How Hot Do Composite Decks Get?

One of the concerns our customers have about getting a composite deck is that they get hotter than wood decks. We were curious about how much hotter they get so we tested the brands that we offer our customers. We tested Timbertech, Fiberon and Moisture Shield in the middle of June at our home in Raymore MO when the temperature was 95 degrees outside with minimal cloud cover. Most of the deck boards were a little hotter than wood but not as much as I would have thought. The Moisture Shield Deck boards with Cool Deck technology were actually cooler than wood. That being said, cooler is a relative term when you are talking about near 100 degree temps outside. Everything we measured was too hot to comfortably stand on for very long. Keep in mind this is good info for homeowners that have a deck that is completely uncovered and exposed to the sun. If you have any shade it will be dramatically cooler. Stay tuned for additional videos about how to enjoy your deck regardless of the weather outside!
Thanks for checking out our videos. Be sure and checkout the composite decking page on our website at monarchexterio... for more info on the composite decks we offer!
‪@TimberTechDecking‬ ‪@Fiberondecking‬ ‪@MoistureShield‬ ‪@monarchexteriors‬

[@driveman6490]

So when you say "honey, I'll be cooking breakfast on the new composite deck".....you really mean it!!

[@marvinbienaime2012]

Amazing video I am a territory, sales manager for Moisture Shield . Thank you so much for sharing this information about our cool deck technology

[@jerensteffen]

I thought the bigger issue was thermal mass. If you have 2 materials at the same temp but one has higher thermal mass, it's going to feel much hotter because it transfers the heat quicker.

[@monarchexteriors]

Thanks for checking out the video. Not sure about the thermal mass question. According to my "barefeet test" they were all really hot and I wouldn't be able to stand on them very long when it is as hot as its been this summer. The Moistureshield product with CoolDeck technology is the only one that was even bearable to stand on for an extended period and it was still pretty toasty.

[@jerensteffen]

@@monarchexteriors Good to know, thank you.

[@MidwestSteeze]

It exactly is about thermal transfer and not surface temp. I had samples of Trex, Deckorators and TimberTech sitting outside beside my painted wood deck, all similar in color, and they all measured the same exact surface temp (123 degrees on a 75 degree sunny day). However, I could not stand on any of the composite samples for more than 3-5 seconds. Whereas when I stood on wood, I could actually feel the heat dissipate after 5 seconds or so and it was no longer hot to stand in place. The composite seems to act like a heating stone, you can touch it and the heat just keeps on coming, it never goes away. Painted wood is only hot because it’s painted, and once the heat held in that paint transfers to your foot it’ll go away after a few seconds and there’s no more heat to be transferred to your foot. This reason alone may take me back to deciding to redo my deck with wood and not composite, unfortunately. Hope others consider this too before pulling the trigger on composite, primarily if you have pets or little ones walking around barefoot on sunny days.

[@eddailey3791]

I think color makes a difference too. Darker colors will absorb more heat

[@jacobvriesema6633]

Really appreciate the empirical data. Bummer you didn’t have some of the other brands, but I understand as you don’t sell them.

[@monarchexteriors]

Thanks for checking out the video. Yeah these are our go to brands but its not a bad idea to do a comparison vs some of the brands we dont sell!

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

After doing a re-decking job with Trex Foggy Wharf style we found they are way more reflective then wood of both light and thermal. But as far as thermal absorption it's not really any different then wood.

[@DaisyKarensunflower]

The board do hold as much with out cracking new campare to wood I have seen them crack hing out of work truck. There don't make good beams also.

[@TheMarkyMarx]

The wood deck has air circulating underneath it. The composites are on a solid cardboard surface and so they are not going to be the same.

[@KenDebono]

TimberTech Advanced PVC Decking (not tested in your video) boasts 'cooler to the touch' compared to competitors standard products. All decking products will get hot in the sun. Additionally, the darker the decking color, the hotter it will feel. For hotter climates, consider choosing a lighter color.

[@johnnyfive-bc]

does the PVC stay cooler? and if so how much?

[@KenDebono]

@@johnnyfive-bc Sorry that I can't answer that.

[@dougfields23]

gave you a sub just for being local.

[@monarchexteriors]

Thanks for checking out the video and subscribing to our channel!

[@amaiaamaiaa]

any thoughts on deckorators?

[@captainkangaroo4301]

The microphone must be in your back pocket.

[@monarchexteriors]

Thanks for checking out the video. Yeah this one is pretty hard to hear. Just realized how to increase the volume when doing my editing!

[@AJB-jj5qg]

Can't hear anything!

[@monarchexteriors]

Thanks for checking out the video. Im adding subtitles on this one and figured out how to increase the volume post production for future videos!

[@snakeclaw]

I really wanted to like this video but I was disappointed at the scientific method or perhaps the lack thereof. To make this a very fair test, your wood deck should probably be a small sample sitting on the board next to your composite samples. I can see many factors that would make a fully built wooden deck be different temperatures than small samples.

[@jolsh]

Did you stand on the for a bare skin test?

[@bryanhart924]

p̴r̴o̴m̴o̴s̴m̴ 🏃