In fact, the only regular maintenance that needs to be done is to gently clean it when necessary. Polyvinyl looks like a bunch of microscopic ping pong balls so the air in there will help cool the boards while at the same time the polyvinyl prevents heat from being absorbed into the core.   That sounds like a term from physics.  Perhaps some physics will help us: Here’s 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 didn’t help.  Besides, I didn’t have any spare negative gradients hanging around when I measured the decking. 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. BR: Michael, tell us a little about yourself and your background. Some negative reviews on Decks.com report that greasy spots on the decking are hard to remove and that power washing damages the deck finish. My deck is made from Ipe and I have walked barefoot on it for years. They call it Armor Allow Technology.. whatever that means. AZEK Deck/Rim Joist Covers will have expansion and contraction with changes in temperature, unlike wood whose size will fluctuate with moisture changes. Cool.  The coolest deck boards are from DuraLife and TimberTech — the Landscape and. While there is a difference in the top out temperature with your darker color PVC products relative to the lighter colors, the difference is not as noticeable as it is with the composites. Check their lawsuit 3 years ago. 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. Posted by bostondecksandporches | Aug 30, 2017 | Decking, Plastic decking, PVC decking, Synthetic Decking, Technical, Wood decking | 0. We applaud Azek for making customers aware of the issue. Cap stock has a composite core — wood mixed with plastic. Given particular environmental conditions of moisture and temperature, mold and mildew can appear on any outdoor surface. 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 website.  To learn how we treat our clients, check us on Angie’s List or read a recent article about us in Remodeling Magazine.  For a free design consultation and a relaxed and rewarding design and construction experience, contact us via e-mail, subboston@archadeck.net or by phone, 781-273-3500. There are a lot of other factors that go into purchasing a deck and choosing what products to use but this is strictly about temperature and heat absorption. Founder and Owner of Archadeck of Suburban Boston. So, does composite decking get hot in direct sunlight? SYNTHETIC DECKS: No Maintenance, Low Maintenance, Mo’ Maintenance – What care will your synthetic deck need? We install a lot of composite decking as well as hardwood, cedar, and to a lesser degree, PVC. Duralife has a hard plastic cap, and it’s slightly cooler than TimberTech’s 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. The 5 factors you need to know that determine a deck’s cost, 8 Pros & Cons of 5/4 treated Decking Plus Things to Consider – Decks By E3, Is Cedar or Composite Decking Better with Dogs? It will heat up quicker but it will also cool down quicker, so it's not going to reach as high of a temperature as a denser species like Ipe. Cap stock decking is cooler than all-PVC deck boards. Well, you finally mentioned manufacturers.  Thank you, I was starting to think you were afraid of them.  I am trying to learn which company makes the coolest decking.  Do you have more? It’s because of this resistance that Azek is the clear winner.  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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Both AZEK and Trex decking gets hot … hotter than wood. 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. You will be running for your flip flops on either one. Unlike these and any other synthetics, however, it has an acrylic coating. Surface = Alloy Armour Technology Core = Polymer (no wood fibers) Warranty = Limited 30-year fade & stain, limited lifetime against material defects, termite & rot damage. Amongst those mentioned, TimberTech and Azek. That’s why we developed a heat resistant composite decking solution.  So if wood and metal are hot, the heat will flow more easily from the metal to your hand.” [4]Â,  That makes sense.  If you’ll agree that plastic conducts heat better than wood, we can move on to my chart of deck temperatures.Â, I’ve already mentioned some limitations – temperatures were taken on 80º days in August in Lexington, MA, just outside of Boston.  Don’t read too much into a difference of few degrees between two deck boards.  (My infrared thermometer’s error margin is about 2º. We chose TimberTech but all of these composites tend to function in the same way. Let’s try something simpler.  I stole this from the internet just for you: “When you touch something hot, you don’t feel how hot the thing is; you feel how hot it makes your hand. Lighter colored boards tend to be slightly cooler than darker composite boards. Today’s PVC decking brands like Azek, which is owned … Yes. Although AZEK Deck products are cooler to the touch than many other deck board products in similar colors, all decking products will get hot in the sun. If you want the coolest decking product you probably want to go with a light color Azek. AZEK decking is engineered to last longer than any other composite decking, with a natural hardwood look and feel. We have Ipe, Cedar, TimberTech, and Azek and all four were affected by heat in different ways. Hot enough to fry an egg?  Possibly, but…. we will be buying more when the deck needs it. Is there a decking product that can beat the summer heat and not burn your feet? PVC is a little hotter than your wood decking but significantly cooler than your composites. Even in the most extreme cases, it is tolerable. hope this helps. BR: So how does that differ from PVC products like Azek?  But acrylic is clear and has a thermal conductivity value nearly identical to PVC. )  Instead, consider the larger variations — 10º and more – among different manufacturers’ series.Â. Ok, this is boring.  I am reading this blog for the good stuff.  Surprise me. The Fine Print. 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! Having a deck that is uncomfortable on your feet can be quite inconvenient especially if you have a pool and plan on walking on the deck while using the pool. A common question that comes up is whether or not composite gets too hot in the summer to walk barefoot on. Resistance to staining and scratching Composite decking is an excellent building material because it lasts longer than wood and looks great without staining, painting or sanding. 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