Recycled-carpet ingredient gets "green" stamp

To the long list of composite and plastic decking options already on the market, add one made from recycled nylon carpet. NyloDeck, which contains no wood fiber, is impervious to rot, termites, and mold, says the maker, and resins used in the boards are free of volatile organic compounds.

NyloDeck is made by Nyloboard, a Georgia-based company that also makes a family of related products including garage doors, flooring, trim, and sheet goods. The decking was named a Top 10 Green Building Product for 2010 by BuildingGreen, publisher of the GreenSpec Directory.

Lighter in weight than wood-plastic composites, NyloDeck is available in lengths up to 24 feet and spans deck framing up to 24 inches on center. Nyloboard recommends the decking be installed with a 1/4-inch gap between boards and a 1/16-inch gap between ends.

The surface of the decking is embossed, and the color - light caramel, gray, or cocoa - goes all the way through the board. The decking also can be painted or stained.

Planks are 5 1/2 inches wide and come in two thicknesses, 7/8 inch for 16-inch on-center framing and 1 1/8 inches for 24-inch spans. The price for 7/8-inch material is $2.50 to $2.75 per lineal foot; 1 1/8-inch decking costs $2.75 to $3 per lineal foot. The company says NyloDeck is available across the U.S. and Canada and carries a limited 30-year guarantee.

Scott Gibson is a writer in East Waterboro, Maine.

Nyloboard, 770/385-6168, nyloboard.com.

Capped Composite

Planks come grooved or with solid edges

TimberTech has improved its Earthwood wood-plastic composite decking by capping it with plastic. According to the company, that makes Earthwood Evolutions the only capped composite on the market in a fully-grooved decking plank.

The proprietary blend of capping ingredients has a polyethylene base, like the rest of the composite plank. The cap fully encapsulates the board, even in the channel, the company says.

Guaranteed against fading and staining for 25 years, the decking comes in three colors - Pacific walnut, Pacific teak, and Pacific rosewood - and three lengths - 12 feet, 16 feet, and 20 feet - with either a grooved or a solid edge.

Decking can be installed with TimberTech's hidden fastener system or with its new color-matched TOPLoc face-fastening system, which is designed to reduce the risk of mushrooming. The maximum recommended span is 16 inches.

The decking measures just under an inch thick and 5.36 inches wide. It's priced at between $2.90 and $3.10 per linear foot, depending on the dealer and the region. - S.G.

TimberTech, 800/307-7780, timbertech.com.

LED Lighting Line

Fixtures complement Trex Transcend railing

Composite-decking maker Trex will begin selling a line of dimmable LED deck-lighting fixtures in February.

LED lights operate for up to 40,000 hours and use 75 percent less energy than incandescent fixtures, according to the company, without the concerns about voltage drops that affect conventional lighting. LED lights also are cool to the touch.

Fixtures are available in four types: post-cap lights, deck-rail lights, lights that install in stair risers, and small dots of light that can be recessed directly into the deck (photo, inset). Rail and riser lights come in white, charcoal, and bronze; post-cap lights come in all six of the Trex Transcend railing colors.

Lights are weatherproof and resistant to salt air. LED lights and housings are guaranteed for seven years; dimmers, timers, and transformers carry a three-year warranty.

Post-cap lights are $65 each. Riser lights are $75 for a pack of four; recessed deck lights are $65 for a pack of four; and rail lights are $40. Transformers and dimmers are $130 and $55 respectively. - S.G.

Trex, 800/289-8739, trex.com