Your Trex decking looks great but will your favourite rocking chair scratch it?
After spending a fortune on low-maintenance decking, the last thing you want is for it to be scratched or damaged. You don’t want your beautiful decking to be ruined, nor do you want to look at ugly scratches or marks.
But knowing what will and won’t damage your decking can be tricky. Will the rocking chair that’s been in your family for generations be an issue, or will your new HDPE furniture wreak havoc on your decking?
Quick answer.
Furniture with sharp edges or constant repetitive motion, like rockers on a rocking chair, can damage composite decking. But there are ways to minimize decking damage from rocking chairs. An area rug under the rocking chair or velcro strip will minimize damage.
To allow you to enjoy the calming rocking on your deck without the blood-boling anger when you see your expensive decking damaged.
It may not be Trex but another composite decking that you are hoping to relax on with your rocking chair. We will talk specifically about Trex but there are many other composite decking that will be impacted similarly by a rocking chair.
Or any chair leg on a composite deck.
What Is Trex Decking?
Before talking about potential damage. What is Trex decking
?
Trex decking is composite decking made with recycled plastic and sawdust.
A common mixture of many composite deck boards is 50/50. Half recycled plastic and half sawdust.
There are other material mixtures used for other brands of composite decking. But Trex’s wood plastic composite is the most common.
Trex decking lasts longer than most wood decking with less maintenance. A benefit of all of the good composite decking.
Less work more rocking and relaxing.
Composite decking is also termite resistant, rot resistant, and won’t warp or splinter.
Compared to all the problems decking usually causes, Trex decking will provide you with peace of mind. You can install it and use it for years to come worry-free!
Trex decking also doesn’t need to be painted or stained, making it a fantastic low-maintenance decking for you to install.
Trex decking tends to be 45% heavier than pressure-treated decking, but this extra weight doesn’t translate into more resistance to damage.
Trex decking has 3 different lines of decking. All are warranted to not rot for 25 years but the durability of the cap does vary by line. The surface of the decking that can be damaged by furniture.
My experience working with Trex decking. The most durable cap is of course their most expensive and BEST line Transcend. The more budget-friendly Trex Enhance line though durable will more readily scratch.
Now that we have briefly established what Trex decking is, let’s move on to see if a rocking chair can scratch it and answer all your other decking-related questions today!
Will A Rocking Chair Scratch Trex Decking?
Well, that depends. Let me explain.
There are a number of things that will increase the chances of damaging the decking and also ways to reduce this risk.
Trex is very durable but it is not scratch resistant.
Something I have noticed when comparing composite decking warranties. Quality composite is warranted against damage from many things, but scratching is not one of them.
How much your decking will be damaged by a rocking chair depends on a number of factors.
The Weight Of Your Rocking Chair
If your rocking chair is quite heavy and is dragged around or moves on the decking often, this could damage your decking.
This is a bad thing about HDPE rocking chairs like Polywood. They are heavy increasing the chance of damage.
Heavy furniture that is dragged can scratch or mark your decking, damaging it and leaving you with some ugly decking to look at!
The likelihood of your Trex decking being scratched by your rocking chair increases if the chair is heavy and is dragged around constantly.
Even if the chair is left in one place, the rocking motion could cause scratches, especially if the chair is rocked for long periods every day.
If your rocking chair does scratch your Trex decking because it is rocked constantly, the feet or bar at the bottom of the chair will likely cover the scratches, and if you don’t move the chair, you probably won’t see them.
However, if the chair isn’t rocked that often and isn’t dragged along the decking, the chances are it won’t scratch it!
How Sharp The Rocker Edges Are
If your rocking chair has any sharp edges that come into contact with your decking, then they could scratch the Trex decking.
A sharp splinter or pointed edge of the bottom part of your rocking chair that allows the chair to move. Every time you rock the chair, that sharp edge is going to drag along your decking. This sharp edge rocking back and forth will cut a line into the decking cap. Not pretty at all.
Even if you only rock it a few times, there is a good chance this sharp piece could scratch your beautiful Trex decking! Before using your rocking chair on the decking, inspect it carefully.
If there are any sharp, jagged, or pointed edges, they could scratch the decking. Make sure you do not place the rocking chair on the decking until you have smoothed the edges.
Nails Or Staples In The Chair
If your rocking chair has any nails or staples sticking out of its rocker, these could damage your Trex decking! Just like the sharp edges we mentioned earlier, the ends of nails and staples can wreak havoc on your decking.
Not as common but a small rock sitting in the rocker path will be pushed into the decking by a constant rocking motion.
Flip your rocking chair over and check before setting out on your deck. Look for small staples used for packaging or even fasteners holding the wood rocker together.
Sure, these nails or staples aren’t harming the rocking chair, they are probably keeping it all in one place, but what happens when you rock the chair on your lovely new Trex decking? The chances are over time, the sharp edges of these staples and nails will scratch your decking.
A quick sweep of the decking before setting up the chair will also reduce the chances of small rocks under the rocker.
While the rocking chair is in one place, you might not notice it. But when you move the chair to clean the decking or re-arrange it, you could be shocked by what you find.
There could be deep scratches in your decking that have damaged it permanently! Not what you want after you have just spent a fortune on your expensive Trex decking.
As you can see, there are a few different ways your rocking chair could scratch your decking.
If you use your rocking chair constantly and it has a sharp or jagged bottom, then the continuous use could cause scratches that will impact the appearance of your Trex decking, even wearing the surface away exposing the composite board!
But if you aren’t constantly using your rocking chair, and its bottom is smooth, then your Trex decking should stay scratch-free!
What Can Damage My Trex Decking?
As we have seen, there are a few ways your Trex decking can be damaged by your rocking chair, but what else could your decking get damaged?
Well, there are a few ways that your decking can get damaged! We have a list below for you to check out highlighting the most common ways Trex decking gets damaged.
- Heavy furniture being dragged across the decking regularly
- Sharp edges or nails being dragged across the decking
- Small pebbles stuck in shoe’s soles
- Removing snow and ice with sharp shovels or tools (a real no, no)
- Static electricity handling, especially during the winter
- Abrasive cleaners
Potential damages are pretty varied, but thankfully these can all be minimized if you care for and maintain your Trex decking correctly.
When you purchase the decking or have it installed, make sure you ask about, how best to care for your Trex decking.
Care and maintenance, of your Trex decking will include cleaning it properly and regularly. Fortunately this is all the maintenance required with composite decking.
Now that we have covered a few things that can damage your Trex decking, let’s look at how we can avoid it happening!
How Can I Stop My Trex Decking From Getting Scratched?
There are a few ways you can stop your Trex decking from getting scratched. Let’s take a look at your options now to help you find the best option for you.
You might want to use one of these methods, or you can implement a few to increase your chances of scratch-free decking! Whichever you choose, make sure that the method suits not only your decking but your budget too.
Let’s get into it and take a look at your options!
Install Pads under the Rocker
You can make your existing furniture Trex decking-friendly by adding felt bottoms to the bottom of the furniture.
By doing this, you are providing a smooth surface for the decking to come into contact with. These surfaces don’t tend to cause scratches and won’t damage the decking when you move the furniture.
Typically, these bottoms are added to metal furniture, but you can add them to any furniture you have on your decking.
Be careful with furniture pads is rubber. Trex, Fiberon and most of the good brands of composite decking warn that rubber will react with the composite damaging it.
You can adhere the bottoms yourself with glue or other adhesives. Make sure that there is no sharp end sticking out the bottom of your furniture! If your Rocking chair is made from PolyLumber (HDPE) check that the adhesive does not react with the material.
A better idea than felt furniture pads which will often not last outdoors. Requiring you to replace them after every rain.
A product that works better than felt outdoors is Velcro. I heard this from Danny Lipford at Today’s Homeowner. Adhere the soft side of the Velcro to the underside of the rocker. Cushioning the decking from the constant rocking motion.
You can add these bottoms to your rocking chair and they should still rock as normal too. Just be sure to test it out, after all, what use is a rocking chair if it doesn’t rock?
Area Rug Under Your Rocking Chair
Setting an outdoor area rug under the rocking chair will help to protect the decking. While adding class to the deck.
This doesn’t have to be a large deck rug but a small 3×4 will nicely fit under the rocking chair.
Protecting the composite decking while allowing you to enjoy the beauty of your decking.
The added soft material will minimize the rubbing of the chair.
To learn more about rugs on composite decking, click the link.
Don’t Drag Your Furniture
Avoid dragging your furniture on your decking, even if you have added soft bottoms to them! The dragging motion can scratch your Trex decking and it could damage your furniture too, so it is best to avoid it at all costs!
Lift chairs to pull them away from a table and sit down rather than dragging them across the decking. The same applies to tables or other furniture you have on your decking. It is better to lift it and carry it to its new destination than to drag it.
Of course, sometimes this is tricky if you are trying to move heavy furniture alone. If possible, wait for someone to help you.
The second pair of hands can help you to lift and move your furniture without damaging the decking, plus they can also offer advice on the best placement for it!
Who knows, they could offer you the decking design advice you have been waiting for!
Use Plastic Shovels
In the event of snow, you should use plastic shovels to clear the snow from your decking. Clearing the snow can allow you to use the deck in the winter. But by using a plastic shovel rather than a metal one, you can prevent scratches!
These days, plastic snow shovels are pretty durable too, and widely available, so it shouldn’t be too tricky for you to source one to use on your Trex decking.
Make sure you don’t exceed the weight limit of your plastic shovel and that you are careful when clearing the snow. It could easily be masking some black ice, which can be deadly, especially on the decking!
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! While your rocking chair could damage your Trex decking, if you follow our tips today, you can avoid scratches from your rocking chair and other furniture on your decking!
Remember to follow the care and maintenance guide for your decking and to avoid dragging any furniture to keep your decking scratch-free and safe for use!
Below are a few of the more popular composite decking guides to help you on your way.
