<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">New Generation Decks are the Latest Trend in Outdoor Living</font></h2><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">(ARA) – Summer will be here before you know it. Are you planning on travel for your vacation? Thanks to the rising cost of oil, this summer many Americans will be staying close to home rather than purchasing expensive plane tickets or spending a small fortune on a road trip. Instead, people are expected to invest in upgrades to their outdoor living space at home.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt"><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/17c.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/17c.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div></span></p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Among the projects expected to be popular are landscaping, adding water features and if there isn’t one already, adding a deck.<span>  </span>"Fortunately, those being built today are a lot more advanced than the decks a lot of people remember from their youth. They are easier to take care of, and made of superior materials that are designed to last a long time," says Dan Gauthier, director of consumer products for Universal Forest Products, one of the nation’s fastest growing composite deck material producers. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">One of the company’s most popular lines is Latitudes Decking and Railing (<a href="http://www.latitudesdeck.com/">www.latitudesdeck.com</a>). It is a wood-thermoplastic composite material made from a mix of recycled wood fiber and post-industrial high-density polyethylene, and appears natural in both look and feel.<span>   </span></p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Latitudes boards have a reversible brushed/woodgrain finish and come in a variety of lengths and colors. Color is added to the mixture during the Latitudes manufacturing process, bonding it to the boards so they won’t fade, crack or peel. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Gauthier recommends Equator Hidden Fasteners (<a href="http://www.equatorfastener.com/">www.equatorfastener.com</a>), which install quickly and easily from the top of the deck. Once in place, their innovative design allows for the expansion and contraction on the length and width that naturally occurs with composites. In addition, they automatically space the deck boards with the proper gap, eliminating guess-work. And, because there are no visible fasteners, the deck is blemish-free and barefoot friendly. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">"When the deck is finished, our Latitudes ornamental railings and decorative post caps make great decorative finishes," says Gauthier, "and with so many options to choose from, it’s easy to create a one-of-a-kind look." Latitudes offers a number of different railing systems, baluster and post cap options that match the composite boards they offer.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/18a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/18a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">For more information about Latitudes Decking and Railing, log on to <a href="http://www.latitudesdeck.com/">www.latitudesdeck.com</a> . Information about Equator Hidden Fasteners can be found at <a href="http://www.equatorfastener.com/">www.equatorfastener.com</a> . Both sites feature installation instructions and store locators. </p>  <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">Courtesy of ARAcontent</span></p></span>