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Patented Formula
Due to its industry leading, patented formula, GeoDeck is scientifically superior to other composite decking products. GeoDeck composite decking is made from microbial-resistant rice hulls; reclaimed paper by-product; prime virgin polymer; heavy loadings of antioxidants, color pigments, and stabilizers; and other high-quality materials to create a product with:
- Superior Color Retention
- Reduced Water Absorption
- Resistance to Mold, Mildew & Decay
- Prevention Against Degradation
- Increased Mechanical Performance
- Greater Environmental Responsibility
Even though the basic materials in GeoDeck are more expensive, we are able to maintain competitive pricing without sacrificing quality due to GeoDeck’s engineered I-Beam hollow profile design. The I-Beam design weighs less per foot than solid composite products and requires less materials per foot.
For traditional solid composite decking products to use the same high loadings of additives and extenders as found in GeoDeck, their customer prices would be significant higher. As a result, they sometimes use the bare minimum amount of pigments and stabilizers, as well as lower grades of polymer in order to be price competitive.
Superior Color Retention
Instead of wood residue, Green Bay Decking uses reclaimed paper by-product in its patented GeoDeck formula to produce superior color retention and fade resistance. Natural wood contains lignin, a chemical which creates color fading when exposed to sunlight. GeoDeck contains significantly less lignin than other composites which use wood as their reinforcing material.
In accelerated weather tests designed to simulate 2,000 hours of outdoor sun exposure, GeoDeck had less of a color change than our competitors. In fact, some composite decking faded at a rate comparable to wood decking.
Reduced Water Absorption
Unlike most other composite products, GeoDeck’s patented formula contains no wood fillers. Instead, GeoDeck includes rapidly-renewable rice hulls, which is naturally more resistant to internal microbial activity and water absorption than wood and wood by-products.
The presence of water in composite material decreases mechanical properties and durability, including performance during freeze/thaw cycling, dimensional stability, and warping. In addition, the higher the water content the higher the risk of internal decay due to microbiological activity. Sensitivity to water depends on the material formulation.
GeoDeck outperformed other leading extruded polyethylene composites in independent water absorption rate testing conducted in 2009 by the University of Maine Advanced Structures & Composites Center.
Resistant to Mold, Mildew & Decay
The GeoDeck formula includes rice hulls to increase resistance to mold, mildew, decay, and various fungi. Rice hulls are unique because they contain significant amounts of microbial-resistant silica, which is the rice plant’s natural defense mechanism against bugs.
A rice hull is the outer husk of a naturally grown rice kernel. Hulls are removed in a mechanical process and are often incinerated, sent to a land fill, or used in animal bedding. Green Bay Decking reclaims rice hulls from disposal and repurposes it for GeoDeck. Unlike wood, rice and rice hulls are a rapidly-renewable resource and environmentally sustainable.
Preventative Measures Against Degradation
The GeoDeck formula includes a powerful antioxidant additive to prevent degradation. Since 2003, the amount of antioxidant in GeoDeck composite decking boards has been more than tripled. As a result, GeoDeck does not degrade prematurely, thus saving maintenance, money, and time.
Increased Mechanical Performance
Green Bay Decking uses reclaimed paper by-product in its patented GeoDeck formula to increase mechanical performance, stiffness, and surface hardness, which mitigates scratching. Paper by-product includes components such as cellulose, kaolin clay, and calcium carbonate, which act as stiffeners.
During the paper-making process, the wet paper, or pulp, rests on a large screen to dry. Any pulp which falls through the screen becomes paper by-product and is often incinerated or sent to a land fill. Green Bay Decking reclaims pulp from disposal and repurposes it for GeoDeck.
Greater Environmental Responsibility
As compared to wood decking, all composite decking products are much more eco-friendly and sustainable. And as compared to other composite decking products, GeoDeck’s formula is also superior. GeoDeck has been used on green LEED-certified buildings and projects for commercial, residential, and marine use.
GeoDeck contains rice hulls, a rapidly-renewable resource made from the discarded outer husks of rice kernels, and discarded paper pulp, a by-product of the paper-making process. Both rice hulls and paper by-product would often otherwise be incinerated or sent to land fills.
