Potential Impact of COVID-19 on Composite Decking Market

Composite decking continues to gain industry momentum, as outdoor living projects remain a high priority for homeowners when considering renovation projects. Composite decking is widely used for its special features as opposed to natural wood decking products. Growth in demand for low maintenance building projects is expected to drive the composite decking market over the forecast period. The wide availability of new and innovative products has been one of the market drivers for the composite decking market. Recovery of the residential housing market in North America has fuelled growth of the global composite decking market.

The major element influencing the composite decking market are replacement of old-fashioned decking materials with uncapped and capped composite decking products. These products have some superior properties such as resistance to color fading, rotting, mold and decay growth formation.

Uncapped composite decking is costlier compared to capped composite decking and accounts for low cost in the long run. Capped composite decking is basically plastic composites which have a resin protected layer that is attached with the help of the wooden core. The resin protected layer restricts mold growth creation, splintering, and rotting.

The composite decking market is segmented by three types- by application, by type, and by resin type. On the basis of type, the composite decking market is segmented by capped composites and uncapped composites.

Uncapped composite decking is expected to be the dominant segment owing to the low maintenance cost and increasing popularity among consumers. On the basis of resin type, the composite decking market is segregated by polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and other related types of resin-based composite decking.

 Polypropylene resin is resilient to thermal expansion and contraction, and can also preserve the structural integrity as well as long stability of decking. Polypropylene has improved creep resistance and is less greasy. Besides, as polypropylene resin is firmer compared to other resins, longer decking panels can be manufactured using polypropylene resin. Owing to these reasons, polyethylene is a dominant segment and it is expected to remain so over the estimated period. On the basis of application, the composite decking market is segmented by residential and non-residential. The non-residential composite decking market is expected to be the dominant segment. The non-residential application of composite decking includes marinas, docks, commercial establishments, public boardwalks, patios, and flooring.