Composite decking is a popular choice among homeowners. These companies love to tout that their composite material is superior to hardwood decking materials. Regardless of where you stand on that issue, people that own a deck made out of composite materials usually have their own problems and issues that are unique to that kind of material.

Mushrooming is one such deck problem that happens when composite decking is first installed.

How does mushrooming occur?

Screwing vertically into a composite deck board can sometimes bring up some of the plastic material. They look like mounds. Even though the industry term for this effect is “mushrooming,” I find that it’s there is a better way to picture what this could look like. Imagine insects burrowing out of your composite deck boards and I can bet you’ll quickly understand why it’s one of the more unsightly and unattractive drawbacks to installing composite decking.

Clearly, repairing composite deck boards that are mushrooming can be quite time consuming.

So, how do you repair composite decking that has mushroomed?

Research shows that there really isn’t a one-sized fits all solution. Most composite decking companies claim that the material can be chiseled or sanded off. While that may work for a while, it’s important to remember that composite materials will still expand and contract throughout the years. In fact, most people who solved this issue often found that the mushroom effect came back.

How to prevent mushrooming on your composite deck?

Using the ExtremeKD™ deck fasteners from the Ipe Clip® Company will great reduce this nasty and annoying defect from occurring. These hidden deck fasteners are specially made for composite decking and will greatly reduce the problems that many homeowners have when they used face screws to install.