Ensure the life of your deck with Trex® Protect™
With the summer drawing to a close, Brits will be bracing themselves for more wet weather following an already soggy summer. July 2023 was one of the UK’s wettest on record. With autumn and winter just around the corner, gardens across the UK will be facing more rainfall, frost and even perhaps snow over the coming months.
Persistent damp weather can spell trouble for traditional wooden decking. And, even though high-performance composite deck boards, like those from Trex®, are warrantied to last for 25 years or longer, what about the substructures underneath? If the posts and beams that support the deck are made of wood, they are likely to deteriorate long before the decking warranty elapses. In fact, builders have reported that wooden deck foundations can show signs of splitting or decay after just eight years.
Trex® Protect™ Joist and Beam Tape offers a simple and cost-effective solution. Designed specifically for use with decking substructures, and available in a variety of sizes for use on joists, beams, rims and ledger boards, this self-adhesive butyl tape shields wooden joinery from moisture that can lead to rot and wood decay. Trex Protect also seals deck fasteners and helps deck screws to hold longer and stronger by preventing moisture penetration and defending against splitting that can result from seasonal freezing and thawing.
Trex Protect is easy to use and works on both horizontal and vertical surfaces. It applies as a ‘cap’ to the tops of joists and beams, allowing wood to breathe. The butyl-based adhesive also won’t bleed, dry out as quickly, or curl up and hold water like many asphalt-based tapes.
Adding to its appeal, Trex Protect is warrantied for a period of 25 years, ensuring that the substructures it protects perform as long as the decking it supports – even in the UK’s unpredictable and often inclement weather. For more information, visit TrexProtect.com/uk.