NewTechWood in Mississauga and Barrie

The capping technology is called UltraShield. Practically, it is a hard outer layer co-extruded onto the composite core, bonded rather than painted on, so it cannot peel off like a coating. That cap is what carries the real world performance.

• Fade and UV resistance. A wood deck bleaches grey in a couple of seasons of direct sun. The cap holds its colour far longer, which matters on a south or west facing deck that takes full afternoon sun through an Ontario summer.
• Stain resistance. Spilled wine, barbecue grease and planter rings sit on the surface rather than soaking into open wood grain, so they wipe up instead of setting in.
• No rot, no splinters. The core is sealed from moisture, so the board does not absorb water, swell, cup or throw the splinters that make a bare foot on an old wood deck a gamble.
• Low maintenance, not no maintenance. It is honest to say this needs cleaning, a wash to keep dirt and pollen off, but it does not need the annual sand and stain that a wood deck demands. That is the trade most people are actually buying.

The material is made largely from recycled content, wood fibre and reclaimed plastic, which is a genuine point in its favour for anyone weighing the environmental side of a wood deck against a composite one.

Decision: if you are tired of sanding and staining a wood deck every spring, capped composite is the category that ends that chore. If you want the cheapest possible deck up front and do not mind the upkeep, pressure treated wood still wins on day one price. Composite wins over the years that follow.

Two ways to get a NewTechWood floor underfoot outdoors.

UltraShield decking boards are the full length composite boards for building or rebuilding a deck from the joists up. They carry the capped surface on all sides and come in wood tone and grey colours that read as natural timber from a step back. This is the choice for a proper deck structure, a raised deck, a ground level deck, a wraparound.

Quick Deck interlocking tiles are a different tool for a different job. They click together over an existing hard surface, a concrete balcony, a rooftop terrace, a tired patio slab, and give you a finished wood look floor without building a full deck frame. For a condo balcony in Toronto or Mississauga where you cannot build a structure, this is often the only practical way to get a warm floor underfoot.

Decision: building a deck from the frame up, use the UltraShield boards. Covering an existing slab, balcony or rooftop, the Quick Deck tiles go down faster and without a build.

The siding is a wood plastic composite cladding for exterior walls, and it comes in several profiles that change the look of a facade completely. Squarefoot Flooring carries the Belgian, Norwegian, shiplap and gap siding profiles.

• Belgian. A defined, contemporary board profile for a modern facade or feature wall.
• Norwegian. A cladding profile with a distinct shadow line, popular for a clean architectural exterior.
• Shiplap. The classic overlapping horizontal board look, in composite so it does not need repainting.
• Gap siding. An all weather profile designed with an intentional reveal between boards for a slatted, rhythmic look.

All of it carries the same UltraShield cap as the decking, engineered to hold up to the Canadian climate, which for siding means the freeze thaw swing and the sun exposure a Barrie or Mississauga exterior wall takes across a full year. It is a genuine alternative to painted wood or fibre cement siding that never needs repainting.

Decision: for a modern exterior or a standout feature wall that you never want to repaint, WPC siding is the low maintenance route. The profile, Belgian, Norwegian, shiplap or gap, is a look decision we walk through with you against your house.

The decorative beams are the one part of the NewTechWood range that works indoors as well as out. They are used as screen and partition elements: a slatted room divider, a privacy screen on a deck, a feature ceiling detail, a pergola member. Because they carry the same weatherproof cap, they can run from an indoor feature wall straight out onto a covered patio without changing material, which is how you get a design that reads as continuous between inside and outside.

Decision: for a privacy screen, a slatted divider or a feature ceiling that carries from indoors to a covered outdoor space, the beams do a job wood cannot do without ongoing upkeep.

The honest boundaries, because a composite deck put in the wrong place still disappoints.

• Decks, balconies and patios. The core use. Boards for a built deck, tiles for a slab or balcony.
• Exterior walls and feature facades. WPC siding for a wall you do not want to repaint.
• Screens, dividers and pergolas, indoor or covered outdoor. The beams.
• Not an interior floor. This is an outdoor and architectural product. For living space floors inside the house, that is vinyl plank, hardwood or porcelain tile, and we carry all three.

A composite deck lives or dies on the frame under it and the gapping between boards. Composite expands and contracts with temperature more than wood does, so the board gaps and the fastening have to allow for movement. Get that wrong and boards bow in July or pull at the fasteners. Get the joist spacing wrong and the deck flexes underfoot. None of that is the board's fault, and all of it is set by whoever builds it.

Squarefoot Flooring supplies and installs NewTechWood with our own people, full time employees who do residential and commercial work. We build to the spacing and fastening the product needs, set the expansion gaps for our climate, and detail the siding and beam work so the reveals stay even across a wall. We are not booking a subcontractor and hoping the gaps come out right.

We supply and install NewTechWood from our Mississauga showroom across Toronto, Mississauga, Etobicoke, Brampton, Port Credit, Erin Mills, Streetsville, Meadowvale and Cooksville, and from our Barrie showroom across Barrie, Innisfil, Angus, Orillia, Collingwood, Midland and Simcoe County. Outdoor building work is seasonal here, so Barrie and cottage country decks and siding from May through September book eight to twelve weeks ahead. A summer deck is best booked in the spring.

NewTechWood decking runs in wood tones and greys, and the range has grown recently with newer shades. Colour reads differently outdoors than in, under open sky rather than showroom light, so take a board sample outside and look at it in your own yard, at the time of day you actually use the space. A tone that looks warm indoors can look flat under a grey Ontario sky, and the only way to know is to see it in place.

The range is backed by a 25 year limited warranty, with terms that vary by product and by whether the use is residential or commercial. We confirm the exact warranty document that applies to your build before you order, rather than repeating a headline number. If you are matching or extending an existing NewTechWood deck or wall, bring a board or a clear photo of the profile, since profiles and colours update over time.

NewTechWood decking, siding, deck tiles and beams are on display at both Squarefoot Flooring showrooms, which are where you see the product, plan the build and book the install. Bring your measurements, photos of the deck or wall, and whether the surface is a fresh build or a cover over existing concrete.

Mississauga. 700 Dundas St E, Unit 3-4, L4Y 3Y5. Call 905-277-2227. Monday to Friday 9 to 6, Saturday 10 to 5, closed Sunday.

Barrie. 112 Saunders Rd, Units 1-4, L4N 9A8. Call 705-726-2272. Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 to 6, Tuesday and Thursday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 5, closed Sunday.

Bring a plan of your outdoor space and leave with a build spec you can trust and a crew that answers to us. Book a showroom visit, or call and we will tell you whether NewTechWood suits your project, including when it does not.