CHS Custom Decks & Design Points Buyers Toward Composite Testing Standards

APPLE VALLEY, MN – September 08, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –

CHS Custom Decks & Design has begun directing property owners toward the independent testing standard behind composite decking products, after finding that most material decisions are made on appearance and warranty length alone. The Apple Valley, Minnesota company reports that the technical criteria used to evaluate these products in a laboratory setting rarely surface during a showroom conversation, leaving buyers to compare products on the two attributes that are easiest to see.

Composite and plastic lumber deck boards are evaluated under ASTM D7032, a standard specification that establishes performance ratings for deck boards, stair treads, guards and handrails. The standard covers structural integrity, long-term load behavior, dimensional stability and resistance to environmental degradation. Testing is carried out by laboratories accredited through ICC Evaluation Service, and the results form the basis for code recognition of these products in exterior applications.

The standard permits proprietary formulations, but each must pass the same performance tests regardless of composition. That distinction matters to buyers, because two boards that look similar on a display rack may carry different ratings behind them. The visible sample communicates color, texture and grain pattern, none of which indicate how the product performed under laboratory conditions.

“People compare the sample they can hold and the number of years on the warranty, and both of those are real,” said Chuck Saleen, Co-Owner of CHS Custom Decks & Design. “What they usually have not seen is that the board was tested for how it behaves under load over years, not just how it looks on day one.”

Among the properties assessed under the standard is creep behavior, which describes how a board responds to sustained load across an extended period rather than under a single test. A deck carries furniture, planters, grills and foot traffic continuously through its service life. How a material holds its shape under that ongoing load is a separate question from how it performs at installation, and it is one a homeowner will not observe for several years.

Dimensional stability is a second measured property, and one that carries particular weight in Minnesota. Composite and plastic lumber move in response to temperature change, and a climate that swings between subzero winters and humid summers exercises that movement more than most. The standard evaluates how much a board changes across those conditions, which in practice influences board spacing and how a surface reads after several seasons.

Fastener retention is assessed as well. How securely a fastener holds under stress and adverse weather affects whether boards remain flat and quiet over time. It also affects serviceability, since the fastening method determines how readily an individual board can be lifted and replaced years after installation if damage occurs in one area of a deck.

“The standard exists because somebody had to define what these products actually do,” Saleen said. “It is worth knowing that the testing happened, even if a homeowner never reads a line of it.”

Surface temperature falls outside the scope of the standard but remains a practical consideration. Board color and the properties of the protective outer layer both influence how warm a deck becomes in direct sun, which affects whether a space stays comfortable through the warmest weeks of summer. For a south-facing installation, or for a yard that has recently lost surrounding tree cover, the difference is noticeable underfoot during afternoon hours.

Material category is a decision that sits ahead of any product comparison. Wood accepts a stain or sealer, which allows its appearance to be changed later, and requires that finish be renewed on a schedule. Composite blends wood fiber with plastic and sets aside the finishing routine. PVC contains no wood content at all, which changes how it responds to moisture. Each behaves differently in a climate with a hard freeze and a humid summer, and the testing standard applies to the manufactured categories rather than to wood.

The company works across composite, PVC and wood decking rather than a single product line, which allows material recommendations to be matched to the exposure and use conditions of a specific property. Design work includes reviewing how a space will be used across the year, how much sun the location receives and what maintenance the property owner is prepared to take on before a material is selected.

Composite decking has changed substantially over the past two decades. Earlier generations of the material drew criticism for fading and moisture-related movement, and the protective outer layer used on modern boards was developed in response. The existence of a formal testing standard reflects that maturation, giving engineers and code officials a common basis for assessing products that vary widely in composition.

CHS Custom Decks & Design is a family owned deck and outdoor living builder based in Apple Valley, Minnesota, serving homeowners across the south metro. The company designs and builds custom decks, porches, pergolas and outdoor structures.

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For more information about CHS Custom Decks & Design, contact the company here:

CHS Custom Decks & Design
Heather Saleen
+19522607514
heathersaleen@chscustomdecksanddesign.com
14607 Felton Ct #115, Apple Valley, MN 55124, United States