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Latest update is I sent an e-mail to customer service rep at Timbertech that we have been dealing with along with pictures of our deck.

Asked for reimbursement of materials for floor boards Desert Bronze and now railings that have gone white.

Do not want replacement as we don't want more bad product and go through the mess of replacement again and again..which I know will happen....

Deck looks awful. Our house is on corner and everyone can see deck and not good for Timbertech but they continue to sell defective product and come up with excuses why...bad run, wrong cleaner used, etc, etc. blah, blah.

Ball is in their court now...see what happens.

I've posted this before - but doesn't seem to show up under this subject. Also, when you click on any of the 54 threads, it always takes you back to one from 2008 - and not the others.

I wish we had done this research BEFORE we had TimberTech (Desert Bronze) installed, through recommendation of contractor & supply house. Ours is a narrow small deck, L-shaped. March 2010 had work done, removed wood decking, replaced with TT XLM Desert Bronze. Installers did beautiful job. By end of 2010 summer, we were seeing white 'fading'. By Apr/May/June 2011 - large sections turning WHITE! Our contractor now out of business - but fellow who worked for him & did our job now on his own. Both he and the supply house said they heard of this problem with the Desert Bronze color, and it had RECALLS. I haven't seen anything about recalls posted - but color was replaced with Harvest Bronze. But I see that OTHER colors are having same problem. Is it the whole TimberTech Line of products? Thanks goodness we had filed for the warranty right after installation in Spring 2010. We contacted TT, Claims - filled out all the paperwork they sent along with original invoices and about 10 pictures. Spoke with girl a few days ago, who said that they are so surprised because they test extensively all products and she didn't know how this 'color' problem slipped by them. She said to wait to hear back from them, but 'they are having luck' with some liquid 'color restorer' or 'dye' that WE have to mop on everywhere and it should restore the color. I told her ' it's PLASTIC ' How does PLASTIC absorb dye - and since we have warranty for NO MAINTENANCE - why do we have to do this - ONE year after installation? Spoke with our original installer and supply house - and they said to keep discussing with TT - because the colorant material will burn off - and we will have to do this annually for the life of the deck, and it will keep turning white. I see some people had theirs fully replaced, material & labor. Others just material, some just the liquid. Someone said everyone should join a CLASS ACTION SUIT against TT for this product. In fact one post gave a site at yahoo.com - and I tried it - but it doesn't exist. At least I couldn't find it. We are still awaiting final reply from TT - and I am hoping that they will make good on a DEFECTIVE PRODUCT and replace the whole deck. Even THAT is a pain - to have to go through all that construction of ripping out and replacing. Especially if you don't know if the NEW color or product will turn white within a year too. If anyone knows how to sign up for a Class Action Suit please advise ? Good luck to everyone.

ALB PA

Quoting the girl at TT who you talked to.

"Didn't know the color problem...it slipped by them."

UNBELIEVABLE....there will come a time when they will run out of excuses. That's a new one...and recalls? Never happened or all of us on here that have had problems would have gotten a recall notice. Another excuse.

Every excuse has been different and that's the problem. They refuse to accept the fact they produce defective product.

I wouldn't use the dye at all! Could be the same stuff they apply after cleaning with Deckmax and look at my deck...now all black.

I just want our money back then my nightmare with Timbertech will be over.

Magster

I have been following this thread since I saw yoman32 post it in 2008. XLM was a great looking product when introduced and as a contractor, I saw it sell well. When the product began to fail, I heard the product wasn't tested well or long enough and material suppliers over promised on the darker colors. It pains me to read these stories almost as much as having to replace the "decks gone bad". This product was (is) expensive and to have so much of it fail is crazy.
I've read the mention of class action suits and I suspect none has been successfully started because Timbertech has been replacing materials and some labor for over 3 years "in good faith". The suggested fixes to existing XLM decks are laughable. At least to someone who doesn't own one anymore. The white won't ever go away because it's in the material, the black is a surprise to me, but appears to be from the coating/stain Timbertech recommends to get rid of the white. Believe me, dealers are not happy either and some have dropped XLM or Timbertech altogether. As for Azek, Fibron, Trex and others, a lot of the base material for dark colored PVC comes from the same manufacturers. The lighter colors didn't ever get the notice that the darker colors did when they faded a bit, because it wasn't as noticeable. In my opinion, dark colors in PVC decking aren't ready for primetime. Good luck!

Had XLM Harvest Bronze installed in July. After one week, there were discoloration areas all over the decking surface. It has now been about a month and these areas are now spreading. Filed a warranty claim a week ago.

Same story as most people here. Started w/XML Mountain Cedar in Fall 2009, by end of Summer 2010 it was turning white. After contacting TT they first tried to make me buy that liquid restorer ($100/gallon); eventually they sent me a gallon to try. Within 2 weeks the parts of the deck where I used the liquid were turning black. Every time I contact TT they make it seem as if my deck turning white (and then black) is totally unusual; my rep even asked me to send pictures of the deck turning black so he could "show the people who make that stuff that it doesn't work", really? do these people think we're idiots? do they really expect us to believe that they have no email? (like another person stated earlier).
I'd rather get my money back (parts and my labor) than have them replace it with something that will fail again (and won't match my railing/balusters, which are wood and were painted to match the Mountain Cedar planks).
I keep hearing about a class action suit, anyone involved with it that can give us some guidance?

I first reported my TT mountain cedar turning white on May 12, 2011.

I contacted my contractor who got his supplier to send out representatives from TT after I completed and mailed in the preliminary complaint documents and pictures.

After about a month, I received a letter stating that TT would replace the material and reimburse me for about 60% of the labor - based on my contractors estimate. After some negotiating, all but $200 of my labor cost was covered.

In hopes of not having to go thru this again, we switched the decking color to sandridge. Unfortunately, the rail top was replaced with mountain cedar since sandridge was not readily available.

We now have a two-toned deck which is actually rather striking.

I'll report back a year from now - I hope not soooner -as to how the new material is holding up.

4 weeks and counting since we sent Timbertech an e-mail on the recurring problems with their product.

Maybe a letter from a lawyer would work?

Anyone have any more information on Class Action Suit?

This company is unbelievable!!

i'm still installing my xlm deck and the toploc screws are turning white with corrosion after less then two weeks! i don't live anywhere near salt water. anyone had this issue or heard of this issue? TT claims they have never seen it.