What is the Best Material for Outdoor Decks?
If you want to build a new deck in your yard, choosing the right material is very important. There are many different deck materials to choose from. Each material has its own maintenance requirements, long-term costs, and total investment value.
Traditional wood decks and composite decks are both types of decking materials. However, not all deck materials are the same. To make the best investment for your home, you need to find a deck material that suits your lifestyle. Knowing the different types of decking materials can help you make the best choice.
- Composite Decking: It has the appearance of solid wood and is usually made from a mixture of wood fibers and plastic.
- Hardwood and Premium Softwood: It is usually made from Ipe, cedar, or redwood.
- Pressure-treated Wood: It is usually made from pine and is pressure-treated.
- PVC Decking: It is usually made from polypropylene (PP) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
More Durable & Waterproof Composite Decking CPD-05
EVODEK unique two-tone art color technology gives you a stunning natural wood look so you can enjoy the great outdoors.
Table of Contents
Composite Decking
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High performance | Higher upfront costs |
| Low-maintenance | Require cleaning, which can be more rigorous with an uncapped composite deck |
| Sustainable | Can be susceptible to mold and mildew (only if uncapped) |
If you want a high-performance option that requires little maintenance, then a composite deck may be the best choice for you. With their many different colors and surface textures, composite decks can be matched to the design style of different types of houses.
Composite decking is made from recycled plastic and wood fibers in roughly equal proportions. EVODEK composite decking board is made from up to 80% recycled materials. If you care about the environment, this means you can build an environmentally friendly deck that looks like wood.
For common composite decking, you have two options:
- Uncapped Composite Decking: This is the more common type of composite decking, which is made entirely of composite material.
- Capped Composite Decking: This type of composite decking also has a core made of composite material. However, the surface is made of a high-performance polymer for protection. This means that capped composite decking will look and function better in the future because it is better protected.
A mixture of recycled plastic and wood fibers gives the composite decking greater weather resistance. Even uncapped composite decking has better water and mildew resistance than wood decking. The advantages of capped composite decking are even more obvious. In addition, composite decking is also good at repelling stains and can be cleaned with mild soapy water.
In terms of price, composite decking is usually more expensive than traditional wood decking. It is important to note that composite decking has a longer lifespan and the advantage of being low maintenance. So you can spend less time maintaining your deck and more time enjoying it.
Hardwood and Premium Softwood
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Natural look and feel | High-maintenance |
| Generally strong | High costs |
| Will deteriorate over time |
When you’re thinking about building a deck, the first thing that probably comes to mind is traditional wood. That’s because they’re strong and can give your deck the natural look you want. Different types of wood can be used to create traditional wood decks, from softwood to hardwood.
Hardwood Decks
Hardwood is one of the high-quality woods that can be used to make decks. Most often, this wood is teak, but it can also be mahogany, tigerwood, or other rare hardwoods. Although hardwoods last longer than softwoods, they can still lose some of their value over time due to factors such as water damage and weathering.
Due to their high density, valuable hardwoods like Ipe are very strong and can last a long time. However, they can quickly turn from brown to grey when exposed to UV light. In addition, hardwoods are usually more expensive upfront than some wood and composite decks. However, it may require regular maintenance to maintain its appearance.
Softwood Decking
Another type of wood that can be used to build a deck is softwood, which includes species such as cedar and redwood. In addition, softwood decks do not retain their value over time. The reason for this is that softwood is not as protective as composite and hardwood. They therefore require more maintenance and replacement costs over time.
Generally speaking, a wooden deck requires some maintenance work to keep it in good condition:
- Staining: Staining the deck every few years will prevent the wood from fading and make it last longer.
- Sealing: Applying a clear or semi-clear sealer to the deck boards forms a temporary barrier that prevents water from penetrating.
These maintenance tasks are important for prolonging the appearance and lifespan of your wooden deck. You need to seal it again every one to three years and sand and paint it again every two to five years. As you can see, if you want a low-maintenance deck, a wooden deck may not be the best choice.
In terms of price, a traditional wooden deck seems to be the better choice. However, in addition to the initial cost of building the deck, the subsequent maintenance costs of a wooden deck can also be high. Furthermore, regular maintenance will not prevent a wooden deck from deteriorating over time. You will therefore have to buy new boards, which will increase your deck budget.
Pressure-treated Wooden Decking
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Cheaper upfront costs | Need to be sealed and stained often |
| Natural look and feel | Tend to warp and crack |
| Can withstand mold and insects for a short amount of time. | Higher maintenance costs |
Pressure-treated wood is another popular option for wooden decking. This type of wood (usually pine) is placed in a chamber. The chamber then applies pressure to the wood, which is finally sealed to make it safe.
Most people consider this to be one of the best ways to protect traditional softwood decks. It prevents the boards from rotting. Pressure treatment offers more security than staining and sealing.
Although pressure treatment may sound magical, it does not turn wood into an inorganic material. And all organic materials will rot. When wood is exposed to moisture over a long period of time, it will eventually get wet, moldy, and rot.
In addition, the long-term value of these decking materials is lower. This is because these decking materials are not as well-protected as other materials. Therefore, over time, more maintenance or replacement costs will eventually accumulate.
On the other hand, pressure-treated wood is generally less expensive. Therefore, it attracts people who are looking for more affordable decking materials. However, the maintenance of these wooden decks can be a problem. This material is prone to warping, cracking, and rotting over time, which can lead to high maintenance costs.
PVC Decking
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low-maintenance | Higher upfront costs |
| High performance | Less recycled material than composite |
| Real wood look |
PVC decking is usually made entirely from a polymer blend, most commonly polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride. PVC decking without any wood is the best kind.
This decking material is perfect for long-term use. It lasts longer and requires less maintenance. In addition, you can choose from a wide range of styles and colors for PVC decking.
PVC decking is a good choice if you want something that will last. This is especially true if you want to place it in a damp area. You can walk on it barefoot without it getting hot. So you don’t have to worry about the summer sun.
If environmental protection is important to you, PVC decking boards usually have less recycled material than composite decking boards. In terms of price, PVC decking is one of the more expensive options. However, it is comparable to or even less expensive than high-end hardwood.
How to Choose the Best Decking Material?
To choose the best decking material, you need to consider how you want your deck to look. This depends on how you plan to use it and how much time you have to maintain it.
We know that price and maintenance are two of the most important things people consider when choosing a decking material. For us, the less maintenance required, the more technologically advanced the material.
This is because composite materials can be durable in harsh weather. So think about your situation and the demands of building a deck. This will help you choose the most suitable decking material.
| Composite | Hardwoods and Softwoods | Pressure-Treated | PVC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My deck will be by the water | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| I want a low-maintenance deck | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| I want my deck to last a long time | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| I don’t want to spend much money | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| I want to stay cool | No | No | No | Yes |
| I want style and color options | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| I want a natural-looking deck | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| My deck will have a lot of foot traffic | Yes | No | Yes |
Summary
Want a truly low-maintenance life? You can choose a decking material that doesn’t require much maintenance. For example, composite decking or PVC decking. If price is important to you, pressure-treated wood and some composites are usually the cheapest decking materials.
Deciding which decking material to use when setting up your outdoor living space can be difficult. You want to be sure that your investment will add value to your home. EVODEK composite deck offers the advantages of low maintenance and high performance. They will retain their good looks for years to come, thereby increasing the value of your home.
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