FAQs

TruNorth Composite Decking is a brand of wood-free composite decking materials owned and manufactured by TruNorth Composites Inc. TruNorth Composites is located in Brantford, ON, where we manufacture both TruNorth Composite Decking and Clubhouse PVC Decking. TruNorth Composite Decking is our line of decking that is more budget-friendly, while still offering high performance.

Clubhouse PVC Decking is a brand of premium PVC decking materials owned and manufactured by TruNorth Composites Inc. TruNorth Composites is located in Brantford, ON, where we manufacture both TruNorth Composite Decking and Clubhouse PVC Decking. Clubhouse PVC Decking is our top-of-the-line decking material, offering even better performance than TruNorth Composite Decking and other brands of composite or PVC decking.

• Capped on all 4 sides for maximum protection
  • Most competing composite deck boards are not capped underneath, making them prone to rot and mold issues
• Heat-blocking technology keeps the boards cooler than many other composites
• Great slip resistance
• 100% Arkansas rice hulls are used instead of wood saw dust
  • Most competing composite deck boards use wood filler, which is more prone to rot and mold than rice hulls
• Rice hulls absorb virtually no moisture
• Rice hulls will not harbour mold or fungus, nor will they burn or decay easily
• Class B Flame Spread Rating
  • Which is better than the Class C Flame Spread Rating that some competing brands of composite decking have 
• Manufactured in Canada

• Dramatic flexural strength and better protection against impacts and dents
• Heat-blocking technology keeps the board up to 30% cooler than other PVC boards
• One of the best slip resistances of any low maintenance board (backed by independent lab tests at Intertek)
  • Exceeds ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements for slip resistance
• Clubhouse boards have a Class A Flame Spread rating – the best rating for building materials
• Superior scratch resistance
• Proprietary wood grain embossing technology
• The easiest board to be heated and bent without bubbling up and compromising the wood grain texture
  • We even warrant it after being curved! (we’re the only manufacturer to warrant curved boards)
• Manufactured in Canada

TruNorth Composite Decking boards are made of rice hulls and recycled plastic, while Clubhouse PVC Decking boards are made of PVC, which performs even better than composite decking. TruNorth products come in 12 colours, while Clubhouse products are available in a separate set of 21 different colours. The look and feel of the wood grain on TruNorth and Clubhouse are quite different, differentiating the overall appearance of each. TruNorth Decking is backed by our 25-year warranty, with a 25-year fade & stain warranty. Clubhouse comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty, plus a 25-year fade & stain warranty. Clubhouse also has a Class A Flame Spread Rating (the best flame spread rating), whereas TruNorth boards have a Class B Flame Spread Rating. Being a premium deck board, Clubhouse products have a higher cost compared to TruNorth Decking, especially the hollow core TruNorth Enviroboard (our lowest cost board).

While both TruNorth and Clubhouse Decking share several traits that make them a better choice than wood, Clubhouse PVC has several features that are better than TruNorth Decking. These include a superior slip-resistance (one of the best in the industry!), better heat-blocking technology, increased durability and impact resistance, and a lighter weight, making it easier to work with during installation.

Clubhouse PVC Decking is also the best board in the market for heat bending, allowing for unique curves in your deck design, such as rounded borders or unique inlays! We even warrant Clubhouse Decking after it’s been bent (we’re the only decking manufacturer to do this). Unlike TruNorth Decking, the Dexerdry weather-diverting system is available for Clubhouse Decking, allowing you to experience the benefits of having a dry space underneath you deck.

Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message using our Contact Us page.

In terms of cost, TruNorth Enviroboard board is the least expensive. It is lighter in weight than our Accuspan board making it a bit easier to handle, and it will also have a little more flex than our solid core boards. If you have 16″ joist spacing or are installing on a 45° angle, the solid core Accuspan boards are suggested. When using Enviroboard with 16″ OC joist spacing, you may feel some flex between joists when there is a lot of weight concentrated in one spot (i.e. several adults standing together). There are also a few municipalities that prefer our solid core boards for permit applications. It is always important to check with all applicable building codes, permits, and regulations before starting any deck building project.

Both of our composite product lines have a 25-year warranty for stain, fade, and structural, so other than a very minor difference in flex on wider joist spacing, you would not notice a difference between the look, feel, and performance of the two boards.

Compared to composite, PVC is lighter weight and performs better overall. Clubhouse PVC Decking offers a superior slip resistance, heat-blocking technology, flame spread rating, warranty, and impact resistance compared to composite decking. It’s also much easier to heat-bend, allowing you to add unique curves to your design.

Compared to wood, both PVC and composite require far less maintenance, and they are easier to clean, much more resistant to mold and rotting, and are much more environmentally-friendly.

Read more about the differences and similarities between our PVC and composite decking on our Product Comparison page. Wondering how PVC and composite stack up to wood? Check out the Wood vs TruNorth page. If you’d like to learn more about how TruNorth and Clubhouse stack up against the competition, just visit our TruNorth vs The Competition page.

TruNorth Composite Decking boards offer a similar or superior scratch resistance compared to competing composite decking brands.

Clubhouse PVC Decking boards offer an excellent scratch resistance, surpassing most composite decking boards and other PVC decking brands.

To calculate the amount of lineal feet of decking needed, measure the square footage of your deck and multiply that by 2.28. Depending on the complexity of your deck, you may want to add 10% for cut-off waste.

Example: 10 feet x 10 feet = 100 square feet x 2.28 = 228 lineal feet

To calculate how many fastening clips are required, calculate 2.5 clips per square foot when joists are on 16″ centres and 5 clips per square foot when joists are on 12″ centres.

No, old deck boards must be removed before installing TruNorth or Clubhouse Decking. You can install our decking on an existing frame, if it’s still in good shape and has adequate joist spacing.

You can use the same tools you use on wood products such as a regular carbide blade, table saw, radial arm, hand saw, drill bits, and routers. TruNorth and Clubhouse Decking cut and shape just like real wood. For a list of other tools you’ll want for installing our decking, please see the installation guide for the product line you’re working with.

When installing on a grooved edge board using a hidden clip system, the board should be cut around the railing post. This will allow the board to expand and contract naturally.

When installing on a square edge board that is utilizing surface fastening, the railing posts can be secured on top of the board without cutting around the rail post. Therefore, we recommend the use of picture frame borders using square edge boards when installing railing on your deck.

All building materials will expand and contract to some degree with temperature fluctuations. A specific gap is required to be included when installing our deck boards and is detailed in our installation guides. Longer boards will expand and contract more at the ends of the boards and the change in temperature will directly contribute to how much expansion and contraction that is. 

Deck fastening methods will also contribute to the amount of expansion and contraction of the board, since some fasteners will restrict expansion and contraction more than others. Our required installation spacing is standard in the industry and carefully detailed so you, and your installer, will achieve the desired look for your outdoor space.

No, the fascia tool drills and cuts a countersink for the fascia screw. The composite tool is just a depth setter for a composite screw, with no countersink.

No, the Fascia boards are not thick enough for this system to work properly long-term. We recommend the DeckFast colour matched fascia screw system, available anywhere TruNorth Decking is sold.

While some other brands of screws may work, using a different brand of screws would void warranty coverage for the plug system.

TruNorth Composite Decking has a complete decking system. The Slide & Go® system is the use of our own hidden fastening clip and stainless screw, allowing your next board to slide into position, ready for the next fastening clip. This decking system allows for expansion and contraction of the composite material. All plastics or composites expand and contract according to temperature and weather conditions.

The Slide & Go clips leave a 3/16″ gap between the boards for air circulation and water drainage.

The clip and screw are black and cover the top of the joist, so they actually help protect the joist (from water/sun) and hide the joist in the shadows.

With the addition of Gen II TruNorth Enviroboards, there are new Slide & Go clips available for use with this new groove. Make sure to order the correct Slide & Go clips according to the decking profile you order.

The Slide & Go clips leave a 3/16″ gap in the boards side to side. It’s a small gap, so it’s hard to see the clips unless you are standing straight above looking down with overhead light (noon).

The driver tool included with Slide & Go clip kits is made to fit between the 3/16″ gap, so adjustments can be made during construction and in the future.

100 square feet on 12″ centres, and 130 square feet on 16″ centres.

Clubhouse Decking has a complete decking system. The system is the use of hidden fastening clips and stainless screws, allowing your next board to slide into position, ready for the next fastening clip. This decking system allows for expansion and contraction of the PVC material. All plastics or composites expand and contract according to weather conditions.

The ConnectClips leave a 3/16″ gap between the boards for air circulation and water drainage. ConnectClips can be paired with the Tiger Claw Pneumatic Installation Gun to greatly speed up your installation time, making it a useful addition to a deck builders’ set of tools. Learn more about installing ConnectClips and using the Tiger Claw in our Clubhouse PVC Decking Installation Guide.

The EB-TY Biscuit Fasteners leave a slightly smaller gap of 1/8″. The screws are installed on an angle, penetrating the board, helping it stay in place. Learn more about installing these fasteners in our Clubhouse PVC Decking Biscuit Hidden Fastener Installation Guide.

Both clips and screws are black and cover the top of the joist, so they actually help protect the joist (from water/sun) and hide the joist in the shadows.

EB-TY hidden biscuit fasteners offer a little more strength, due to the screw being installed through the deck board, as well as the joist.

The ConnectClip, while only being fastened through the joist, can be installed much faster. This clip is compatible with the Tiger Claw pneumatic installation gun to allow for rapid clip installation, one after the other. This is especially beneficial for contractors who are building multiple decks and want to speed up the process, allowing them to move onto other projects faster.

ConnectClip packages cover 50 square feet at 16″ OC, and 40 square feet at 12″ OC.

A tub of 180 EB-TY biscuits covers 100 square feet at 16″ OC, and 80 square feet at 12″ OC.

The ConnectClips leave a 3/16″ gap in the boards side-to-side, and EB-TY biscuit fasteners leave a 1/8″. These are small gaps, so it’s hard to see the clips unless you are standing straight above looking down with overhead light (noon).

Yes! CAMO Fasteners are compatible with all grooved Clubhouse PVC Deck boards, and Gen II TruNorth Enviroboards. We offer CAMO EDGE, EDGEX, EDGEXMETAL, and STARTER Clips, as well as CAMO LEVER and ClipDRIVE tools.

CAMO Fasteners are NOT compatible with grooved Gen I TruNorth boards, as the groove is too wide. You must use Gen I Slide & Go Clips with Gen I Enviroboard and Accuspan Grooved Edge boards.

TruNorth and Clubhouse Decking are both extremely fade resistant. While minimal fading will occur with any decking, TruNorth and Clubhouse are both backed by a 25-year fade and stain warranty so you’ll have peace of mind knowing that the colours you choose for your deck will retain their good looks for years to come. Learn more about the fade resistance of our product lines in their full warranty documents.

Composite and PVC deck boards will expand and contract with changes in temperature. Additionally, if some boards have clips that are overtightened, the boards can be pinned in that spot forcing the expansion and contraction to either end of that point, instead of letting the board expand and contract equally at each end. This can be adjusted by ensuring the clips are not overtightened.

If you are still experiencing more expansion/contraction at one end of the board, you can add two colour matched screws, or screws + plugs in the middle of the board into the joist, pinning the board in that spot, and allowing equal expansion on either end of the board.

We suggest following the recommendations of the manufacturer for the heater/BBQ. When installed correctly, many propane or natural gas fire features will not pose a problem, but not all brands are made the same, and they may radiate heat onto the decking differently. The more barriers between the decking and the heat source you can achieve, the lower your risk of damaging the decking.

Yes! Gazebos are a great addition to your beautiful low-maintenance deck, and they are becoming more and more popular. All of our decking lines can support a gazebo with a proper substructure. Ensure the gazebo is properly supported by the joists underneath.

This process requires a heat blanket system specifically made for deck bending. Heating up Clubhouse PVC boards allows you to get the unique curved styles you’re looking for. You will need to build a guide system to lay the curved board in so it retains the correct shape as it cools down. 

We highly suggest that a professional performs this process. We have contacts who have access to heat blanket systems and specialize in curving Clubhouse boards that we can recommend to you. If you are a deck builder looking to acquire a heat blanket system, we may be able to assist you with that. Please contact us for more information.

Dexerdry is a deck weather-proofing system that fits between the grooves of Clubhouse PVC grooved deck boards. This system water-proofs the surface of the deck, and creates a dry space below for a more livable, lower maintenance, and longer-lasting outdoor deck space.

Dexerdry is perfect for elevated decks with an outdoor living space below that will benefit from the protection against the rain, debris, spills, or snow that may fall through the deck above. For decks that are lower to the ground, Dexerdry helps prevent common issues such as moldy smells and insect breeding grounds.

Learn more about Dexerdry for Clubhouse PVC Decking here.

We recommend using a polypropylene mat or a mat that says that it’s PVC-safe. Make sure it is breathable, and not made of rubber. Rubber mats used on PVC decking can leave white marks underneath. Ensure that water does not get trapped between the mat and the PVC decking, as this can cause discolouration.

The darker colours will get a little bit hotter than the lighter colours. For example, Clubhouse Sandstone or Brookstone will stay cooler than Clubhouse Walnut or Ironwood. It also depends on the amount of shade there will be on the decking material. However, TruNorth Composite Decking will stay cooler than many competing brands of composite decking, and Clubhouse PVC Decking will stay cooler than competing composite and PVC brands, based on professional testing.