The brand-deep estimator for MoistureShield's wholly-encapsulated composite — the only composite where the polymer cap covers every face of the board (top + bottom + sides + ends). Result: ICC-ES rated for permanent water immersion, lifetime structural warranty on flagship Meridian, CoolDeck heat-reduction in dark tones, and zero water absorption. Pick a line — Meridian / Vision / Vantage / Elevate — pick a color, get a real BoM with CoolClip box count, optional Pro Plug face-screw, optional Lighting, and a 4-line auto-comparison.
IRC R312 requires 36″ guardrail above 30″.
IRC R312 requires 36″ guardrail above 30″. 40 lf of MoistureShield Pinnacle (aluminum) priced at $158/lf.
MoistureShield Meridian capped composite. Register at moistureshielddecking.com/warranty within 30 days of install.
MoistureShield CoolClip — 180 clips per box, 90 sqft coverage. Highest coverage-per-box in the industry (2× Trex TUHF or TimberTech CONCEALoc). Box price $132.
MoistureShield retail pricing 2026-Q1 (Lowe's Pro + MoistureShield Authorized Dealer channel).
Photoreal 3D · plan view · framing breakdown. Color matches the MoistureShield Meridian Sable variant.
MoistureShield's authorized dealer network — opens moistureshielddecking.com.
Within 30 days of install. Need board serial numbers + install date.
Open the Composite Deck Cost Calculator to A/B MoistureShield against Trex, TimberTech, Deckorators at the same dimensions.
Estimates use 2026-Q1 national-median pricing (Lowe's Pro + MoistureShield Authorized Dealer channel). Expect ±15% variance. DeckMath is not affiliated with MoistureShield; brand names are trademarks of their respective owners.
How to use
Meridian (flagship, lifetime structural + 50-yr fade, CoolDeck dark colors), Vision (premium, 50-yr structural + 30-yr fade), Vantage (mid-tier, 30-yr / 30-yr), Elevate (value, 25-yr / 25-yr). All four lines are wholly-encapsulated — that's MoistureShield's whole-product story.
Up to 6 colors per line. Meridian + Vision dark tones include CoolDeck heat-reduction (20-30°F cooler than uncapped composite at the same shade). Heat rating icons show the surface-temperature expectation in 90°F sun.
Length × width in feet. Pattern matters: parallel (7% waste, 1.0× labor), picture-frame (12%, 1.18×), diagonal (15%, 1.12×). Calculator quantizes board count using MoistureShield's stocked 12/16/20 ft.
CoolClip hidden-clip is the default — 180 clips per $132 box, covers ~90 sqft at 16″ OC. Pro Plug (50 plugs per $34 pack) is the face-screw alternative using Starborn coated screws with color-matched plug.
Pinnacle (aluminum, $158/lf installed), Cordial (composite, $92/lf), Essential (value composite, $56/lf), or no railing.
Post-cap + riser LED kit with 100W transformer + low-voltage wiring. Pair with Pinnacle aluminum railing for the cleanest sightline.
Materials breakdown, 4-line auto-compare, project all-in totals box, IRC compliance flags including the water-immersion + lifetime-warranty advisories. Save link, export PDF, embed.
Material guide
Three honest paths. Composite wins the 25-year math for most homeowners, wood wins on upfront cost, and PVC is unbeatable around water. Each card below answers in one glance — recalculate the bill of materials by clicking a brand in the picker above.
How we calculate
The MoistureShield Deck Calculator is the brand-deep estimator for MoistureShield's wholly-encapsulated composite decking (Oldcastle APG). The distinctive engineering story: MoistureShield is the ONLY composite where the polymer cap encloses every face of the board — top + bottom + sides + ends — instead of just the walking surface. That gives it the only composite rating for water immersion and ground contact, plus a lifetime structural / 50-yr fade & stain warranty on the flagship Meridian line (the industry's longest composite warranty). Four lines are covered: Meridian (flagship), Vision (premium), Vantage (mid), Elevate (value). Pricing reflects 2026-Q1 retail at Home Depot + MoistureShield authorized dealers. The calculator returns a real BoM with CoolClip hidden-fastener box count, optional Pro Plug face-screw alternative, optional MoistureShield Lighting, plus a 4-line side-by-side comparison.
Per-LF retail prices reflect 2026-Q1 MoistureShield pricing at Lowe's Pro + MoistureShield Authorized Dealer channel. CoolClip + Pro Plug specs from MoistureShield install manuals. Lifetime structural warranty + 50-yr fade & stain per MoistureShield Meridian warranty terms. Water-immersion rating per ICC-ES evaluation report.
Rows = ceil(width × 12 ÷ (5.5 + 0.125)) — MoistureShield board face is 5.5″ with 1/8″ install gap. Waste % is pattern-driven.
Each CoolClip box ships 180 clips and covers ~90 sqft at 16″ joist on-center. Total clips = boards × (length × 12 ÷ 16 + 1). Loose remainder priced at $1.35 each.
Each Pro Plug pack ships 50 color-matched plugs and covers ~50 sqft. Used when fastener mode = Pro Plug (face-screw with hidden plug aesthetic).
Composite installs are 25% slower than face-screwed PT (clip-system sequencing + thermal-gap discipline). Pattern + shape multipliers compound. Region multiplier from RSMeans 2026-Q1.
Railing posts go every 6 ft. One post-cap LED per post; one riser light per stair tread; one 100W transformer per project.
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People also ask
MoistureShield wraps the polymer cap around every face of the board — top, bottom, both sides, both ends. Every other composite (Trex, TimberTech, Fiberon, Deckorators) only caps the walking surface and sometimes the sides; the bottom and end-cuts of those boards are exposed wood-fiber core that can wick moisture over time. Wholly-encapsulated boards don't have that exposure path, which is why MoistureShield is the only composite ICC-ES rated for permanent water immersion (boat docks, pool decks at waterline) and direct ground contact. It also means the boards don't gain weight in humid climates the way other composites can.
On the Meridian line, yes — the structural component carries a lifetime structural warranty against rot, splitting, splintering, and termites. Fade & stain is 50 years on Meridian (industry-longest). Vision is 50-yr structural + 30-yr fade. Vantage is 30/30. Elevate is 25/25. All transferable to a new homeowner one time at no charge. Register at moistureshield.com/warranty within 30 days of install for full coverage.
$48-78 per square foot installed depending on line + pattern + complexity. A 16×20 (320 sqft) deck in Elevate with Cordial composite rail and 4 stairs lands around $17,500 nationally; the same deck in Meridian with Pinnacle aluminum rail and lighting lands around $29,000. Multiply by ~0.92× South or ~1.28× West Coast. The calculator outputs a project-low to project-high range based on regional labor and contingency.
CoolDeck is MoistureShield's heat-reduction technology — engineered to keep the board surface 20-30°F cooler than uncapped composite at the same color tone. Mandatory across all dark colors in Meridian and Vision. Vantage and Elevate do not carry CoolDeck — their dark tones will run hotter (about the same as a comparable dark Trex Enhance). For barefoot-friendly decks in hot climates, pick Meridian or Vision regardless of price tier.
MoistureShield's hidden-fastener clip system for grooved boards. Each box ships 180 clips and covers ~90 sqft at 16″ joist on-center spacing. Box price is $132; loose clips $1.35 each. The clip nests into the board's edge groove and screws into the joist, leaving a clean screw-free surface. Coverage-per-box is higher than Trex TUHF (50 sqft) or AZEK CONCEALoc (50 sqft), making CoolClip one of the most cost-effective hidden fasteners on the market per square foot.
Yes — that's the standout claim. The ICC-ES report confirms MoistureShield is rated for permanent water immersion, which means you can use it for boat dock decking with the boards touching the water line during high tide. The framing still needs to be marine-rated (typically pressure-treated UC4B or thermally-modified wood); the MoistureShield boards themselves are immersion-rated. No other major-brand composite has this rating.
Meridian is the flagship — lifetime structural warranty (vs Vision's 50-yr), 50-yr fade & stain (vs Vision's 30-yr), and a deeper multi-tonal color palette including Sable + Royal CoolDeck darks. Vision is the workhorse premium line — 50-yr structural is still excellent, slightly less expensive, and the same CoolDeck heat-reduction story. If you plan to keep the deck 20+ years, the warranty premium on Meridian pays for itself. If you're a 10-year horizon, Vision is the sweet spot.
Yes, in independent solar-reflectance testing the CoolDeck variants of dark colors measure 20-30°F cooler at the surface than non-CoolDeck darks in 90°F full sun. Sable + Royal Meridian darks read about 145-155°F surface; uncapped dark composite at the same tone reads 170-180°F. CoolDeck doesn't make the deck COLD — it just keeps it from being uncomfortable underfoot in summer.
Three channels: Home Depot stocks Elevate and parts of Vantage; Lowe's stocks Vision and partial Meridian; MoistureShield Authorized Dealers (moistureshield.com/where-to-buy) carry the complete palette including Meridian Sable + Royal CoolDeck darks, plus Pinnacle aluminum railing in stock. Pro Dealer lead times are 2-3 weeks but full palette access.
Three differentiators: (1) MoistureShield is wholly-encapsulated, Trex and TimberTech composites are top-and-sides-only capped; (2) MoistureShield Meridian carries a lifetime structural warranty vs Trex 25-yr / TimberTech composite 30-yr; (3) CoolDeck heat reduction is on by default in Meridian + Vision. Trex has the deepest brand recognition + color palette breadth; TimberTech has the broader composite + PVC lineup. Pick MoistureShield when water exposure or warranty length matters most.
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