When Comparing Decking Prices, Think Quality First

There are so many different decking options available; natural hardwood decking, pressure treated decking, composite decking, PVC decking. And, when you dig deeper into each category, there are different species, makes, and compositions that are enough to make your head spin. Often times, you might lean on a contractor to tell you which decking material to choose. However, the problem with this is that some contractors are actually paid by decking companies to sell you their product and trash the rest. While there's nothing illegal about that, the problem lies in the fact that, more often than not, those contractors fail to inform you of all the short and long term problems of composite and other plastic decking options. For this reason, your decking can become quite expensive if you don't do your very own research.

One of the biggest factors in choosing your decking material is the installation project. There are several advantages of wood decking over composite decking. One of the main differences is that composite is an artificial material put together of a combination of recycled wood fibers and plastic. Just search for composite reviews, complaints, recalls, and problems in Google and you'll see that the money people put into building a composite deck is often seen as a waste.

The cost of professional installation is a huge difference. Hardwood decking, even the hardest species like ipe and cumaru cost much less than many brands of composite decking. Installation alone for a composite deck can cost you an additional $5,000.

Many consumers today settle for composite decking over hardwoods because they think that it's a better bargain. But there are many other areas where plastic decking falls short of hardwoods. Hardwoods like ipe and Tigerwood are much stronger material the composites, due to their incredible density. Composites, on the other hand, are usually made of inexpensive plywood and are vulnerable to rot and decay. Search for composite deck peeling and mold pictures online and you'll see why people end up replacing their deck every couple of years, making your project 10x more expensive then if you used a hardwood. Composite decking can creak and peel after just a couple of years, exposing the cheaper materials to the elements of weather and causing major damage to your wallet. Hardwood lumber can last years without needing any maintenance besides occasional cleaning.

Composite decking may seem like a great deal price wise, but when you compare durability, strength, and appearance, it's no contest. It needs to be cleaned several times a year in order to minimize staining from patio furniture, fallen leaves, and/or debris. It is highly prone to mildew and mold, especially in areas that do not get a lot of sun exposure throughout the day.

Ultimately, the investment you make in an outdoor deck should mean decades of quality use and memories. Why settle for less?

Building a deck soon? Check out Decking prices and pictures before you decide on which material to use.

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