Review of Barrette Outdoor Living Composite Decking

Evaluation of Barrette Outdoor Living Composite Decking

Gone are the days when decks had to be made from wood. And you had to sand and stain your deck every few years. Now there are many low-maintenance decking options. Barrette Outdoor Living is one particular brand offering a wide variety of composite decking materials to help you design and build the deck you’ve always wanted.

Barrette Outdoor Living’s composite decking is made from quality PVC materials and designed to last longer than traditional wood. Their range of products closely mimics the look and feel of real wood without labour-intensive maintenance or installation. Its solar protective technology is both anti-slip and built to withstand heat and UV exposure.

In this review of Barrette Outdoor Living composite decking, we’ll explore their product line, rate the quality of their design and materials, and discuss whether their products are worth your time and money. So, without further ado, let’s dive into Barrette Outdoor Living’s range of products.

What to Consider Before Buying Composite Decking

A new deck is a major investment and not something you should walk into lightly. Take time to evaluate the materials you want to use, and which brands offer the best quality. Without an eye for detail, you could end up spending thousands of dollars on an inferior deck. Therefore, consider the following factors as you consider buying a new composite deck.

Colour and Appearance

Many homeowners have a general misconception that PVC and composite decking will look plastic and fake. This doesn’t have to be the case. Investing in a quality product will help to meet your aesthetic and stylistic needs. Many brandsOpens in a new tab., such as Barrette Outdoor Living, offer composite decking materials that closely imitate natural hardwood in both looks and feel.

Traction

Whether you use wood or a composite material, your deck can get slippery when wet. It’s important to find a material that provides enough traction to keep you safe when you walk outside after a storm. Many composite materials are built with added texture to give you more under-foot traction. Be sure to check the traction rating before buying to guarantee your and your family’s safety.

Price

Your budget will most likely dictate which materials you use to build a new deck. Although composite decking is often more expensive than wood, you’ll save more in the long run by avoiding costly maintenance fees.

On the other hand, wood is slightly cheaper but prone to mould, termites, and warping. This is why composite decking is often worth the additional cost.  

Durability

The amount you will need to spend for a new deck makes durability important. You don’t want ot invest in something that’ll need to be replaced in just a few years. Most composite decks will last a minimum of 25 years, but many have an even longer warranty. Ensuring your composite deck will grant you years of outdoor activities and family fun.

All that being said lets focus in on Barrette Outdoor Living, first as a company and then review the decking they offer.

Who is Barrette Outdoor Living?

Barrette Outdoor Decking is a manufacturer of high-quality outdoor building materials, including decking, railing and fencing, pergolas, and lawn and garden accents. They were originally founded in 1978 and have since expanded their market to include both online and brick-and-mortar retail fronts. Today, they are an industry-leading manufacturer known for their dedication to customer satisfaction.

Barrette Outdoor Living mission statement is

“. . .Strive to be the best in product design and innovation, inspired by those who work with and for us to create superior outdoor living solutions both professionals and homeowners demand.”

A lofty goal which will be interesting to see if they live up to it.

Their dedication to a superior design is reflected by their comprehensive warranties on all their products and greet any complaint with a warm and responsive customer support team.

Composite Decking Collections Available from Barrette Outdoor Living

Barrette Outdoor Living currently offers three distinct composite decking collectionsOpens in a new tab.. Explore them all and discover which line matches your style and aesthetic.

Hardwoods Collection

  • Brazilian Cherry
  • Garapa Grey
  • Golden Teak
  • Tropical Walnut

The Hardwoods Collection is Barrette Outdoor Living’s line of premium decking materials built to naturally replicate the look of hardwood. No matter which colour you choose, you’ll enjoy the rich and deep tones of natural wood, paired with the durability and environmentally conscious composite decking.

Landscapes Collection

  • Coastal Gray
  • Mahogany
  • Mocha
  • Pebble
  • Slate

The Landscapes Collection is Barrette Outdoor Living’s line of earth-toned composite materials, designed to complement the natural beauty of an outdoor environment. They are easy to install and come in three available profiles to fit your construction needs.

InstaDeck Outdoor Flooring Collection

  • Black

The InstaDeck Outdoor Flooring Collection is a unique line of outdoor flooring offered for a limited time only. Unlike a conventional deck, the InstaDeck Outdoor Flooring collection transforms your patio or yard into a ground-level deck. It uses a patented locking foundation, allowing you to quickly and easily create an outdoor floor in just a few hours.

Barrette Outdoor Living Composite Decking Dimensions

The Hardwoods and Landscapes Collections include scalloped and solid boards. Along with grooved boards for hidden fasteners and square boards for the outer edge of the deckOpens in a new tab..

Decking Dimensions0.9”  x 5.5”
Board Profile OptionsScalloped and Square
Available board lengths12’, 16’ and 20’

This is similar to Trex Transcend and Enhance decking for reference but is just slightly thinner.

Features and Benefits of Barrette Outdoor Living Decking

There’s a lot to like about Barrette Outdoor Living’s composite decking. In this next section, we’ll take a closer look at the features and benefits that make this brand stand out.

The Core Material of Barrete Decking

Barrette Outdoor Living composite decks are a blend of Poly-Pro Advantage polypropylene (PP) and hardwood composite materials. This material is made from certified recycled plastics, although it’s unclear what percentage is recycled.

It is designed to be cooler, reducing heat by 18% compared with other brands. MoistureShieldOpens in a new tab. and Azek from TimberTechOpens in a new tab. also have similar cooling claims.

Decking Cap of Barrete Decking

Each profile has its own capping specifications. Find the differences below:

  • Siesta – Capped on three sides using PP cap stock
  • MBP – Capped on three sides using PP cap stock
  • Dock Boards – Capped on four sides using PP cap stock

These caps help insulate and protect your boards from water damage and infestation.

Fiberon and Timbertech are similar in making both entirely capped decking boards but also selling boards with an uncapped bottom.

Traction Ratings of Barrete Decking

Barrette Outdoor Living composite boards are thoroughly tested and vetted under wet and dry conditions. The results of these tests show that the decking material is safe and provides substantial traction. Check out their resultsOpens in a new tab. below. A rating above 0.5 indicates that a surface is safe when wet:

  • Composite Dock Decking – Static Friction Coefficient >0.59
  • Composite MVP Decking – Static Friction Coefficient >0.59
  • Composite Siesta Decking – Static Friction Coefficient >0.59

As you can see, all of Barrette Outdoor Living’s boards rate above the industry benchmark required by safety code. But when compared to other deck boards for traction, it is in the middle for slip resistanceOpens in a new tab..   

Cost and Buying Barrette Decking

As far as price goes, Barrette Outdoor Living falls into the mid-range tier for cost of composite decking.Opens in a new tab. Expect to pay similar to Trex Transcend or Deckoraotors’ wood base composite to name a few in that range.

According to their official webpage, Barrette Outdoor Living retails through third-party vendors, including the Home Depot and Lowes. However, it is not a stock item in most locations but will need to be ordered in. Which of course, impacts pricing and availability.

Barrette Outdoor Living has a retailer search functionOpens in a new tab. that can help you find and contact a local store to find the exact price and availability.  

Durability Based on Warranty of Barrette Outdoor Living

Barrette Outdoor Living heavily leans into the durability of its products, advertising greater UV protection and longevity. They are also more resistant to water and termite damage. All Barrette Outdoor Living composite materials are rated to last at least 25 years and are guaranteed by a limited 25-year warrantyOpens in a new tab..

Twenty-five-year warranties are standard for synthetic decking. So, here Barrette doesn’t excel but still know that you have many years of decking protection.

If you are looking for a more extended composite warranty, consider brands like Fiberon or MoistureShield. Both sell composite decking with 50-year warranties.

TimberTech’s Pro Collection has a 30-year warranty, but between you and me for warranties, 5 more years will not make much of a difference in the durability of the decking.

Barrattes warranty covers:

  • Performance – Splinters, defects, structural damage, termite damage
  • Stains – Common household stains, including wine, soda, coffee, fruit punch, sauces, and other consumables
  • Fade – Fading resulting from <5 Delta E UV radiation
  • Labour – Replacement labour for properly installed decks within the first two years of use

Their warranty does not cover natural disasters, damage resulting from improper installation, standard colour deviations, labour costs past the first two years of use, or stains caused by abrasive or caustic materials. They also advise customers not to expose the decking to temperatures above 250 degrees F.

Conclusion in Reviewing Barrette Outdoor Living Composite Decking

With a unique appearance, Barrette composite decking is a good decking to consider for the design feature of your deck. It is a premium-quality composite decking with a promise of not being as hot in the sun and resisting UV damage.

With a comparable warranty to many other composite decking brandsOpens in a new tab., you can rest assured they have you covered.

One of the challenges of buying Barrette composite decking is, well, buying it. Unlike many of the other major brands, which are stocked by the major big box stores and almost every wood retailer Barrette is not. You will need to look around to find a store to buy them from and possibly be ready to wait for arrival.

But if you find a retailer, take some time to talk with them about Barrette composite decking. You have many years of deck enjoyment ahead of you. Pick the one you’ll love.