INDUSTRY Trends By David Koenig
STATE-OF-THE-ART decking MonaDeck descended from RampX, an ultra-durable surface material invented for nationally televised extreme sporting events in the late 1990s.
Gnarly new decking begins to get traction
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ooking for decking that can take a pounding yet also offers elite traction, even in wet weather? What if there were a material that was as sturdy and slip-resistant as a pro skateboard ramp? Well, that’s the thinking of Joel Klippert, the inventor of MonaDeck, a next generation, ceramic-coated composite decking that traces its roots to BMX and skateboarding events of the late 1990s. “The technology was originally developed for the extreme sports in-
BOB BURNQUIST, the most decorated skateboarder of all time, on a corkscrew ramp made of RampX, the forerunner of MonaDeck.
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dustry,” Klippert says. “I was asked to make a product that would be totally weatherproof and still have good traction while being wet.” He bonded a recycled wood/bamboo fiber with a bio-based resin system made from cashew nut oil, creating the underlying technology of RampX. It proved itself sustainable, durable, weatherproof and ready for any punishment the pro athletes of the world could lay down. A few years later, he expanded to the cladding market, developing an outer layer that gave the product a pattern and then building in UV protection. Decking seemed to be the next natural step, but—pricewise at least—he was ahead of his time. “We made a line of decorative deck products for one very big client, but the cost was crazy high so we set the product on the shelf for the past decade,” Klippert says. “Five years ago, I decided to revisit (decking) as the market has changed a lot. We also had a new ceramic additive that would make the product extremely abrasion resistant.
n Building Products Digest n February 2022
All the plastic products and even wood for that matter have gotten much more expensive. Our goal was to have it retail at $20 a sq. ft. or less, and we are at a MSRP of $16 and that isn’t crazy high anymore.” After two years of testing in the field, Monarch Technologies formally introduced MonaDeck at last fall’s DeckExpo, featuring 1/2” thickness, 12” width, and a unique texture that simulates “100-year-old bandsaw-cut wood.” It’s one of a few textures currently offered, with a new stone pattern set to launch next month. The super-hard ceramic overlay simulates the look and feel of wood, while providing high scratch resistance and a high-res realistic finish. The extra-wide planks are another selling feature, particularly among women. “The 12” wide planks are very different looking than all other decking,” Klippert explains. “It appeals very much to women who want a more contemporary and rustic look and feel.” In addition to decking, the product can also be used as cladding, interior Building-Products.com
