corap61•5d agoProlific Poster

Watch out for those cheap composite deck boards at the lumber yard

I stopped by Lowe's in Austin last week to grab some decking for a backyard project, and the guy in the lumber section warned me about a batch of composite boards they got in. He said the surface coating started peeling after just one summer in the Texas heat, and the manufacturer won't cover it unless you have the original receipt with a specific date code. I grabbed a few boards to check and sure enough, the coating came right off when I scratched it with my fingernail. Has anyone else run into this issue with a certain brand?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.hannah5d ago

Wait, are we SURE this isn't just a bad batch from one store or a user error? I've had cheap composite from a different brand on my patio for three years now and it still looks fine, no peeling at all. The Texas heat is brutal on everything, and maybe the guy at Lowe's was just trying to move the expensive stuff he gets a commission on. I'd say buy the discounted boards and just seal them yourself with a good UV protector, that'll fix any coating problem.

lucashenderson5d ago

Start by checking the manufacturer's warranty on those discounted boards. Most cheap composite brands specifically say using your own sealer voids the warranty entirely and can actually trap moisture under the shell. Three years of luck with one brand doesn't mean all the budget stuff holds up the same way, especially with a different coating system.