HomeTimberTech StoriesPhillip or Flop
A bright, sunlit screened-in porch with medium gray decking in the Coastline color from the Porch Collection by TimberTech. The porch features two dark wicker sofas with white cushions facing each other. A small wooden stool is placed between them on a light-colored rug, while large floor-to-ceiling windows showcase an outdoor view of trees and greenery.

Philip’s DIY island getaway

Fripp Island, SC

Philip Bradford has made a second career of educating and inspiring more than one million followers to tackle their own home improvement projects on his popular @philip_or_flop Instagram. With an infectious enthusiasm, Philip has walked his followers through hundreds of project tutorials, including the covered TimberTech porch on his family home — and now the covered TimberTech porch on his new vacation home. “We didn’t consider using anything else,” said Philip. “We just decided…we’ve done TimberTech, we love TimberTech, we’re doing it again.”  

Meet Philip

“The nice thing about working with TimberTech vs. wood is that the boards are absolutely, perfectly straight. It makes installation super easy.”

– Philip 


As a university professor, Philip is gifted with a natural teaching ability that’s easy to see in his DIY tutorials. And with a material science background in composites and polymers, it’s clear why he chose TimberTech for his family’s outdoor spaces.  

Philip Bradford in his island getaway.

A welcoming front porch with a large wooden door, a "WELCOME" doormat, two chairs, a small table, and hanging plants. The dusty gray Coastline decking is from TimberTech's Porch Collection.
Philip loved the color of his first TimberTech porch so much — Coastline from our Porch Collection — he picked it again for the new porch. “It’s a beautiful color,” said Philip, “and a good backdrop for a lot of different styles. It allows you to pick furniture that doesn’t compete.” 
Detail close-up of the Coastline decking from the Porch Collection.
After looking at a variety of composite brands for his first porch project, Philip was impressed by the real wood beauty of TimberTech Advanced PVC. “It definitely is the most realistic — I love that it has the tight grain look of hardwoods.”  
A front porch featuring a doormat, two wicker chairs with cushions, a potted plant, hanging plants, and a house number "353" plaque. The porch has white siding and overlooks a natural landscape.
Even with his composite expertise, Philip considered using exotic hardwoods. “I contemplated using ipe,” he said, “but it’s more expensive and you still have all the maintenance. I haven’t even power washed my TimberTech yet and it looks great.”
The long-lasting beauty and low-maintenance care of TimberTech is especially important for Philip’s new home. “This is a vacation home and we don’t want to do maintenance every time we come visit,” said Philip. “I know TimberTech is gonna look nice over time.” 
A sunlit, screened porch with large windows, featuring two wicker sofas with white cushions facing each other over a light carpet. The gray Coastline decking is elegantly done in TimberTech Porch Collection decking. In the center, there are two round warm brown wooden tables.
Having a background in polymer materials means Philip knows that working with a composite like TimberTech is head and shoulders above working with wood — especially so near the water. “With moisture, wood is going to break down over time; PVC has no moisture absorption,” said Philip. “That’s why TimberTech was so attractive to me.” 
Boards from a Decking Sample Kit

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See Philip’s decking up close and explore other color options.  

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