InfiniTree vs WPC Comparison
| Property | WPC – Wood Plastic Composites | InfiniTree |
| Appearance | Although WPCs contain wood they do not exhibit the colour grains or smooth texture of finished wood. Often, WPCs are covered in a heavy embossed texture to mask their gritty appearance. | InfiniTree appears like real finished wood, embossed or not. Consumers, Customs officials and Arborist often have to be convinced InfiniTree is not wood. |
| Structure | Due to their composite nature WPCs are open to absorb moisture. | Closed cell homopolymer polystyrene that does not absorb water. |
| Mold | Mold and Mildew grows on damp surfaces. Mold colonies will grow ideally where there is a constant source of moisture and the temperature is between 40 and 90° F. WPCs readily absorb moisture into the wood fibres that are often dried prior to manufacturing. | InfiniTree’s polystyrene structure does not absorb water so it is not susceptible to mold. |
| Termites | WPCs contain wood and absorb water so depending on their constitution, termites my be a problem for WPCs. | InfiniTree is impervious to termites as it contains no wood fibre or “food”. |
| Weatherproofing | WPCs are known to fade drastically after short exposure to harmful UV rays. | InfiniTree does not fade. Independent lab UV exposure testing shows a colour change of less than 2 (Delta E) after 1500 hrs (equivalent to 5 years) of UVCON exposure. The average consumer cannot detect a colour change (Delta E) of less than 2. |
| Swelling / Warping / Staining | WPCs can swell, discolour and stain from moisture absorption. | InfiniTree does not absorb water so it does not swell or warp from fluid retention. |
| Workability | WPCs can be cut, sanded and screwed like wood. | InfiniTree can we cut, sanded and screwed like wood. |
| Painting and Sealing | WPCs can be both painted and sealed. Priming may be required due to the wood content. | InfiniTree can be both painted and stained without priming. |