Cool Composite Decking: Heat-Reflective Owens Corning WearDeck™

An outdoor deck is a mini paradise for your home. It offers an outdoor living space in your yard to relax, entertain guests, and cook great food on the grill during the summer days.

Composite decking is an excellent choice for homeowners who want a low-maintenance solution that looks like wood. It’s durable, resists moisture, and is easy to clean. But there’s one consideration—it can get hot during the summer, making it hard to tolerate for bare feet (or your pet’s paws).

This is where Owens Corning WearDeck™ helps homeowners by offering a heat-resistant composite decking that stays cool.

What makes Owens Corning WearDeck™ so unique? Let’s look at why you should choose this cool composite decking product. 

What Is Owens Corning WearDeck™?

Owens Corning WearDeck™ is a high-quality composite material that is strong. It uses Owen Corning’s Advantex® Fiberglas™, which helps the material withstand high loads.

WearDeck™ uses composite materials using a proprietary Glas-Powered™ technology that strengthens the product inside and out with High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced by fiberglass.

How Does WearDeck™ Differ From Wood Decking?

WearDeck™ is a composite decking material. Wood is a natural product—while composite products are man-made. However, our decking uses natural material and is sustainably produced, adding the beauty of wood to a deck without the drawbacks of natural wood decking.

Composite decking is a mixture of materials that gives it more strength and is resistant to many common problems wood products have.

How WearDeck™ Stays Cool

Traditional decks can get very hot during the summer, absorbing heat and becoming hot to the touch from all the direct sunlight. The degree of heat absorbed varies based on the deck color (with darker colors getting hotter), amount of direct sunlight, and ambient temperature.

WearDeck™ is one of the coolest decks because of the heat-reflective technology. Owens Corning adds a proprietary mix of pigments and additives to create a heat-reflective product that reduces heat absorption and cools faster than other decking products on the market!

Benefits of Choosing WearDeck™

There are many composite decking products on the market. So why choose WearDeck for your deck? Here are the benefits of using this material for your new deck: 

• Structural integrity: WearDeck™ boasts strong structural integrity—up to 2.7 times stronger than other composite, HDPE, and PVC decks. 

• Long-lasting: WearDeck™ products aren’t just durable; they last a long time. You won’t need to invest in new decking as quickly as you would with wood alternatives. 
• Heat reflective: WearDeck™ decks are heat reflective. This composite decking is cool to the touch and more enjoyable to spend time on. 
• No painting or sealing: WearDeck™ uses composite materials, so you don’t need to deal with painting and sealing down the line—something you’ll need to do if you buy traditional wood decking. 
• Better deck safety: Composite decks don’t use wood, which means there are no splinters, no warping, better fire safety, and better slip resistance.

WearDeck™ Product Options

WearDeck™ has many product options available. You can choose from eight colors—all designed with heat-reflective technology to keep them cool: 

• White 
• Black
• Barefoot gray 
• Barefoot sand 
• Sand 
• Gray 
• Weatherwood 
• Cedar 
• Saddle 

How to Maintain Your WearDeck™

Although composite decks require less maintenance than wood decks, they do need some care to keep them in good shape. Leaving debris and stains on your deck for too long may make it harder to remove marks. Take the following actions to maintain your WearDeck™:

Clean Your Deck

Remove any furniture on your deck before cleaning. Clear off any dirt and debris with a broom. Ensure you get between the boards to remove any loose debris between the deck boards (such as grass, leaves, and twigs).

Once you clear the loose debris, use soap and water with a deck brush to clean your deck. After you finish scrubbing, rinse your deck and let the sun dry everything off.

It’s also possible to rinse your deck with a pressure washer, but use some caution: be sure not to use soap when using one, and avoid using more than 1,500 PSI. 

Quickly Clean Grease Stains

Homeowners commonly use their decks to grill and eat. You can get grease stains on your deck if you aren’t careful. If this happens, quickly clean the stain to avoid a harder-to-remove stain. 

Use a towel to remove as much as possible—then use a cleaner and water to remove any extra residue. 

Remove Rust

Rust can occasionally develop on your deck, depending on the types of screws you use. This is especially true in Florida—where you will likely install your deck near water sources and are around more moisture. 

Use a rust-removing product to clean any rust marks. If possible, use screws that are resistant to rust. Stainless steel composite screws will do the job and last longer before presenting problems.  

If you need some product recommendations on hardware, be sure to let a Decks & Docks team member know, and we’ll point you in the right direction.

How Long Does WearDeck™ Last?

Composite decks have a longer lifespan than wooden alternatives. Most homeowners can expect their deck to last a minimum of 25 years. Depending on how you care for your deck, it can last anywhere between 25 to 50 years. 

If your deck does suffer from unexpected degradation before that time, WearDeck™ offers a warranty to cover any problems with a 25-year Ultraviolet (UV) warranty. Owens Corning also offers a limited lifetime warranty that states that the deck won’t suffer from termites, mold or mildew damage, splintering, or warping.

Learn More About Cool Composite Decking

Composite deck boards are an excellent choice for homeowners who want a deck to last without constant repairs and maintenance. WearDeck™ is one of the best composite decking brands available. It not only has the standard benefits of composite boards—it also has cool composite decking technology that keeps it cool during sunny days. 

If you’re ready to get started with your home improvement project and install WearDeck™, Decks & Docks would love to help you with your project! Contact us to speak with one of our friendly team members to help guide your process and create a deck you’ll enjoy for years to come.