Yakima Prestige Composite Decking FAQ

WHAT IS YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE IS A VIRTUALLY MAINTENANCE FREE REPLACEMENT FOR WOOD, CONCRETE OR METAL USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. COMPOSITE LUMBER LOOKS AND FEELS JUST LIKE WOOD. YAKIMA PRESTIGE IS A PERMANENTLY COLORED PRODUCT THAT WILL NOT SPLINTER, CRUMBLE, ROT OR BE EATEN BY INSECTS.
 
WHAT CAN I BUILD WITH YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE IS AN IDEAL PRODUCT FOR DECKS, RAILING, DOCKS, PICNIC  TABLES AND WASTE BINS. OUTDOOR PROJECTS THAT REQUIRES REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT IN A FEW YEARS NEED YAKIMA PRESTIGE. THE USES ARE LIMITED ONLY BY YOUR IMAGINATION.
 
DOES YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER COME IN STANDARD LUMBER SIZES AND LENGTHS?
WE MANUFACTURE A WIDE VARIETY OF NOMINAL LUMBER SIZES INCLUDING  12’, 16’, and  18’ LENGTHS. WE OFFER THE STANDARD 5/4” DECK BOARD WITH THE NEW HIDDEN FASTENER SYSTEM PROVIDING A CLEAN FINISH WITH NO NAILS OR SCREWS SHOWING.
 
IS YAKIMA PRESTIGE REALLY MAINTENANCE AND PAINT FREE?
YES! THE YAKIMA PRESTIGE COLOR IS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE MATERIAL. BECAUSE YAKIMA PRESTIGE SHEDS WATER NATURALLY, IT NEVER NEEDS WATERPROOFING, PAINTING, STAINING AND WILL NEVER ROT, CRACK, DECAY, SPLIT OR SPLINTER. WHEN INSTALLED CORRECTLY THERE WILL BE NO MAINTENANCE OTHER THAN PERIODIC CLEANING.
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WHAT COLORS CAN I CHOOSE FROM?
OUR STANDARD COLORS ARE BEIGE, GREY, BROWN, ROSE, RED AND NOW WALNUT AND MAHOGANY.
 
HOW STRONG IS YAKIMA PRESTIGE?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE PRODUCED WITH A PROPRIETARY BLEND OF PLASTIC AND CELLULOSE FIBER. THE CELLULOSE FIBER CONTAINED IN YAKIMA PRESTIGE DOES NOT ALLOW THE AMOUNT OF WATER ABSORPTION EXPERIENCED BY THE WOOD CONTAINED IN MOST COMPOSITE MATERIALS. YAKIMA PRESTIGE HAS MANY SUPERIOR FEATURES THAN MOST OF THE COMPETITORS BRANDS. FOR FURTHER DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS OF YAKIMA PRESTIGE, CONSULT OUR ASTM TEST RESULTS. 
 
WHAT WILL OCCUR IF A CHEMICAL OR GASOLINE IS SPILLED ON YAKIMA PRESTIGE?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER PRODUCED WITH A NON-CHEMICAL REACTIVE POLYMER BASE. THIS IS THE SAME PLASTIC USED TO HOLD CHEMICALS FOUND IN YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE. ANY CHEMICAL OR GASOLINE MUST BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT THE CELLULOSE FIBER FROM STAINING.
 
WHEN THE SUN IS BEAMING DOWN ON YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER, WILL IT BE TOO HOT TO WALK ON?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT, THE DARKER COLORS WILL BE 20°F HOTTER THAN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE. WHITE COMPOSITE LUMBER RUNS ABOUT 15°F COOLER THAN AMBIENT TEMPERATURE.  BEIGE AND LIGHT GRAY RUN ABOUT 10°F-15°F HOTTER THAN AMBIENT TEMPERATURE. REMEMBER IF YAKIMA PRESTIGE IS IN THE SHADE, IT WILL NOT BE ANY HOTTER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR. NOTE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU NOT WALK BAREFOOT ON YOUR DECK WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE 90° AND YOUR DECK IS EXPOSED TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT.
 
WILL YAKIMA PRESTIGE COLOR FADE BECAUSE OF EXPOSURE TO THE SUN?
ULTRA-VIOLET INHIBITORS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO YAKIMA PRESTIGE TO REDUCE COLOR FADING DUE TO EXTENSIVE SUN EXPOSURE. A SLIGHT CHANGE IN COLOR WILL OCCUR BUT WILL RETAIN THIS LIGHTER SHADE THROUGH OUT THE LIFE OF THE PRODUCT. PLEASE REFER TO THE COLOR CHART FOR COLOR CHANGES.
 
DOES YAKIMA PRESTIGE BREAK, MELT OR BURN?
UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AND USE, COLD OR HOT TEMPERATURES WILL NOT AFFECT YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER. YAKIMA PRESTIGE WILL SOFTEN AT 180°F WITH A MELTING POINT OF 380°F. NO PRODUCT DISTORTIONS OR DAMAGE WILL OCCUR WITHIN THE SERVICE TEMPERATURE RANGE OF -100°F TO 125°F. ALTHOUGH IT HAS A HIGHER KINDLING POINT THAN WOOD, IT IS SELF EXTINGUISHING WHEN THE FLAME IS REMOVED. COMPOSITE LUMBER, LIKE WOOD, WILL BURN WHEN EXPOSED TO A CONTINUOUS COMBUSTION SOURCE. PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF CHARCOAL ASH AND EMBERS, USE A FLAME RETARDANT PAD BELOW YOUR CHARCOAL BARBEQUE.
 
DOES YAKIMA PRESTIGE REALLY LAST FOR EVER?
ALMOST! YAKIMA PRESTIGE USES THE HIGHEST QUALITY PREPROCESSED COMPONENTS WITH THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF UV, ANTIFUNGAL GUARDS AND COLOR FAST ADDITIVES.  YAKIMA PRESTIGE IS ENGINEERED TO LAST A LONG TIME, ENGINEERS ESTIMATE IT WILL LAST WELL PAST THE WARRANTY WITH MINIMAL DEGRADATION. YAKIMA PRESTIGE OFFERS A 20 YEAR WARRANTY AND WE PROVIDE NATIONWIDE LIABILITY INSURANCE WITH RECALL PROTECTION. YOU CAN ORDER WITH CONFIDENCE KNOWING THAT YAKIMA PRESTIGE WILL BE THERE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE SALE. YAKIMA PRESTIGE IS TRUE FREEDOM FROM THE HASSLES OF TRADITIONAL WOOD PRODUCTS.
 
DOES YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER COST MORE THAN WOOD?
NO! WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE TIME YOU SPEND SELECTING QUALITY PIECES OF WOOD FOR YOUR PROJECT, FINISHING THE WOOD, PAINTING THE WOOD, PRESSURE WASHING AND PRESERVATIVE TREATMENTS , AND FINALLY FIXING SPLINTERS AND REFINISHING AFTER A FEW YEARS, YOU ARE REALLY SAVING MONEY AND TIME BY PURCHASING YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER!
 
DOES YAKIMA PRESTIGE ADD LONG TERM VALUE TO MY HOME?
IF YOU SHOULD SELL YOUR HOME, YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER PROVIDES THE SAME WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE NEW OWNERS. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO SPEND MONEY AND TIME TO CLEAN, SEAL AND REPAIR YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER TO MAKE IT READY FOR NEW OWNER. YAKIMA PRESTIGE WILL GIVE THE NEW HOME OWNERS MANY YEARS OF MAINTENANCE-FREE BEAUTY. THIS IS TRUE INCREASED VALUE TO THE NEW HOME OWNER.
 
CAN YAKIMA PRESTIGE BE USED TO BUILD A DECK?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE IS USED FOR DECK SURFACES, HANDICAPPED ACCESS RAMPS, RAILING, BALUSTERS, BENCHES, GAZEBOS, SWINGS AND MUCH MORE.  PREMIUM GRADE COMPOSITE LUMBER WILL PRODUCE THE FINEST RESULTS TO ALL YOUR OUTDOOR PROJECTS.
 
DOES YAKIMA PRESTIGE WORK LIKE WOOD?
YOU CAN CUT, NAIL, DRILL, SCREW, TURN AND ROUT YAKIMA PRESTIGE WITH STANDARD WOODWORKING TOOLS. THE DENSITY OF YAKIMA PRESTIGE IS GREATER THAN WOOD THAT'S WHY WE RECOMMEND CARBIDE TIPPED BLADES AND BITS.
 
CAN YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER BE USED AS STRUCTURAL COMPONENT?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE CANNOT BE USED AS A LOAD BEARING REPLACEMENT FOR WOOD.  FOLLOW THE FACTORY APPROVED INSTALLATION GUIDELINES AND YAKIMA PRESTIGE WILL PRODUCE A FINISHED, LASTING LOOK TO ANY OF YOUR OUTDOOR PROJECTS.
 
WHAT FASTENERS CAN BE USED FOR YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER?
WE RECOMMEND SCREWS TO FASTEN YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER. A STAINLESS STEEL, HOT DIPPED GALVANIZED OR CERAMIC COATED SCREW WILL PROVIDE THE LONGEST SERVICE LIFE. WHEN FASTENING CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF YAKIMA PRESTIGE WE RECOMMEND PREDRILLING YOUR HOLE ONE SIZE SMALLER THAN YOUR FASTENER. NO PREDRILLING IS REQUIRED FOR FASTENERS USED 1” (INCH) AWAY FROM THE EDGE OF THE MATERIAL. CONSULT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE LIST OF RECOMMENDED FASTENERS TO USE WITH YAKIMA PRESTIGE.
 
WHAT JOIST SPACING IS REQUIRED WHEN USING YAKIMA PRESTIGE FOR DECKS?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE IS MORE FLEXIBLE THAN WOOD. YAKIMA PRESTIGE HAS SUFFICIENT LIVE LOAD RATING TO SPAN 16" ON CENTER FOR JOIST SUPPORT WHEN USING THE 5/4" DECK BOARD. DIAGONAL DESIGNS REQUIRE A 12" ON CENTER FOR JOIST SPACING. YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT PROPER SUPPORT LOADS.
 
WILL NAILS AND SCREWS PULL OUT LIKE WOOD?
No YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER HOLDS NAILS 90% BETTER THAN WOOD AND HOLDS SCREWS 50% BETTER THAN WOOD. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YAKIMA PRESTIGE WARPING, TWISTING AND WANING LIKE TRADITIONAL WOOD PRODUCTS, ONCE YOU INSTALL THE DECKING, IT WILL NOT MOVE UPWARD PULLING SCREWS AND NAILS FROM THE WOOD SUBSTRUCTURE. WATER AND MILDEW THAT MAY SEEP INTO THE NAIL OR SCREW HOLE WILL NOT DAMAGE THE INSIDE OF YAKIMA PRESTIGE LIKE WOOD.
 
IS YAKIMA PRESTIGE SLIPPERY WHEN WET?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE SIMULATED WOOD GRAIN SURFACE PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT SURFACE WET OR DRY. THE ADDITION OF CELLULOSE FIBER TO YAKIMA PRESTIGE INCREASES THE SURFACE AREA OF CONTACT WHEN WET AND CAN EVEN PROVIDE A NON-SLIP SURFACE FOR LEATHER SOLED SHOES. NAVAL INSTALLATIONS PREFER YAKIMA PRESTIGE IN CONTINUAL WATER CONTACT THAN ANY OTHER WOOD COMPOSITE LUMBER.
 
HOW MUCH WILL YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER EXPAND AND CONTRACT?
LINEAR EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION MUST BE CONSIDERED WHEN INSTALLING YAKIMA PRESTIGE. AN 8' LENGTH OF YAKIMA PRESTIGE WILL EXPAND UP TO 1/8" WITH A 50° TEMPERATURE CHANGE. FOR EXAMPLE IF THE DECK BOARDS WERE INSTALLED AT 50°F AND THE DECK TEMPERATURE RISES TO 100°F THE BOARD WILL GROW 1/8". BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU INSTALL YAKIMA PRESTIGE AGAINST IMMOVABLE OBJECTS SUCH AS THE HOUSE OR RAILS. TO CALCULATE EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION USE THE FOLLOWING FORMULA : 0.00007 X LENGTH OF BOARD IN INCHES X DEGREE (°F) OF TEMPERATURE CHANGE = INCHES OF EXPANSION OR CONTRACTION IN LENGTH OF THE BOARD.
 
IS YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER IMPERVIOUS TO MOLD?
YAKIMA PRESTIGE HAS ANTIFUNGAL GUARDS ADDED DURING FORMULATION AND HAS AN ADDITIONAL SURFACE COATING TO PROVIDE SUPERIOR PROTECTION. IT IS IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES TO ELIMINATE ALL MOLD AND MILDEW PROBLEMS.

 IS YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND PRODUCT?
 
YES! 
 
FIRST, YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER; MADE FROM RECOVERED PLASTICS THAT WOULD NORMALLY END UP IN THE LANDFILL. 
 
SECOND, YAKIMA PRESTIGE WILL NOT CONTAMINATE THE SOIL BECAUSE IT IS NON POROUS AND CONTAINS NONE OF THE CHEMICAL HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH PRESSURE TREATED AND CRESTED LUMBER. 
 
THIRD, YAKIMA PRESTIGE ‘S MANUFACTURING PROCESS IS A CLEAN, EXTRUSION PROCESS REQUIRING LESS POWER TO PRODUCE THAN A BOARD FROM WOOD. 
 
FOURTH, THE USE OF YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER OVER NATURAL LUMBER SAVES TREES AND FORESTS. 
 
FINALLY, YAKIMA PRESTIGE COMPOSITE LUMBER IS 100% RECYCLABLE.