Seth Anderson interviews Kelly Shea Miller, an Atlanta-area homeowner and the proud owner of a new deck in Fiberon Horizon composite decking, Ipe Tropics color.
Seth Anderson: Kelly, you have the distinction of being one of the first homeowners to have one of the new tropical colors of Horizon composite decking installed. Share a bit about your decision process as you selected a decking material.
Kelly Shea Miller: Our Atlanta-area home came equipped with a standard, rectangular, pressure-treated wood deck. Our backyard is heavily shaded, and debris from the trees was always on our deck. Our deck, and the furniture, was constantly a mess, so we decided we needed to expand our deck to include a portion that was covered and screened in and an uncovered part so we could keep our grill etc.
SA: What attracted you to composites?
KSM: I knew they were touted as being low-maintenance. Since we were looking at a total deck re-design, I wanted invest in something that would keep looking great over the years, rather than need repeated sanding, staining and sealing, which frankly is a pain. I am very environmentally conscious, and the recycled components of composite decking made sense.
Is it ipe or Fiberon composite decking?
Both, Fiberon Horizon in the forground,
real ipe on the covered porch
SA: What were you looking for in a decking product?
KSM: As I mentioned, I am very environmentally conscious, and that is reflected in my decorating and style tastes. I decided I wanted real ipe hardwood to floor the screened-in portion but knew that would not give me the performance I was looking for in the uncovered part. I had researched a variety of options online, both PVC and composites, looking at options that had a wood grain look and a painted wood look. And I wanted something that complemented the hardwood portion.
SA: How did you end up selecting Bobby Parks, owner of Peachtree Decks and Porches, as your contractor?
KSM: We put out for bid to several contractors and Bobby quickly rose to the top; his knowledge and experience was evident in our conversations. He helped us envision an outdoor space that was a true extension of the house and our indoor livings spaces – not just something tacked on to the rear of our house.
SA: How did he help you choose a decking product?
KSM: Bobby is very selective in the materials he uses, and when I shared with him my qualifiers of low maintenance, environmentally friendly and natural looking, he suggested we look at the new tropical colors for Horizon composite decking by Fiberon. He stated that this was a completely new product, so I would be a bit of a guinea pig, but that it came with a strong warranty and he trusted Fiberon’s products. We picked the Ipe color because it looked the closest to the ipe hardwood part.
SA: Tell me about your completed deck.
KSM: It is absolutely beautiful and has been very easy to clean. With all the rain we’ve had recently, the trees have really been dropping debris, but all I’ve had to do is spray it down with the hose. The Horizon composite hasn’t scratched, even between our dog and our 4-year old. It has been funny how guests don’t even notice where the ipe hardwood ends and the Horizon composite begins if they’re not paying attention. Several friends have bent down to touch it to convince themselves it isn’t real wood. I am really looking forward to enjoying this deck for years to come.
Seth Anderson
Media Contact
Fiberon
