Replacing Individual Boards on a Wood Deck with Capped Wood Composite Decking
Replacing individual boards on a wood deck with capped wood composite decking depends on a few factors.
First, you will want to make sure your substructure is sound and code-compliant. You will also want to verify your current joist spacing is applicable to the TimberTech composite board that best fits your needs. Joist span requirements for TimberTech deck planks are available in our Installation and Maintenance Guide.
The thickness of the board is also important, so that you continue to have a smooth decking surface. You can find the thickness of our products on each of the product pages.
However, although replacing old individual wood deck boards with composite can be done – it may be tough to get the look you want, as trying to match the boards will be tricky.
If you want your entire deck to match – which is what we recommend – there’s also another option. If your substructure is code-compliant, you may want to think about re-planking your entire deck with all composite material.
Save the Understructure, Change the Surface
When an old wooden deck becomes warped, splintered, and rotten, it’s easy to re-plank using TimberTech composite or capped composite decking. Save time and money using TimberTech® capped wood composite decking to re-plank your existing deck instead of starting from scratch. Here are a few great reasons to re-plank your existing wood deck with TimberTech capped wood composite decking:
Faster installation
Cost effective
No more painting, staining or sealing
Adds value to your home
Keep these tips in mind to achieve the best results when re-planking:
Prior to installation, check to make sure all joists are level, structurally sound, and there are no nails or screws protruding.
Ensure that all joists are crowned correctly and are level across the top.
Proper joist spacing is required for proper installation. Refer to Page 5 of the Installation and Maintenance Guide for proper joist spacing requirements.
Install solid wood blocking between each joist, placed every 4’ - 6’ within the structure to help reduce movement of the joists, excessive gapping, and give you a more uniform finished surface for your new TimberTech Deck.
To find out even more about how to make your re-planking project really shine, check out our Deck Installation Guide.
Replacing wood decking with TimberTech decking gives you more time to enjoy your outdoor space as yearly staining and painting will no longer be necessary. And, as for rotting and splinters, well, they too will be a thing of the past.