Yo Ken, if your still around your up on this one. Far as Composites go I am with the Larry/whoever We are for the most part. Composites are really no longer using recycled material because there is just not enough of it so most of the raw stuff is virgin,the energy used to make composite is an enviro no no, when its time to remove the project composite is not real big on bio degrade its tricky to burn shreading it would be silly. Bottom line composites are not so enviro freindly. Info like that might suggest its not all that good to clean it either, with anything. I dont agree>> composites will out last Ipe, left to go silver/gray Ipe is as close to no maintance as a person can get. With the softer composites like Choice/MoistureShield even trex= tjunk I have found a coat or two of TWP 116 seals up the decking,locks in the color and keeps mold,mildew,stains from causing major problems. Of course not needing to do this is the reason the Wallet goes for composite in the first place. I my own self dont like composites at all for the reasons stated in several posts here and on other sites. Welcome aboard Larry!!! Sorry I dident understand your intent at the begining . John

I gotta tell you - the last consumer report I read about stains and paints made my eyes bulge! The little teeny tiny print about what the parameters were during testing cleared things up a bit but all in all, I felt they were misleading...and not the best for consumers at all. Our "fact finding" comes from real life application and maintenance, not nicely boxed up testing. With that said, a friend of ours went to her friends house last weekend to view their new deck. She has the Tamko stuff as her rail system. My friend said those railings LOOKED like utter crap (terminology altered!) It was only a week old, looked filthy dirty and really cheap, felt cheap...that's a homeowner unsolicited opinion. The best advise I would want to put out is (a) don't pay attention to reports (consumer or otherwise) that can hardly be unbiased when not everyone is involved in testing (b) don't talk to sales people since they have a vested interest and (c) talk to people that install it, or have it, or have to maintain it....those will be your true knowledgeable stories :) Celeste Here is a link that might be useful: Ask Professional Deck Builders Opinions

Fiberon professional decking Posted by robinp711@aol.com on January 15th, 2009 10:20 AM In reply to Fiberon Pro decking by grok12 on January 22nd, 2008 04:43 PM [Go to top of thread] 9 of 9 people found this post helpful Post Reply : Watch this Post I have a 3000 sq. foot Fiberon deck and after eight months, it was covered with mold. I called the company and they told me that "mold was common." They told me to use bleach and power wash. My "low maintenance, easy to maintain, never needs any treatment" deck took over twelve hours to clean. Within 2 months after that initial cleaning, the deck is again covered with mold. The wood fibers in composite decking "fosters the growth of mold and mildew." The company refuses to acknowledge its advertising is false and deceptive. The product is a nightmare. Consumers Report (July 08) also found Fiberon decking to mold within one year. The company claims mold is environmental. The problem is that Fiberon should NOT be used in any climate that has rain or snow! UPDATE: JANUARY 2, 2012 It is now four years and my redwood "never fade" deck is various shades of pink. The company finally agreed to have my deck cleaned. They hired a local company, PAID $5,500, and it took 6 men over 150 hrs. to scrub the mold off. Not very "easy to maintain." Obviously, after many complaints the company formed their own team to clean decks in the Northeast. They have cleaned my deck three times and each time the mold is back within six to eight weeks. It has cost me thousands of dollars to clean this deck each year. I am also very concerned about the health ramifications of children and elderly people walking on a deck covered in mold. I had the mold on the deck professionally tested and am awaiting that report. It is illegal to make false claims about a product and I do not know how this company has gotten away with lying to the public for so long! Since the company's executives have not been very ethical, I have been forced to institute a law suit. I know of a number of other people who have the same problem, but have just given up fighting with Fiberon.

Its a more affordable line of decking made by Fiberon, I think they use that line of decking strictly for Box Stores. I don't know much about it, most homeowners buy this stuff from box stores because it is cheaper in comparison to other lines of decking which offer a much better warranty. I would get some paperwork and read up on it and compare apples to apples what they use to make that what the warranty is in comparison to other brands. On the general note if you can find any information online from the manufacturer or if the store who sells, they can't provide too much information or literature, I'm sure there is a reason for it. Go with Trex Transcend, you will pay a little more but you will have a nice long lasting decking. I always tell my customers, instead of buying something cheap that will fade or fail in a few years and need to be replaced again, spend a little more and have something lasting. Good luck.