Composite Decking

Wood decking has historically had an advantage over composites when it comes to summer weather, as composites can become uncomfortably hot in direct sun, give their density. Did you know feet can begin to blister at temperatures as low as 109 degrees Fahrenheit?

Painting or staining your composite deck is unnecessary because it’s already dyed all the way through, and if you start doing this, you will have to keep doing it regularly. Color Changes - You can’t change the color of your composite decking. What you order is what you’ll have for the life of your deck. Angles of deck corners – The more creative your design is, the more it will cost. If your dream deck is the shape of a hexagon rather than a square, all those angle cuts will add to the installation cost at a price of about $60/hour.

Composite Decking From A To Z

What one homeowner sees as being a feature, another may see as a chore. A new homebuyer may look at a pressure treated deck as something that will require work to maintain. Depending on the size and condition of the old deck, this can become a deal-breaker on the sale. As you can see, after just 2-3 years, the additional expense of maintaining a low-cost PT deck starts to encroach on what a high-quality hardwood composite deck would have cost. With none of the mess or headaches to deal with either – composite decks require only sweeping and a quick wash with soap and water between seasons. Based on the price ranges above, the total cost works out to $4,800 to $8,000 for pressure-treated pine and $8,000 to $9,600 for cedar or redwood.

Interesting discussion, particularly zone8's comment about the shaded deck. I always imagined that would require less maintenance than our full sun deck. ;) We have a wood deck in full sun that has to be recoated every single year. The only area that looks slightly worn are the steps there which get more sun of course.

Thus, instead of having to put dozens of options head-to-head, your choice becomes simpler, whether it is cedar vs. composite, redwood vs. composite or treated lumber vs. composite. Check out our comprehensive composite decking comparison pricing chart for the most popular brands available, including the average cost of Trex decking. In my climate PT wood is a huge maintenance item - at least it is if you care what it looks like. I have had to sand the finish off of my decks 2-3 times in the lat 10 years in order to re-finish them. If you do PT wood or even composite decking, I think one thing people neglect is that the underside is not properly done. For instance if its deck over another deck, is it properly waterproofed ? Are stringers being used that give it adequate ventilation, etc.

Quick Summary: Composite Vs Wood Deck Cost

MoistureShield® offers the only wood composite decking that can be installed in the ground, on the ground or underwater. Discover how our Solid Core has helped prevent structural field failures for more than 30 years and why that matters for your outdoor living space. I would like to replace the 20 year old treated pine deck boards with a composite decking material. An extremely slip resistant surface is required since the 16' x 16' sunny deck leads to the front door of my condo in located in SE Wisconsin. The decking you finally choose will come down to the price and the reviews of the different products. To find out more about the different types of decking try composite decking reviews which will list all the main manufactures with reviews of their products. One downside of composite decking other than the high price is that it can get very hot when exposed to direct sunlight.

Composite Decking

The warping is in the wood as yellow pine is more prone to this even though it is a great framing material due to the strength. Trex decking is extremely easy to work with because it weighs 50-60% less than wood. Many different wood species are available for use as decking and railing. Common options at U.S. lumberyards includecedar, redwood and pressure-treated pine lumber. For homeowners interested in exotic wood species, tropical hardwood decking options include tiger wood, ipe (pronounced “EE-pay) and mahogany. Some materials tend to have color fade issues more than others. I spent a lot of time on the GW porches and decks forum, and in the end I went with ipe.

Home Project Costs & Estimates

Other popular brands, such as Trex or TimberTech, also sell quality products on the lower end of the price range. Composite decking costs$4 to $12 per square foot, closely overlapping PVC at $5 to $13 per square foot. Materials made entirely of plastic can stretch and bend over time, shortening their lifespan. I replaced a 16x16 deck with a 6x10 landing 2 year ago for $4800 in materials using all PT except the railing spindles are powder coated aluminum tubes made by Deckorator. I entertained the idea of using AZEK PVC decking to reduce the maintenance but quickly decided against it due to the price. The PVC decking would have basically DOUBLED the cost of the whole deck .

Pros & Cons Of Composite Decking

It’s in these “hidden costs” that buying a higher priced – yet higher quality – item starts to make sense. These pairs show the contrast between new wood deck boards and those that have been exposed to the elements for about two years . Each has tradeoffs in terms of cost, maintenance and appearance. Not real wood - Some composite decking looks cheap and not at all like real wood (other composite looks great, though - brand matters).

No matter if you choose to do the work yourself or hire someone. Weigh the wood deck material options to determine what will work best for your home. But alas, there’s no perfect wood deck material or best outdoor decking material.

• But if you want to relax on your deck instead of work on it, bite the bullet and spend the extra cash.
• Since composite deck material is defect free, you can use every inch.
• It’s more expensive than cedar for a wood deck, but once it’s down, it won’t rot, splinter or twist.
• If near-zero maintenance is your goal, buy composite wood decking.
• Most is made from recycled plastic and wood chips or sawdust.

As we age, that issue will become more and more important to us. The new deck is partly covered, but since it's all one deck, we kept the material the same. It was beautiful, but the maintenance was so high that DH hated it and I resented the amount of time that it took. We lived in a wooded area and it was shaded a lot of the time. You can fasten boards to joists by driving screws through the face or into clips inserted along the edge. Edge-fastening looks good because the screws are hidden, but face-fastening is faster, stronger, and easier to fix. When face-fastening, use screws designed only for composites.