Elegant, Low Maintenance Decking with Plastics

TORONTO, April 29, 2016 -- The beautiful summer weather means barbecues, grilling and outdoor fun. A great way to make your home an entertaining mecca for family and friends is to have a well-built, low maintenance deck. Besides adding to the atmosphere of your backyard, a deck actually increases the square footage of your home.

But before you run out and buy materials for this new space, here are a few things you should consider:

• First things first: make sure you know what you can and cannot do based on your local building codes. This is especially true for all you do-it-yourselfers out there. Structural stability, location and size are main factors to consider before the first post goes in place.

• Don't overbuild the deck. A huge deck next to a small house looks odd and can even detract, rather than add, to the resale value of your home. That's why designers generally scale the size of the deck to the size of the home. If you really think you need a lot of extra space, build the deck in several layers. This will break up the expanse and also add some character to your entertaining area.

• A low maintenance deck could be well worth a little extra cost—especially if you do a lot of entertaining. The deck needs to be able to stand up to traffic, moving furniture back and forth, kids, pets, pool parties….you get the picture.

• Shy away from boring lines in the deck boards. Mix and match the layout to create some diagonal patterns, inlaid designs or other features to bring some life to your deck. Give it personality!

• Consider functionality. Adding built-in benches, planters, even built-in cup holders in the railing can enhance your entertaining space.

To further hit home the necessity for a low maintenance deck, consider various types of plastic and composite decking. While it looks just like wood, plastic and composite lumber gives you the benefits of durable, weather-resistant plastic with the look of wood. Plastic and composite lumber can be partially made from recycled plastic, such as grocery bags, molded to look like real wood planks, pillars and railings and installed exactly the same way as wood materials.

Trex composite decking is comprised of 95% recycled materials—namely, recycled wood, sawdust and plastic film. This earth-friendly formula, coupled with groundbreaking green processes, makes it hard to find a company more actively aware of its impact on the environment.

Another great option is Zuri® Premium Decking by Royal®, a strong, durable PVC decking material which combines a colour and texture that captures the much-desired and unmistakable look of exotic timber – minus the time investment and inconvenience required to maintain the look.

EON® Ultra Decking product is fashioned from 100% premium resin, a highly engineered polymer material, that offers the luxurious look and feel of natural wood. Made with absolutely no organic material, EON decking will not stain, fade or rot allowing you to leave behind the hassles of tedious annual maintenance.

So what's the big deal? Well PVC and plastic composite decking have remarkable advantages. Wood decks may be susceptible to damage caused by the weather, things like sun, humidity, rain, snow and extreme temperatures, which can cause warping, splitting, splintering and rotting. Decks made from plastic composites hold up really well to weather, which means you can spend more time enjoying your deck instead of maintaining it and paying for repairs. And if your family enjoys going barefoot, plastic decking lets you stop worrying about splinters and slivers!

Finally, for homes without decks, don't forget that even the simplest additions can create a fabulous entertaining area outside, even if only for one or two people. A spot for a couple of chairs and an outdoor fireplace, maybe a water feature or a bench (made from plastic lumber!) beneath an arbour (also made from plastic) can provide a very nice spot to enjoy the outdoors.

Today's intelligent plastics are vital to the modern world. These materials enhance our lifestyles, our economy and the environment. For more information, visit www.intelligentplastics.ca

Photo courtesy of Trex decking.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40061

CONTACT: Darlene Gray, Marketing Communications Specialist
         Canadian Plastics Industry Association
         t. 905.678.7748 ext. 239