The good news: the deck itself is really nice. The bad news: the deck are only half of the picture. Sometimes I think people gets frustrated with their expensive composite decks which stain and fade.
The reason they got TimberTech was for its low maintenance. They were sold on the fact that it wouldn’t rot and didn’t had to be stained. But there’s another problem.
A lot of folks think if surface is tough, so is everything attached to it. That’s where you’re making a dangerous mistake. Composite deck lighting issues is almost never related to the wood itself.
The issue is that electricity, heat, moisture, and physical stress damages your lighting system. Composite boards and TimberTech rail caps is built to hold up to elements. Poorly sealed wires and cheap LED fixtures aren’t.
Throw those two together and you’ll often see either a complete failure or some pretty funky flickering. You may even notice visible damage to the pricy decking material. Knowing where the weak spots are will help you fix these headache.
Fix Common TimberTech Lighting Problems
Sealing Fixtures to Prevent Moisture Damage
Most often it’s just a matter of corrosion at the contact point. Moisture from water will eventually find its way through to the little space between your recessed light and mount on your deck. It gets into interior of the light fixture.
It gets into the places where the wiring connect. Resistance forms as the contacts corrode over time. And then the light start to flicker.
Then it stops working. If you change the bulb (and maybe you think that’s why it didn’t work) then great. But it wasn’t the bulb.
The issue is lurking in the dark wet spot beneath the fixture where it mount to the wood. First up: Seal it. The goal here is to provide a watertight seal between the TimberTech and light housing.
Standard silicone caulk can work, but it often degrades under UV exposure. But be warned, many caulks will degrade over time with UV exposure. A higher quality polyurethane sealant is more resistant to both rain and sun.
Before snugging down those screws, apply a heavy bead all the way around base of the fixture. Recheck this seal each year. When you notice any cracks or gaps, reseal immediately.
This small task save a hundred dollars on replacement. Heat is also important. Many installer fail to consider this, but prolonged exposure to high temperatures softens and discolors composite decking, such as TimberTech.
Managing Heat to Protect Composite Decking
Incandescent bulbs produces a lot of thermal energy. The heat bake the nearby deck boards. Over time, you may see some yellowing (discoloration).
Or worse, a bit of melting around the fixture’s housing. Going LED isn’t simply an energy-saving move. It also helps preserve integrity of your decking surface.
LEDs operates at a cool temperature. Their light emission doesn’t create waste heat which harm composite polymers. Intermittent failure can be maddening.
Fixing Wiring and Connection Issues
There’s something wrong with your wiring if you find your lights working intermittently. The culprit? Damaged insulation on wires or a loose connection in the junction box.
Use wire rated for wet locations outdoors. Using regular indoor wire will lead to disaster. Exposure to temperature fluctuations and moisture cause the insulation to break down leading to short circuits and other potential safety hazard.
Make sure the junction box is sealed all the way and always use outdoor-rated wire nuts. Lighting performance can also be affected by physical damage to deck surface. For example, a light that’s mounted too tightly can squish the TimberTech board or rail cap and cause very small gaps for water entry.
Ensuring Proper Physical Fit and Mounting
It can even cause composite material to warp just a little bit with time. That warping will crack the fixture housing or change angle of the light. Shim out as needed so the light rests flat but doesn’t squeeze the deck material.
You want a snug fit, not a crushing fit. Lastly, think about the source of power. Long runs of wire lead to dimming or flickering lights due to voltage loss.
Optimizing Power Supply and Voltage
This is particularly true in low-voltage LED systems. Inefficient power conversion via an undersized transformer, combined with too small a wire size, won’t allow the lights to function properley. Determine total wattage of all your fixtures and select a transformer that’s rated at least 20 percent higher.
Run 12-gauge wiring for long distances to ensure even voltage. That way, each light shine bright and burns longer. When installing a new deck, it should of look like the day it was put in place.
A well lit deck makes this happen while maintaining the integrity of the decking. Resolving power, wiring, sealing and heat concerns will prolong your investment. Then the lights will glow.
And the TimberTech will remain beautiful for years. Small details matter. Most people miss these details.