Decking and railing continues to gain industry attention, as the outdoor living experience remains a high priority for homeowners when considering remodeling projects. The backyard is an extension of the home and provides the owner with a place for leisure and entertainment, along with increased home resale value in the future.
“Steady demand for decking and railing provides an opportunity for manufacturers as well as all participants in the supply chain, regardless of product types or channels to market, according to Steve Van Kouteren, a Principal at Principia. Our early estimates indicate that North American residential decking and railing demand will rise 4.5% annually through 2018, to 3.5 billion linear feet valued at nearly $5 billion. Growing demand due to the recovering housing industry combined with consumer preference for better performing products will continue to push technology advances in product development and interest from new entrants, from wood to synthetics.”
The share battle between wood and synthetics continues within decking. Wood share has grown over the past five years during the economic slowdown, but sales of wood alternative decking have more recently improved with a stronger economy and increased discretionary spending. In addition, the availability of a range of products along a good- better-best lineup of price and performance has enticed consumers to upgrade from wood to synthetics. Railing can differentiate any decking project and generates higher margins for everyone through the value chain. Consequently, manufacturers have developed better designed and customizable systems, and non-traditional materials such as aluminum have become popular among homeowners.
An altered supplier-distributor landscape in wood alternative decking and railing during the past couple of years has led to new relationships that are still developing traction in the dealer market. Additional realignment opportunities for manufacturers and distributors exist, offering share-gain opportunities in certain markets.
Residential Decking and Railing 2015 is Principia’s latest report on this market, and provides a baseline analysis for business planning for industry participants. Using 2014 as its launch point, the study is founded upon primary research that includes probing voice of the customer interviews and surveys conducted among more than 750 value chain participants and will identify the best growth opportunities through 2017, strategies for value creation and competitive advantage, and the changes in distribution channels serving the decking and railing market.
Subscribers also have access to Principia’s proprietary market model and forecast tool. This powerful new web-based tool is designed around best practices of data visualization and usability. The online platform enables users to log in from any desktop or mobile device to access all of the data from the report, with the added ability to instantly customize the data views and integrate with their own information.
Residential Decking and Railing 2015 launches in the first quarter of 2015 and is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2015.