From Wood to Composite: Choosing the Right Decking Material for Your Lifestyle

Are you adding on to your home? Re-doing an old deck that’s falling apart? Let’s look at deck materials so that you can be sure that you will get the best possible addition to your home! Choosing an improper material can drastically reduce your deck’s life, so discuss your choices and thoughts with a quality contractor like us!

Wood decking can be one of the most stylish and appealing ways to improve your home’s value, while composite decking can provide the same curb appeal with less maintenance. When choosing decking material, you must balance many considerations – let us help you make that decision with our years of experience and expertise!

Why Is It Important to Choose the Right Decking Materials?

We’re not just trying to convince you to upgrade to a pricier decking material. Every material has its pros and cons that will help you decide what to use for your home. Some decking is more weatherproof and will hold up to wetter environments. Other materials might be better for dry weather and won’t crack under the prolonged summer heat. Choosing decking material requires you to think about the full breadth of your home’s experience.

Tailoring your deck to your home’s environment is one of the best signs that your contractor knows what they are doing. When installing or constructing a deck, it can take a lot of time and effort to get it just right. You don’t want to waste that time by seeing your deck fall apart within the year!

How to Choose the Best Decking Material For Your Home

As a homeowner, there are many factors for you to consider for your deck. Whether placing a new addition or replacing a damaged deck, the decking material you choose could be on your home for decades. Considering these materials is tricky, but here are a few significant criteria to prioritize when selecting decking material.

Maintenance Needs

Maintenance is an under-considered aspect of owning a property with a deck. All decks need to be cleaned at least twice a year, but natural wood can be a bit more temperamental. Most wood used in deck installation will resist mold, rot, termites, and other everyday nuisances, but regular monitoring for damage is critical. Regular maintenance may be required to cover your deck under your home insurance.

Splinter Potential

Splintering is a difficulty that all wood decking faces, though some are more prone to this than others. These wooden hazards aren’t just unappealing. They can also cause minor injuries in bare feet and paws. Fast-growing softwoods like pine, cedar, and redwood are known for quick splintering, requiring some care to fix, such as sanding or coating with a sealant.

Weather-Resistance

Weather resistance is an essential consideration, as your deck should be able to withstand the environment in which your home resides. Some natural woods are more resistant to moisture and lots of rain, while others are better suited to dry locations. Or maybe you live in a particularly rough area that suits something artificial to resist everything.

Appearance

Lastly, you should never commit to a deck that you won’t be happy with, appearance-wise. Take the time to consider how natural wood decking will age and weather, causing the vibrant browns or reds to fade. Ask your contractor about how your options will withstand re-staining or even paint to match your home siding. Your deck should be an improvement to your home, not an eyesore!

These are the primary concerns people have with their decks, and the most important ways to consider your new addition. If you have taken the time to think about your priorities and are more confident in your deck’s goals, then it’s time to look at a decking material comparison!

Types of Wooden Decks

Wooden decks are viral thanks to the significant benefits of wood decking: appearance, durability, and ease of working with wood. However, there are several types of wood for you to choose from: pressure-treated wood, softwood, and hardwood.

Pressure-Treated Wood

Pressure-treated wood is the most common and least expensive type of wood decking. These wooden boards are made from pines that need to be treated with chemicals to create an outdoor-friendly material. This wood would be prone to rot and insect damage without this chemical bath.

Pressure-treated lumber is relatively easy to install and work with, though masks and health precautions should be taken around vapors and sawdust. These chemicals can also cause damage to metal fasteners, so only stainless steel hinges and materials should be used.

Softwood Decking (Cedar, Redwood)

Softwood materials like cedar are trendy for outdoor projects. Cedar and Redwood are both naturally high in tannins. This makes them resistant to decay, infestation, and rot without the toxic chemical treatments required by composite and pressure-treated woods.

Cedar does require regular refinishing each year to keep it at its best. Because cedar is a softwood, cedar decking should be made using denser heartwood from the tree’s center rather than sapwood from the outer rings. Redwood is denser but is the least eco-friendly and more expensive option due to redwood forest protections.

Hardwood

Brazilian Walnut and Ipe are growing in popularity thanks to the high-quality and long-lasting decks that they can create. Hardwoods are dense and harder for termites and rot to penetrate, and Ipe and Brazilian Walnut are both high in tannins. There are many types of hardwood used in decks, giving you many options to choose from.

However, hardwoods grow slower, making them less renewable than fast-growing softwoods. These woods also require regular maintenance to prevent fading and are the heaviest, hardest-to-use materials. Additionally, darker hardwoods can heat quickly in the sun, making them less comfortable in the summer.

From pressure-treated wood to natural hardwood, wooden decks are the most popular and common add-ons to give your home. These materials are often used for outdoor construction, thanks to their easy availability and appealing appearance. However, these are not the only materials that are common in decking.

Composite Decking

Composite decking is made from recycled materials such as scrap wood fiber, plastics, and glues. This composite material can look exactly like natural wood but with lower maintenance. Because these materials are often molded, they can have uniform textures for convenient installation or engineered grooves and fastener points, allowing for a more secure and lighter board.

These materials aren’t perfect, though. They tend to be slightly more expensive due to the processing they undergo. Composite decking is prone to mildew, requiring more frequent scrubbing and cleaning. Lastly, these materials are less stiff than natural wood and will flex more in response to temperature changes, which can cause damage if the boards are improperly installed.

PVC Decking

Polyvinylchloride, or PVC Vinyl, is a decking material made entirely from an environmentally safe plastic. This is one of the most long-lasting and durable materials, with little maintenance and no splintering. This material can be made to have a reasonably wood-like appearance. PVC has notable weather resistance – a PVC deck might be the answer if your home is in a high-stress environment, like seaside, arid, or high-moisture.

The drawbacks to PVC decking are notable. Though this decking material is often made to imitate wood, it is not always convincing. Up close, PVC decking is not natural wood fiber. Like composite decking, these systems will move with temperature changes and have complex installation systems to account for this. Lastly, this material is environmentally safe but not environmentally friendly – the production of PVC has many toxic waste by-products.

Choose Your Deck Materials With Green Rhino Builders by Your Side!

Are you ready to get started on your home’s deck? Are you excited to pick from the most durable, long-lasting, and beautiful materials? As a local business, we can provide the most in-depth answers about your home environment and help you choose wood, composite decking, or something entirely unique to match your roof or siding!

Here in Dallas, PA, we experience the full breadth of weather, making decks a tricky business. But with our team of high-quality contracting professionals, we can ensure you will get the best results possible! Call us at (570) 901-1334 to get started on your home upgrade journey with us right next to you!

Resources:

• https://www.thisoldhouse.com/decking/21017499/decking-materials