Myths and Legends of Decking Materials

(ARA) - Many of us use our local retailers or contractor as a resource for information for all our home renovation needs. When it comes to innovative building materials, not all the retailers have had the time to educate their staff. With all the options on the market, both retailers and homeowners are confused by the overwhelming choices available in composite deck products.

Alternative decking materials, such as composites, have flooded the market. Each product has its own features and benefits and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. When choosing new decking or dock material, most homeowners look at aesthetic beauty, but don't forget that endurance and strength are extremely important to the life span of the project.

Do you wonder whether the new hollow flooring material is as strong as a solid material on the market? Hollow profiles, such as Nexwood, are stronger and lighter then existing solid materials. Nexwood's Coretech technology was developed using the same concepts you'll find in I-Beam construction today. Just like steel, aluminum, graphite and fiberglass, plastics can be manufactured in a tubular shape or I-Beam construction to form a stronger member.

Mother Nature herself has made tubular structures that are stronger than solids. Trees are a collection of tubular shapes called fibers. It is the orientation of these fibers that give wood its strength as a tree or a piece of lumber. Bamboo is an example of Nature's innovative tubular design; and honeycombs are another example of strength in a circular, non-solid pattern.

Hollow products like Nexwood can span up to 24 inches on center for the 2 by 6 and 5/4 Radius Edge profiles and can be carried by one person without the ends of the boards touching the ground. They can accommodate lighting or speaker wiring, ideal for residential projects, and can be filled with supporting wood inserts to make picnic tables, benches and overheads. And on a sunny day, the hollow profile will stay cooler longer, compared to a solid floor board, allowing you to walk barefoot in the middle of the day.

Visit www.nexwood.com for technical information, decking designs, to view photographs and to find dealer listings.

Courtesy of ARA Content