Why Doesn't Zuri Decking's Wood Finish Cover the Entire Board?

Posted in: Decks and Patios, Zuri Deck, deck questions, outdoor living spaces, deck materials, decking questions, Premium Zuri decking

James Moylan

Thursday, October 29, 2015

up close of brazilia zuri deck boards with inset deck lighting

Zuri decking in Brazilia trim for a custom pergola and Zuri deck in Potomac, Maryland

Zuri's realistic wood finish does not cover the entire deck board

Within the premium decking industry, Zuri has a very unique construction system used for each board. A large part of what makes that system unique is the photorealistic print. This is essentially a picture that replicates the look of a natural wood. Within that constructed system, however, the photorealistic print doesn’t actually wrap all the way around the entirety of the Zuri board, which isn’t something to be concerned about as a consumer.

Everything you need to learn about Zuri Decking from a pro

Construction Details

Zuri’s unique construction system entails three main parts, and this holds true for every piece of Zuri Premium Decking. Those parts are a cellular PVC substrate with a photorealistic print wrapped on top. An acrylic capstock then finishes off the board. At every stage in the construction process, the board is run through machinery. First a machine extrudes the PVC sheet to the desired width, height, and length, and then another machine adds the photorealistic print on top of that. The last machine adds the acrylic capstock to finish off the product.

Why Does the Photo Not Encircle the Board?

For anyone who has only seen a finished Zuri deck, this question doesn’t often come up. That’s because it’s not evident when viewing a finished product that the photo doesn’t encircle the PVC core. However, for those who have seen individual boards or even those who have seen boards in the midst of the manufacturing process, this issue of the phot print not going all the way around the board can be a common question.

The very simplest answer is this—the photo doesn’t need to wrap all the way around. If wrapping the picture entirely over the PVC substrate core was necessary for quality, aesthetics, or both, that’s how Zuri Premium Decking would approach the manufacturing process. Since it’s not, this step simply isn’t necessary. By virtue of how the rest of the board is constructed, the exposed edges (without the photorealistic print) are never visible on a finished deck.

Saving on Manufacturing Costs

In the manufacturing process, the photorealistic print is applied to the PVC substrate, and this is accomplished via machinery. However, to add the photo print to all four sides would be a costly process. Avoiding those steps helps cut back on manufacturing costs.

Having said that, Zuri is concerned first and foremost with the quality of its premium decking and all product lines. Therefore, the manufacturing step would only be skipped if it didn’t compromise the quality of the finished end product. Zuri has determined that this is the case and that it is safe to eliminate this step without making any sacrifices to the quality of the end product.

Cutting down on costs is obviously good for the company, but it’s also good for those customers interested in Zuri Premium Decking, as lower overhead costs to manufacture the product can translate to lower prices for the consumer.

Avoiding Compromise

Zuri is one of the leading names in high-end premium decking. It doesn’t make compromises when it comes to quality, and that applies equally to aesthetics and durability. If the photorealistic print needed to be manufactured in another way to increase either of those factors—aesthetic appeal or structural durability—the company would change its process.

For more information about the specific manufacturing process of Zuri Premium Decking or any particular method used when creating each board, please contact a representative of Design Builders, Inc.