Veranda Armorguard

I am in the planning process of building my deck and came across this product at homedepot. It is new this year and I am wondering if anyone has tried it. It is a pvc wrapped composite decking board. It has a 20 yr warranty. Price is much cheaper than the full pvc boards. The 16' boards are $35. I didnt have much luck finding online reviews because it is so new. Anyone tried this stuff yet?
Thanks

 

Welcome to the forums.

I'd be leary about using a decking that is wrapped with something different than what the core is. I did that on a couple of decks using a 2X6 Bella Rosa, back when it was available, and I had issues with both decks. (And Bella Rosa was simply two different composites.)

You're talking a deck board that has a composite core and a PVC wrap. They are going to expand and contract at different rates when the temp. changes. Sounds like a perfect set up for failure to me!! (But then too, I'm a deck contractor, not a bean counter in a suit who's never got a scratch, cut or blister building a deck!!)

 

Thanks for your input. I am not familiar with Bella rossa. Could you explain what it is and what issues you had?

 

The original Bella Rosa was a composite 2X6. The inner core was some sort (one formula) of composite, and the outer skin (about 1/4" thick) was a different formula, or at least 2 materials that were made with a different pressure. Whatever they did, it looked good on paper, but it didn't work in the real world.

Veranda is making a board that's a composite core and a PVC wrap?? I understand the logic of their 'suits'. PVC is expensive. Composite is less expensive. Make the core composite and the skin PVC, and we'll save $$.

My guess is that it won't work.

I've installed hundreds of composite decks and hundres of cellular core PVC decks. The two materials are NOT compatible in one deck board like Veranda's 'suits' are thinking that they will be. I'm sure that those boys were trained by the finest, and that the boys have some pretty impressive initials after their names (and their trainers have an even longer list of initials after their names). But mixing pure PVC and composite in one deck board?? It's not gonna work!!

 

Every year there are new products that come out and many fail in the real world over time and never live up to their marketing and so called guarantees. The list is long on product failures, class action suits, and frustration on products that ended up costing alot of people alot of money. I can remember when PT lumber came out and it was suppose to be the next 25 year cedar. Alot didn't last 10. Wait 20 years first before deciding if this product is good or not. That's my advise as at least there are other products out there that have been proven out. Everytime I see something new that could cause a major future issue I get nervous. I often even wonder what the popular, lower cost PEX plumbing systems everyone is installing these days will end up performing like over time. In this example I would still go with copper and pay the difference because at least I would know what I am getting. What's peace of mind worth? I once had a malomine coated deck table that lasted 7 years before it blistered and I bought it believing what they told me about it lasting for 20 years.