Trex gets a bad rep...

Hate to inform all of you, but Trex gets a bad rep for mold and mildew....I work in the decking industry and I have a background in biological sciences..... ALL composite decking boards contain wood fibers (unless you buy a completely PVC product).

Wood comes from trees - a natural, living substance. Because it is living, biological spores, such as mold and or mildew, will feed on it. It's nature. The black spots are not actually mold, they are the roots of dead mold that once was thriving in its natural environment - outside. The black residue on your feet is not mold - its dirt! A deck is a horizontal service that is exposed to all elements of nature - moisture, dirt, pollen, heat, wind, and microscopic spores that exists in the outside world - all these factors rest on the surface of the deck.

If you left your car outside for a year and didn't take care of it, it would probably look worse than your deck...so what do you do? You take it to the car wash and clean it. Why is it so impossible to understand that anything left outdoors will get dirty and be exposed to elements of nature? Trex (or any other company) do not say "no maintenance"; they all say "LOW maintenance". And, it is so easy to care for - just apply a cleaner (like Corte-Clean, which is environmentally friendly), some water from your garden hose, let it sit wet for a few minutes, and hose it off...what's the big deal?

Why get so disgusted and annoyed at something that you could be enjoying right now if you would stop your complaining, get off your butts, and either clean it or hire someone to do it for you. If you didn't know that Trex or any other composite decking company, like Evergrain or Fiberon or Timbertech, would get dirty and - omg - be exposed to mold and/or mildew (mildew, btw, is a whitish film on your deck, like what would be left over in your shower if you didn't clean it), then that's your problem that you didn't check it out before purchasing it, or asking your contractor to give you information on the products you purchased!

It's time to get real and stop pointing fingers at manufacturers or suppliers (or contractors!) for your laziness or expectations that are not justified nor practical. We don't live in a sterile environment with everything coated with Purell. Be glad that the composite deck you have doesn't warp, twist, crack, or split - or give your kids splinters - nor does it contain arsenic or copper metal preservatives in pressure treated wood decking. It could be worse. So go enjoy your deck! It's just a little dirt - it won't kill you.