Lumberock Frequently Asked Questions

Lumberock® is a solid material made from the combination of HDPE plastic and a non-organic mineral fill. The mineral additive increases the strength of our boards and decreases the expansion and contraction common to all plastic lumber. It also protects against mildew, rot, mold, and insect infestation, because there are no organic components on which these can feed or grow.

Lumberock® comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty that protects against cracking, splintering, peeling, and rotting. With proper care and a small amount of maintenance, a Lumberock® deck or dock will be the last one you’ll ever need to install.

Lumberock® is engineered to be maintenance-free, aside from the occasional cleaning. You never have to stain, seal, sand, or spray for insects. For a deep clean, use a power washer.

Yes. Plastic inherently expands and contracts with changes in temperature, but the mineral fill used in our boards reduces the amount of thermal expansion that occurs. Lumberock® expands and contracts on the butt ends of the boards and requires a small gap between board ends to accommodate this. The width of the board is not affected by thermal expansion. See our installation guides for gapping guidelines.

Everything fades in direct sunlight, but Lumberock® fades so slightly you will probably never notice any color change. Our UV color protector ensures this.

The closed molecular formula used to create Lumberock® contains no organic or fibrous materials. Because of this, mold and mildew cannot penetrate the board and have no source of nutrition. Mold and mildew may adhere to dust or dirt on the surface of the board, but a quick cleaning with a pressure washer removes all dirt, grime, mold, and mildew instantly.

No. Lumberock® is a hard, non-porous material with no organic fills on which insects can feed.

No. Lumberock® Marine Grade Decking will never splinter, crack, or peel. See our Limited Lifetime Warranty.

No. The warranty becomes void if Lumberock® comes in contact with petroleum-based products. Safety standards and most building codes require that an alternative material be used in these areas. Refer to your local building codes for guidelines.

Although we make every effort to keep our colors consistently matched from run to run, slight color variations may occur due to the plastic raw materials available at the time of the run.

No. Stains and paint will not penetrate or adhere to the surface of our boards and will flake or peel if applied. Lumberock® is a virtually maintenance-free material that does not require the cost or labor of sanding or staining.

The non-porous mineral plastic composite material will not allow stains to adhere to Lumberock® Marine Grade Decking. Spills like grease, ketchup, sun tan oil, and ground dirt are easily cleaned with standard household cleaners or standard deck cleaners.

Lumberock®’s hard, durable surface prevents scratches, and because we use consistent coloring throughout the boards, the appearance of scratches is minimized even further. A light application of heat with a heat gun or propane torch will eliminate minor scratches that may appear.

Lumberock® is not to be used for off-the-ground deck framing, but it can be used as a base on a flat surface such as a cement patio.

No special tools are required to install Lumberock®. You can cut, drill, and router the boards using the same carpentry tools you would use when working with wood.

Lumberock® should be fastened to the deck frame using standard fastening systems, stainless steel screws, or counter-snap screws. See our installation guides for fastening details and recommendations.

No pre-drilling is necessary during installation. Lumberock® will not mushroom or pigtail around screw heads, and drilling will not distort the surface of the boards.

For 5/4×6 boards, we recommend 16″ on-center joists for residential projects and 12″ on-center for commercial or angled projects. For 2×6 boards, we recommend 24″ on-center for residential projects and 16″ on-center for commercial or angled projects.