Comparing Composite Vs Wood Decking

Should You Get Wood Or Composite Decking?

Composite decking, on the other hand, is designed to repel liquids, mold, and other materials that leave stains. Also, if something spills on the deck, it can usually be wiped up quickly. You should also be prepared to replace your deck sooner when using wood decking, and this fact alone often makes the initial savings not worth it in the long term. Before choosing to go with lumber just because the initial cost is cheaper, be prepared to put in the additional maintenance and work on your deck. When comparing decking, pricing is one of the few areas where wood decking has an advantage.

Is Composite Decking Cheaper Than Wood Decking?

What's The Right Choice For Your Deck?

“Often people fall into the hope that their deck is going to look like floorboards inside,” says Rod Aulburn, owner of Sydney company Get Decked Out. The deck pictured here was built using capped Fiberon boards in Ipe with the dining zone picked out in Tudor. Most timber decking alternatives are known as ‘composite’ decking, and are a wood-plastic hybrid. These include brand names such as ModWood, Trex , CleverDeck and Ekodeck. Other alternatives are fibre-cement decking boards, and timber that’s been chemically modified to resist weathering and decay.

• Rust and rot free, Aluminum provides a lasting deck that needs little maintenance and upkeep.
• Generally speaking, the average price of a wood decking suitable for outdoor use is US$15-25 per square foot, while that of wood plastic composite decking is USD$30-45 per square foot.
• For most homeowners, they need to consider the cost of replacing outdoor decks.
• If you compare the installation costs of patios vs. decks, it is quite clear that patios are generally cheaper, but that’s just half the story.
• The cost of materials for Aluminum comes in at an average of around $10 per square foot, and depending upon the results that you are looking for aluminum may be the choice.
• Depending on the materials used, it is still possible for patios to cost more to install than decks.

What’s more, patio slabs are prone to cracking outright, which means a complete replacement. Vinyl might also be a good choice for low maintenance decking, as again, it’s not going to need the treatments and coatings that you’d expect to give a few planks of wood. For example, vinyl is at risk of getting pretty hot in the sun, can get scorching underfoot, and it’s at real risk of cracking and splintering apart.

Share your experiences in the Comments below, like this story, save your favourite images and join the conversation. Unlike the plastic-wood composites, fibre-cement decking does need to be sealed with either a good-quality water-based paving paint or a penetrating sealer. “Design-wise it’s really flexible, because you can paint it any colour you like or it can be stained to look like timber,” says Whymark. Finished with a clear sealer, it will look like polished concrete.

TimberTech has engineered certain formulations of their composite decking products to minimize heat build-up, so they’re cooler under your feet. If you are building a deck that will be in direct sunlight all day you may want to choose a lighter composite finish so that it won’t absorb as much of the sun’s heat. I have been looking into upgrading to composite decking and feel like it might be the right choice for us. Our deck is made of wood and has not held up well over time. There are boards that are rotting and we will definitely have to replace it within the next year. Your composite deck may not warp, but it can sag and buckle. Most sagging is caused by improper spacing between the joists when it is installed.

What Is The Most Durable Decking Material?

The market for alternative decking materials has exploded over the past few years, and there are a multitude of different products available, at a wide range of price points. If you’d like to enjoy next summer from your brand new deck, now is the time to start planning and get it built.

I don’t want to re-paint until I know what’s causing it otherwise it’s just covering up the problem. Most composite decks have special textures which make them slip resistant when wet. Wood decks on the other hand lack this feature and can get quite slippery especially if there’s a thin layer of mold growing on them.

Now, Lets Talk About Composite Decking:

Unlike real wood, you won’t need to strip, sand, seal, or stain it. Once it’s installed, you can get a long life from it with little maintenance other than regular cleaning. Nova’s products are highly durable and sustainably sourced, so you can trust their products are strong, resilient and built to last while also coming from ethical sources. Now that you've learned the many benefits to hardwood decking, you may be wondering which provider to go with.

After our list, we set out an extensive list of example products you can check out. Both wood and composite decks can be customized in color, but the amount of work required is vastly different between the two. At Keystone Custom Decks, we have seen composite decking live up to its hype. Unless they are abused or mistreated, composite materials do not scratch over time.