PUBLISHED FRI, SEP 3 20218:00 AM EDT
Robert Ferris @IN/ROBERT-FERRIS-A482061/@ROBERTOFERRIS
Original Article Here: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/03/consumers-increasingly-opting-for-fake-wood-decks.html
Companies that make wood alternative decking materials have boosted sales and grabbed market share, fueled in part by rising lumber prices, and a home improvement boom.
Names such as Trex and Azek make decking materials that typically mimic the look of wood, but last a lot longer, retain their original appearance better and require little maintenance in general.
The trouble for many consumers is that these products have typically been about twice the cost of lumber or more. But skyrocketing lumber prices have led many customers to take a second look at synthetics.
Right now, synthetic producers have about 20% share of the decking market, with lumber making up the balance. Executives at Azek and Trex say they think there is room to grow, even beyond the extraordinary circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.