Alki Deck Builders Adds Test Data Review to Material Selection

SEATTLE, WA – September 08, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –

Alki Deck Builders has added a structured review of published product test data to the material selection stage of its deck projects, giving property owners access to performance information that is publicly available but rarely part of a purchasing conversation. The company applies the review during design, before any material is ordered.

Decking products sold in the United States are evaluated against standards published by ASTM International and assessed through third-party evaluation bodies including the International Code Council Evaluation Service. ASTM D7032 is the governing performance specification for composite and plastic lumber deck boards, stair treads, guards and handrails.

The standard sets out how products are tested and what performance characteristics manufacturers must document before assigning a rating. Results appear in product-specific technical documentation and, for many products, in publicly available evaluation reports.

“I like building decks because I like creating spaces you can use, and they’re the most fun to build,” said Luke Triemstra, Owner of Alki Deck Builders. “Most of the information a homeowner needs to choose well already exists in writing. It just never comes up, because the showroom conversation happens around color and texture instead.”

Moisture behavior is among the characteristics addressed by product testing, and it carries particular weight in a marine climate where surfaces stay damp for extended stretches of the year. Boards that take on water are more prone to dimensional movement, and the underside of a deck is where the effects of retained moisture tend to appear first.

Product categories are formulated differently in this respect. PVC boards contain no wood content, while wood-composite products blend wood fiber with plastic, and the two categories are documented separately by manufacturers. Alki Deck Builders reviews the published technical data for the specific product under consideration rather than working from category assumptions.

Surface traction is a separate consideration. Wet-surface slip resistance is measured through standardized coefficient-of-friction testing, and the resulting figures are published for many decking products. The company reviews that data when specifying materials for elevated decks, stairs, pool and spa surrounds, and installations near the water, where surfaces spend a significant portion of the year wet.

Ultraviolet exposure and color stability are evaluated through accelerated weathering, in which products are subjected to concentrated ultraviolet light over a compressed period to model longer-term exposure. The resulting data indicates how a board’s color and surface are expected to change across its rated warranty period, which is the figure most relevant to a homeowner comparing two products that look identical when new.

Span rating is the structural figure that connects the decking surface to the frame beneath it. Each product carries a maximum span, meaning the greatest distance it can bridge between joists while meeting the standard’s load requirements. That figure constrains how the substructure can be laid out, and it varies by product and by installation direction.

Framing material is decided separately and against different criteria. The company builds with pressure-treated lumber, steel and aluminum framing, and pressure-treated laminated veneer lumber, matching the framing system to site conditions, span requirements and load rather than to the decking product selected for the surface.

Documentation also covers how a product is intended to be fastened and finished. Fastener type, spacing and the treatment of cut ends are specified by the manufacturer, and installation outside those specifications can affect both performance and the terms of the product warranty. The company follows the published installation requirements for each product it installs.

Site conditions across the region introduce variables that no product data can account for. Slope, soil, drainage, tree cover and proximity to the water all affect how a finished deck performs, and they vary considerably from one lot to the next. Alki Deck Builders assesses these conditions during an on-site consultation before design work begins, and also offers virtual consultations for property owners in earlier planning stages.

The review sits alongside the company’s 3D modeling stage, which allows layout, board direction, stair placement and railing position to be evaluated before construction begins. Material and layout decisions made at that point carry no construction cost, while the same changes after framing involve labor and material already committed.

Product documentation is available directly from manufacturers, and evaluation reports for individual products can be searched publicly. Property owners comparing options can ask a contractor to identify which documents apply to the products under discussion and what the published figures indicate for the specific installation being planned.

The company’s position is that material selection improves when it rests on documented performance rather than on appearance, brand familiarity or a sample viewed indoors under artificial light. Two boards that present identically in a showroom may carry meaningfully different published figures for moisture behavior, traction and color retention over the life of the installation.

Alki Deck Builders is a deck and outdoor living contractor based in West Seattle and serving King and Snohomish counties. The company designs and builds custom decks, pergolas, porches, patios and outdoor living structures, works with materials including composite, PVC, cedar, redwood and exotic hardwoods, and handles permit acquisition for the projects it builds.

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For more information about Alki Deck Builders, contact the company here:

Alki Deck Builders
Luke Triemstra
+14256007664
luke@alkidecks.com
5220 37th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98126, United States

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