New Trends in Residential Construction: Composite Decking

Materials, products and accessories are constantly evolving. Evolution in the manufacturing of composite decking (including the mix of wood product, plastic materials and color pigment) has allowed contractors to present clients with many different colors, styles and textures to choose from. These days, composite decking can match nearly any homeowners landscape condition, climate, and personal tastes.

Since first arriving on the market a few decades ago, most composite decking materials available now are not only stronger, they also last longer and require less maintenance. At the same time, more efficient manufacturing processes and easier access to raw materials have contributed to keeping costs down.

We’ve outlined a few of the top decking trends that are driving more people to re-think and re-imagine what their next outdoor living space will look like.

Trend #1 - Blending Indoor/Outdoor Living Spaces

Modern composite deck products are flexible when exposed to extreme, localized heat, but that doesn’t mean that everyday heat sources like sunshine or gas grills will damage it. In fact, new composites are so durable that people are increasingly turning previously summer-only spaces into 2-3 season outdoor living areas. Since composite decks do not require repainting, they can be treated as a more permanent platform to build upon. 

Trend #2 - Grey is Great

Recently, grey has become a very popular color in outdoor construction and design projects. Its versatility allows for numerous variations to be considered while its neutrality makes it a safe platform to build other color schemes on.

In a recent article posted on HGTV.com (Color Trends: What's New, What's Next?) the author explains that grey “covers a wide range of hues, which span soft grey to charcoal to hematite,” with another expert adding that “neutrals [including grey] continue to flourish, as companions for brighter hues or as standalone, monochromatic color schemes.”

DuraLife, a “Made in Maine” composite decking manufacturer has seen sales of its Garapa Grey decking rise steadily over the last few years. Garapa Grey is now is the company’s #1 color choice in both its MVP and Siesta profile products.

Trend #3 - Virtual Deck Design

Advances in drone photography, mapping and computer aided design (CAD) technology now allows deck professionals to replicate a client’s existing exterior landscape and provide an extremely realistic preview of what the new deck will look like when finished. Rather than relying on a 1-dimensional pencil sketch to describe the process, deck builders can not only provide 360-degree views showing the new deck from different perspectives on the property, they can also change some features, like color, texture, and style, with a few clicks of a mouse or a few taps of a tablet.

After an initial meeting and site visit to gather basic measurements, deck builders can return to the home with a physical representation of what he/she believes the customer described to them. This helps minimize the chances of miscommunication between contractor and homeowner, and helps insure that a customer’s “vision” is turned into a reality. This ability to visualize the project also helps contractors minimize costs by making sure the right products are spec’d for each piece of the project – minimizing wasted time and materials in the process. 

Order your free composite decking and railing samples now, and have them shipped directly to your door.

This article is made possible by DuraLife. DuraLife’s unique polypropylene and hardwood composite decking materials simply outperform all other wood and composite decking products. More solid and safe under foot, DuraLife decking is backed by a 25-year warranty. It is stain and fade resistant, mold and mildew resistant, and is available in the colors and deck railing options you want. Get Samples, try our Composite Deck & Railing Visualizer, or contact DuraLife now to learn more.