Whatts in store for decking in 20 15?

living products your builder and d-i-y customers will be demandins come spring and summer.

Living large outdoors

Outdoor living is really taking off, with more people turning their backyards into vacation spots. They're increasingly using decks for entertaining, not just relaxing. That means more amenities like outdoor kitchens, bars and fireplaces.

The growing popularity of outdoor living also means that in many parts of the U.S., especially the west, decks are getting larger and more complex. Many now feature well-defined areas for cooking, eating and socializing, with handrails, level changes and colors setting offeach space. For dealers, this means opportunities to sell larger quantities of decking and railing, including multiple colors per job, to help accent various functional parts of the space.

LTow rHa,r ArtBnIceNs' spending

I \ power and willingness to invest in home improvements is on the rise, dealers can anticipate greater demand for outdoor living products like deck- ing in 2015. The winter months are an ideal time to explore the design and product trends that will be popular with homeowners, so you'll be prepared to offer the decking and outdoor

In the Northeast, where many homeowners are still rebuilding from Superstorm Sandy, replacement decks tend to be smaller and more utilitarian to accommodate for smaller yard spaces and over-extended remodeling budgets. The demand for decking and railing is robust given the sheer volume of decks being replaced, so dealers in the Northeast should be prepared for strong decking orders to continue. Both small and high-end decks present an opportunity to sell complementary, functional items such as grills, shade systems, and outdoor seatins.

Deck design trends

In nrany'parts of thc Lj.S.. clcck designs are rlor,ing touarcls a lnorc rnodcrrr look. Custont dccks incrcasingly lcaturc acccssurics likc conrplcnrcntary colorcd handrails (u'hitc ancl black arc urou'ing in popularitl,). alternative railings (such as rope and elass), and captii,atin-u Ii-ehting to illuminate the dcck and create r,isual intcrest. More manufacturers are offeri n_u li-ehts e.rc|-rsivel v des i gned fbr decks, rvith lou' r'oltage outputs. expandin_u design possibrlities.

For deck boards and rails. exotic colors are trcndin-e. although brou'ns and gravs continue to bc far,ored. as well. Dccking ntanufacturcrs havc rcsponded vu ith ncr.'n colors that clcalers can use to fulf ill the se hontcowncr prcf'crcnces.

For cxarnple . in lccent r.nonths

MoisturcShiclcl has adclccl to its color palcttc Blazilian Chcstnut (a \\'arnt. golclcn brown u ith rich bruncttc strcaks) arrcl Britllc (a liclr bnrr.'u,n ri'ith a huc similar to l'inc le athcr).

Desire for durability

C)ne outconte o1' thc Grcat

Rcccssion is rnaltt' I.torncou'ners aLe looking for home intpro\ entents tc) delivcr lastin-r "'alue and be rnore than a short-term anleuit),. For decking. this means a growing interest in prod- ucts that will holcl Lrp wcll lt() llattcr what ltalufc thror,i,s at thcrn. l'r'ont halsh sunlight ancl hcai'v snowl'ull to soaking rains. ln addition to lirvoling proclucts with long-tcrnr clnrabiIitr'. h()ntc()wn('l\ ttlso utrrtt to t11i|l1',t rthe tinrc rccprirccl to rnaintain thcir homc improvcments.

A rcsult of thcsc two honertr','ncr desires is increasecl demand fbr contposite and plastic clccking. u'hich is torecast to grow nearly l0% pcr ve'11' through 20 18, accordin-e to a recent Frecdonia murkct studl

For many horneowners. the ultimate dcciding factor when choosing decking proclucts is still hou cood the boalcls look. The rcsult is grorving interest in cxotic harclwoocls likc ipi. ancl contpositcs that replicate the look o1'hrgh-cnd woods. A decking's reputation lbr reliability and clLrrabilitv is still vcry important. thoLrgh. so clcalcrs stand thc bcst cltancc for salcs succcss whcn ol'lcr-ing ltroducts that arc both clurablc rLrrcl beautil'r-rl.

Brt'ttl Cjtttttttr'r lr rr'llrrl lir'r /rl, 'i tlcrtt o.l sulc:; c( tnurkatirt,q .frtr Mtti.sttrraSltitII t rtttt1to.siIc dtL kitt,q. urttl Itu.s rrtrtrc tlrun -10 t'aar.s of c.rpcriartct'itt s I rr. G ty o t ttt't' zr1.r, .s(r'r,t,s ort tltc lxturd o.f North Anrcricun Deck & RaiIing As.sociutiort. Cottttttt ltint at bgv'ulner@ uert .com

By Mark Brennan, U.S. Lumber, and Committee Member, North American