It’s Time to Build a Deck: Wood or Composite?
Wednesday, March 25th, 2015
Spring! Here in East Tennessee, the weather is a little warmer, the daylight lasts a little longer and the flowers are just now gathering the courage to come up out of the ground. Spring is also the time when we start to think about all of the wonderful days of summer coming soon.
Longer days and warmer weather always make us think of enjoying the outdoors. If you are like many folks, you envision spending summer days watching children play and summer evenings eating outside and taking in the restful quiet.
It’s also the time when people take on warm weather projects such as building a new deck or replacing the old one. That used to be a pretty simple endeavor, but these days with many more choices for decking material, the process has become a little more complicated with more materials available.
So, we’d like to clear the air and compare two of the most popular deck building materials, wood and composite lumber. The information comes from
Trends In Decking: Wood vs. Composite, an article by Geoff Case on www.probuilder.com.
Wood Decking
For wood decking alone, there can be many options such as various species of wood and pressured-treated lumber.
When we compare the cost of wood decking versus composite, building a wooden deck is going to be less expensive. However, if you consider the maintenance necessary to keep it up and protected from the weather, it does take considerable time to weather-proof your deck each year.
Special Considerations
So, what are your options when choosing wood decking for your outdoor summer building project? Probably the greatest number of choices in lumber comes in the form of lumber treatments. Mr. Case outlines those options well. Here’s a little information about each one.
Pressure-treated wood:
This lumber is “pressure treated in order to protect it against rot, decay and termites.” Some species take better to being pressure-treated than others.
Chemical treatment:
Many lumber companies use chemicals to treat the lumber as an alternative to pressure treatment.
Water protection:
Water repellant treatment applied to some lumber “reduces the amount of shrinking and swelling the wood will do, thus minimizing the potential for cracking and splitting.” Mr. Case does make a point to say that all wood will still require sealing in order to “protect it from the elements and lengthen its usable life.”
Composite Lumber
Made from what is essentially high-tech plastics, or a wood mixture, composite decking may be a good choice for someone who does not want to have the regular sealing or staining required of wood lumber.
While it costs more than wood, the variety of colors and even the warranties offered for composite may make the difference for some buyers. Another perk: some composite lumber is made with a new non-fade technology called “capped-board technology”.
Special Considerations
In addition to the variety of colors available, composite decking also is made to fasten together easily with just the right amount of spacing for proper ventilation, but without additional fasteners.
If you are hoping to add a deck or other outdoor structure to your home this summer, contact McCamy Construction to help. We’d love to help you make the most of the beautiful weather!
Tags: Construction, Decking, Lumber, Wood
Spring! Here in East Tennessee, the weather is a little warmer, the daylight lasts a little longer and the flowers are just now gathering the courage to come up out of the ground. Spring is also the time when we start to think about all of the wonderful days of summer coming soon.
Longer days and warmer weather always make us think of enjoying the outdoors. If you are like many folks, you envision spending summer days watching children play and summer evenings eating outside and taking in the restful quiet.
It’s also the time when people take on warm weather projects such as building a new deck or replacing the old one. That used to be a pretty simple endeavor, but these days with many more choices for decking material, the process has become a little more complicated with more materials available.
So, we’d like to clear the air and compare two of the most popular deck building materials, wood and composite lumber. The information comes from Trends In Decking: Wood vs. Composite, an article by Geoff Case on www.probuilder.com.
