Advantages
Fire Resistance
LumberCon won’t burn, period. Concrete is one of the best materials in the world for resisting fire. It is rated as a Class A non-combustible material.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Limited |
Strength for Span
Our planks only need a joist for support every 6’. Other deck materials need support every 1’ or 18”. That means that you will spend less material and labor to build the support for the deck planks.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best | Good | Better | Fair | Better | Better | Better |
Cost per Sq FT
This is important to know because some planks come in different widths. LumberCon comes in 8” and 12” widths.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12-14 | $4.75 | ??? | $7 - $13 | $15 - $20 | $6 | $14 - $20 |
Cool to Touch on a 90°F Day
Synthetic decks can get very hot and burn your feet. In some cases, we saw synthetic deck planks heat up to almost 120 degrees on a sunny day. LumberCon absorbs heat so that it takes a significant length of time to heat up.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | N/A | No | Yes | No | No |
Stable Pricing
Most decking is made of wood or plastic, which have price fluctuations. LumberCon is made of concrete which does not under-go significant price fluctuations.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | Limited | Limited | Limited | Yes |
Splinter Free
Wood has splinters. Concrete does not.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Possible |
Freeze Thaw
Some products expand and contract significantly with changes in temperature. LumberCon has been tested in extreme cold and performed well under freeze-thaw conditions. It also has been used as a boat ramp, with planks underwater most of the time. Wood planks used to be replaced every 3-4 years. The LumberCon planks have been in place since 2014.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Possible |
Delaminate / Rot
Wood rots and decays from moisture and contact with termites and other wood boring insects. Laminated products fall apart when the glue that holds it together deteriorates. LumberCon resists this kind of decay. Bugs don’t eat concrete.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Possible | Possible | Possible | No | No | No |
Termites / Bugs
Wood rots and decays from moisture and contact with termites and other wood boring insects. Laminated products fall apart when the glue that holds it together deteriorates. LumberCon resists this kind of decay. Bugs don’t eat concrete.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Possible | Yes | No | No | No | Possible |
Warp Flexibility
The steel prestressed reinforcement in LumberCon enables the plank to bend slightly when weight is applied to it, but it returns to a flat plane.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | No | Possible | Yes | No | No | No |
Temperature Transmission
Concrete absorbs heat, so that the surface does not get much hotter than the surrounding temperature. Wood and plastic decking gets much hotter than the surrounding air temperature, especially when it is in the sun.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
Warranty - Residential / Commercial
Read about our warranty here.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 / 10 | No | Possible | 25 / 10 | ??? | ??? | No |
Span for Decking - Residential / Commercial
LumberCon spans much longer than any deck plank because of its superior strength. This means that it requires less joists for support and it can cantilever over the end of the deck. Since 75% of the cost of a new deck comes from the labor and material to build the under carriage of the deck, the under carriage of a LumberCon deck will be less expensive and labor intensive.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6' - 8' | 2' | ??? | 1.5' | ??? | ??? | 3' - 4' |
Sustainable Materials
Concrete is a mixture of sand, stone and cement. Concrete structures last much longer than other materials. When a concrete structure is demolished, it can be crushed into stone for roadways.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Bury in Ground, Ground Contact, Or Fresh Water Use
Some products expand and contract significantly with changes in temperature. LumberCon has been tested in extreme cold and performed well under freeze-thaw conditions. It also has been used as a boat ramp, with planks underwater most of the time. Wood planks used to be replaced every 3-4 years. The LumberCon planks have been in place since 2014.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
LumberCon as a boat ramp on the Chesapeake. This ramp used to be made of wood and replaced every 3-4 years. The LumberCon planks have been there for 8 years .
Colors Can Be Applied or Are Available
LumberCon has three standard finishes; plain gray, gray woodgrain, and natural sandblast. The planks can be stained any color with a concrete stain. We recommend that a sealer be applied after it is stained to protect the color. See this page for some examples with Sherwin Williams Concrete Stain.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Available in Different Textures
LumberCon has three standard finishes; plain gray, gray woodgrain, and natural sandblast. The planks can be stained any color with a concrete stain. We recommend that a sealer be applied after it is stained to protect the color. See this page for some examples with Sherwin Williams Concrete Stain.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Limited | No |
DIY - Tools
LumberCon planks can we cut using a circular saw with a masonry blade. We do not recommend hammering nails into a LumberCon plank, but the plank can easily be drilled using a masonry bit.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Yes |
Life Cycle Maintenance
LumberCon does not require much maintenance. If the planks get dirty over time, they can be power washed or cleaned with a light detergent.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Chemical Effects
There is zero chemical leaching from LumberCon planks, unlike other chemically treated products.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Maybe |
Available Custom Lengths
The standard length for LumberCon is 12’. Shorter lengths can be ordered for an upcharge. Longer lengths can be ordered, but there is a minimum quantity required in addition to the upcharge.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | Limited | Limited | Limited |
Made in USA
100% of LumberCon is made in the USA.
| LumberCon | PT-Lumber | Engineered Wood | Trex-Composites | Aluminum | 2" Steel | IPE Lum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |