Real Wood Vs Composite

Ready To Start Building With Wood?

Plastic decking, which is 100 percent recyclable such as Azek, looks like wood. It might expand and contract in certain climates, loosening joints and making decks unstable. Alternatively, composite decking ($4 to $10 per square foot) offers durabilityand attractiveness for minimum maintenance.

Some manufacturers buff each board at the factory to remove any “plastic” sheen. Capped composite decking gives the material added longevity compared to its uncapped counterparts. Decks made from capped composite boards can last for at least 25 to 30 years. The most common question we encounter on Decks.com is, "What is the best composite decking material?" Unfortunately, there isn't a simple answer.

Trex

• Just like the mold, this issue is unpredictable and hard to understand which decking will have problems and which will not.
• If you’re sitting in a deck chair on top of all that plastic, the reflected heat can make you sizzle like the burger on your grill.
• Dark-colored and dense composite decking boards can really heat up in the sun.
• Some composite decking has faded so quickly in just a couple of seasons that replacements boards stand out like a sore thumb.
• Fiberon is a great product and has some great composite decking options in many colors, grain types etc.
• Get composite samples in different colors and set them outside on your deck site.

Several "good," "better," "best" product lines are available, each offering various shades of wood tone and gray decking planks. The best lines offer more realistic wood grain textures and are more resistant to fading. EnvisionEnvision Composite Lumbermanufactures solid decking made from a compression-molded process, which uses lots of heat and pressure to squeeze out air pockets. This makes for very dense and heavy decking boards with deeply textured surfaces. This "lumber" is made entirely from recycled plastics, with no natural wood fibers. The decking boards come with a 25-year limited warranty. Products available includesurface decking, railing, porch, trim, and molding components, and lighting and hardware accessories.

Learn More About Deck Materials

This is actually not a hard process depending on the product you use. Other than that, the annual or biannual cleaning for ipe is no different than that of composite. The fact that it is a rainforest product I'd argue is not a bad thing, but it's too late in the day for that soapbox.

What Is Color Blending?

Both redwood and cedar decking requires an annual power washing and coat of finish every three to four years. A clear wood preservative that contains a water repellent will help protect the wood's surface from the weather and to reduce checking . However, a clear finish won’t prevent redwood or cedar from eventually weathering to a silvery gray color. If you’d like to maintain the wood's natural color, you'll have to apply a semitransparent stain that’s specifically tinted and formulated for use on cedar or redwood. VEKADECK is the best deck board in the entire vinyl decking industry. It’s very difficult to get and they only offer their products to the top decking companies in the country.

Wood Decking Options

Now, several species are available from coast to coast, including garapa, massaranduba, cumaru, red tauari, tigerwood, and ipe. These rich-grained woods are extremely hard, very durable and naturally resistant to rot and insects. PT decking also requires more maintenance than most other decking materials.

Maintenance & Repair