Whatever your feelings on composite decking, it's here to stay. The category continues to grow, carving out a larger share of the multibillion-dollar decking market every year. But the pace of that growth has slowed: Where the early years of this decade saw annual market-share gains of 30% (in dollar terms), between 2005 and 2006 composites grew just 18% in dollar terms and in single digits in volume terms, according to John Pruett, area leader for building products at Principia Consulting. Pruett says much of the slowdown can be attributed to a rise in manufacturing costs ó Hurricanes Katrina and Rita took out Gulf Coast resin facilities, which led to higher prices. But a rash of product failures and consumer complaints have hurt, too. More
