files/ESR-1667.pdf, B. DuraLife: https://duralifedecking.com/news/article/2017/7/25/whats-inside-composite-decking-matters/, C. Zuri: http://www.designbuildersmd.com/blog/how-is-zuri-premium-decking-manufactured, D. Thermal Conductivity: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html, E. To better understand thermal conductivity, attend Kahn Academy for about 10 minutes: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/thermodynamics/specific-heat-and-heat-transfer/a/what-is-thermal-conductivity, F. Bill Nye, the Science Guy, addresses sidewalk cooking here:  https://www.livescience.com/37860-hot-enough-to-fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk-this-weekend.html. A lot of people wonder if darker colors are actually going to get hotter than lighter colors? So the denser the wood is, like Ipe, the longer it is going to take to heat up but the higher the temperature will reach. Trex decking does not typically get hotter than pressure-treated wood, although on a hot day with a blazing sun, nearly any surface will get uncomfortably hot. Hot surface: Probably the top complaint about composite decking is that it tends to get very hot in direct sunlight. Hot enough to fry an egg? Possibly, but…. Yup. I summarized the test results in the table further on. But first permit me a few observations. by Chris Marquand | Aug 2, 2016 | Blog. Learn how your comment data is processed. Additionally, the darker the decking color, the hotter it will … They claimed that AZEK charged a premium for its advertised qualities which were supposedly better than competitors and paid between $4,200 and $18,500 for installation of their product. Even in the most extreme cases, it is tolerable. A common question that comes up is whether or not composite gets too hot in the summer to walk barefoot on. While early composite decks were very sensitive to temperature and did get notoriously hot, any new composite decking will be much more resistant to heat. That said, plastic decking does have its disadvantages. MR: I'm a product manager for Gaiennie Lumber Company so there's a portfolio of products I manage the relationship with our manufacturers on. As long as your deck understructure is in good shape, it should be easy to replank the structure and get rid of those warped, splintered, and rotten wooden deck … Today’s PVC decking brands like Azek, which is owned … [2] I canât explain whatâs happening here. I measured Brazilia in the sun to be 76º above ambient air, which agrees with Zuriâs published âheat buildupâ factor of 78º. AZEK Deck/Porch is a PVC/polymer deck plank and not a wood/plastic composite. Most modern composite decking brands offer non skid decking which really does work. You’re probably less interested in cooking eggs on your deck than you are walking barefoot on it. Your concern is reasonable â especially if the bare feet on your new deck will look like these:                              Or these: To find out, I put a wide selection of synthetic decking [1] on 2xs in the hot August sun and measured the surface temperatures. I admit, I am limited by geography. The Boston suburbs this August barely reached the low 80s on sunny days. OK, temperatures did get to 88ºF on a few cloudy days, but overcast is no test of hot decking. You need the relentless sun to raise the temperatures to their realistic maximum. In all, I measured 63 synthetic deck samples from six manufacturers, in 17 product groups. For comparison, I included several wood species, concrete, brick, and asphalt.Â. AZEK decking is engineered to last longer than any other composite decking, with a natural hardwood look and feel. So the surface temperature of the board may be higher but it will cool down a lot quicker and take a while to heat back up. Azek Deck We used deckmax on an azek deck. PVC is a little hotter than your wood decking but significantly cooler than your composites. Azek decks tend to get quite slick in rainy weather and around hot tubs. It’s because of this resistance that Azek is the clear winner. Wood composite decking products, as with most outdoor building products, can retain heat—especially after a long day in direct sunlight. Like Trex, Azek decking comes with a natural wood grain and multi colored surface for a …  Metal conducts heat more easily than wood. MR: Most PVC decking is 100% PVC meaning there are no wood products in them. Unlike these and any other synthetics, however, it has an acrylic coating. So another area I want to talk about is color. Take note. Are you feeling pressured to treat your pressure treated deck? So, does composite decking get hot in direct sunlight? Duralife has a hard plastic cap, and it’s slightly cooler than TimberTechâs all composite boards, which have no plastic cap. I suspect Duralike’s advantage is in the materials: it uses polypropylene plastic for its cap and in its core. The other manufacturers use polyethylene or PVC, both of which conduct more heat than polypropylene. [3]  I did notice that hot as Zuri is, it cools down quickly when clouds pass overhead.Â. Trex decking does not typically get hotter than pressure-treated wood, although on a hot day with a blazing sun, nearly any surface will get uncomfortably hot. I use âsynthetic deckingâ to include several artificial deck types: composite decking (the older technology which mixes wood fibers and plastic), PVC decking, and âcapped compositesâ (which have a thick plastic coating bonded to and covering a less expensive core material). Cool. The coolest deck boards are from DuraLife and TimberTech — the Landscape and. E. To better understand thermal conductivity, attend Kahn Academy for about 10 minutes: We at Archadeck of Suburban Boston offer professional design and build services for clients west and north of Boston. Over the past 27 years we have designed and built over 1,000 projects. We have enhanced the depth of our expertise by limiting our work to decks, porches, sunrooms, and patios. To view some of these projects, visit our, http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html, http://www.icc-es.org/Reports/pdf_files/ESR-1667.pdf, https://duralifedecking.com/news/article/2017/7/25/whats-inside-composite-decking-matters/, https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/thermodynamics/specific-heat-and-heat-transfer/a/what-is-thermal-conductivity. BR: It's important to note that if its 100 degrees and you're in Texas like we are there all going to be hot. Given particular environmental conditions of moisture and temperature, mold and mildew can appear on any outdoor surface. As I noted above, these surface temperatures are not the full story. Thermal conductivity plays a role in how hot your deck feels. Because of the polyethylene, the board will get significantly hotter but will also hold that warmth for a longer period of time. Will AZEK Deck get mold on it? You may be able to save time and money by using AZEK Deck to simply resurface your existing deck structure instead of starting over from scratch. On a hot summer day, you just might burn your feet without shoes. hope this helps. It is heavier than all-PVC but noticeably cooler (roughly 20º cooler). A word of caution here. If you want to know which decking will feel coolest to your bare feet, my measurements are not the complete answer. Ultimately, how hot decking feels is a function of both its surface temperature and its thermal conductivity. My measurements do not address âthermal conductivityâ. It’s not a true PVC deck board however it is Vinyl.                                                       Or just wear…. â consider a wood deck or a patio. Donât burn your feet on PVC.Â.  Wow, letâs not set this little guy down on Brazilia: Its core material is PVC, like Azek and like Fiberonâs Paramount.Â, Unlike these and any other synthetics, however, it has an acrylic coating. Many homeowners complain that composite decking gets too hot, especially in direct sun. How hot does composite decking get?  The warmest boards I tested also use the most conductive materials (PVC and polyethylene), so the all-plastic deck boards will probably feel even hotter to your skin than their higher temperatures suggest.Â. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Is there a decking product that can beat the summer heat and not burn your feet? In BTU / (hr ft ºF): acrylic is 0.20, and PVC is 0.19. See: https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/185997/different-materials-have-different-temperatures, ttp://www.designbuildersmd.com/blog/how-is-zuri-premium-decking-manufactured.  The warmest boards I tested also use the most conductive materials (PVC and polyethylene), so the all-plastic deck boards will probably feel even hotter to your skin than their higher temperatures suggest.Â, Which decking should you choose? All-PVC decking resists stains, mildew, and scratches, but it is hotter than cap stock with its composite core. It can also be more expensive. If your family will be barefoot much of the summer in warmer, sunny climates â Florida, Texas, Arizona, etc.   That sounds like a term from physics. Perhaps some physics will help us: Hereâs Fourier’s Law of Heat Conduction: The time rate of heat transfer through a material is proportional to the negative gradient in the temperature and to the area. More clearly stated: OK,….that didnât help. Besides, I didnât have any spare negative gradients hanging around when I measured the decking. AZEK will be slightly cooler, but head outside to enjoy your deck barefoot on a full-sun, 90-degree day, your feet will not know the difference between the 2 brands. Hardwoods series from DuraLife and the Reliaboard from TimberTech. We applaud Azek for making customers aware of the issue. Does composite decking get too hot?  But acrylic is clear and has a thermal conductivity value nearly identical to PVC. Additionally, the darker the decking color, the hotter it will …  Ironically, these are old technology composites, with core material that is a combination of wood fibers and plastic. Why is this old technology cooler? Well, wood holds and conducts less heat than plastic. The newer, all-PVC boards perform better — resist food stains, mildew, and scratches better — but they are hotter. My temperature readings show this, and the published values of thermal conductivity endorse it. We often get asked what is the coolest decking in our low-maintenance options. BR: So if you were comparing the four of these decking products next to each other under a heat lamp or in the middle of summer under the sun you may feel that the Azek is the hotter of the three but as soon as a shadow comes over it will immediately cool while the others could take minutes or hours to cool. Be sure to subscribe to the TimberTown YouTube Channel and click on the notification bell to be the first to get the latest TimberTips video! BR: Michael, tell us a little about yourself and your background. But noticeably cooler ( roughly 20º cooler ) the cellular structure of the composites will a... Plays a role in how hot your deck will hold that warmth a! My deck is made from Ipe and I have also stepped on friends synthetic. Decking boards you use, your composite deck will get hot in sun! Of our old wood deck by Chris Marquand | Aug 2, 2016 | Blog cedar, and Azek all! Great without staining, painting or sanding heat in different ways s because the... 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Mo ’ Maintenance â what care will your synthetic deck need cases, it cools down quickly when clouds overhead.Â! — the Landscape and reading and I have also stepped on friends ' synthetic decks no! Does that differ from PVC products like Azek are from DuraLife and TimberTech — the Landscape and your research anyone... A polyvinyl again because it 's approximately 50 % wood to plastic ratio than darker composite boards consider the variations! The expansion and contraction encountered may result in slight gaps, which be! Deckings are concerned the color has more of an effect on composites but of. Summarized the test results in the sun `` coolest '' decking product that can beat summer... Making customers aware of the others, is TimberTech Azek is there a product! Better product in every way than it used to be slightly cooler all-PVC! [ 3 ]  I did notice that hot as Zuri is, has. Result in slight gaps, which might be noticed at the cellular structure the... Manufacturersâ series. 50 % wood to plastic ratio a role in how hot your deck into a statement piece hot... Skid resistant why we developed a heat resistant composite decking get hot in direct sunlight and susceptible to mold mildew... Plastic decking does not need to be done is to gently clean it necessary... Temperature test my deck is made from Ipe and I hope this helps is there a product!
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