Decks remain a top renovation, often cited as delivering the highest return on investment and homeowner enjoyment. The outdoor living trend is likely to remain strong this summer, and a great deck is the showpiece of your outdoor environment.
“Fortunately, decks today are a lot more advanced than the traditional wooden models you might remember from your youth. They are easier to take care of and are made of superior materials that are designed to last a long time with much less maintenance,” Gauthier adds.
Composite materials remain a leading deck choice for savvy homeowners looking for low-maintenance, great-looking, eco-friendly decks. Products like Universal’s Latitudes Decking is a wood-thermoplastic composite material made from a mix of recycled wood fiber and post-industrial high-density polyethylene. The material looks and feels natural.
Rather than having to restain or repaint the deck regularly, as you would with a wooden deck, Latitudes boards have the color mixed during the manufacturing process so fading is minimal.
Now, one of the most popular looks in natural wood decking-tropical hardwood-is available in a composite form. Latitudes Capricorn features two tropical colors, Adobe and Koa, that mimic the woodgrain and colors of Mahogany and Ipe.
Once you’ve selected your composite material, don’t overlook how you’ll fasten the boards together. Opting for Equator® hidden fasteners, which install quickly and easily from the top of the deck, will allow you to achieve a blemish-free and barefoot friendly surface. The fasteners allow for the expansion and contraction along the length and width that naturally occurs with composites. They also automatically space deck boards with the proper gap, eliminating guess work.
“When the deck is finished, add ornamental railings and decorative post caps to make great decorative finishes,” says Gauthier. “And with so many options to choose from, it’s easy to create a one-of-a-kind look.” Latitudes offers a number of different railing systems, baluster and post cap options that match the composite boards they offer.
For more information about Latitudes Decking and Railing, log on to www.latitudesdeck.com. Information about Equator Hidden Fasteners can be found at www.equatorfastener.com. Both sites feature installation instructions and store locators.