I thought those new composite shims were just a gimmick until a job in Bend

I was working on a big deck rebuild in Bend, Oregon last fall and the lead guy insisted we use these plastic composite shims instead of cedar. I rolled my eyes, thinking they'd crush or slip. We had to level a 16-foot beam that was over an inch out, and after driving in maybe 30 of them with my nail gun, I was shocked. They didn't split, they held the weight without compressing, and the pack said they were weatherproof, which mattered with the rain we get. It totally changed my mind on using old materials just because they're familiar. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a difference on exterior work?

2 comments

2 Comments

williamh487h ago

Old cedar never rots like plastic will.

michael_jones4h ago

That "old cedar" line reminds me of the cedar chest in my grandma's attic, still solid after 60 years.