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2012年9月12日 星期三

Deck Materials Buyer's Guide


One of the easiest ways to create more living space is by building a deck, enlarging an existing one, or replacing a broken or rotting deck. The world of decking materials is always changing, and depending on your budget and needs there may be many choices.

By looking at the most common decking materials and considering your budget along the amount of maintenance you're willing to do, you will be closer to creating the space where your family can enjoy the outdoors.

The most common decking materials are green-treated, cedar, composite, PVC-coated composite, and PVC. Below you will find the features, benefits and maintenance requirements for these materials.

Green-treated decking is the most common material used in new deck construction due to its lower cost. Green treated lumber is used in almost all deck construction for the framing because it won't degrade like untreated would when exposed to weather. Green treated decking can be sealed or stained to help protect it. Depending on your location, this type of decking will require cleaning and maintenance to get the longest life out of the project. In colder climates that usually means every year or two, ideally.

Cedar decking is one of the more popular choices due to its natural look. Cedar decking is a little bit more expensive than green-treated and will also need to be cleaned and sealed or stained every 1-2 years in some climates. With the variety of colors and stains at your disposal, you can create a very complimentary look to your home and you can even change the color over time.

Composite decking has been the new rage and I would guess almost every customer I talk to asks for it in the beginning. Composite decking materials are made from a variety of materials including post-consumer plastics and wood flour recycled from the woodworking industry. The decking boards are either face screwed or some will have hidden fastener systems. Most manufacturers offer a variety of trim and fascia boards to match the deck boards. The composite decking industry has taken some hits lately. Do a simple search for "composite decking problems" on Google and you will find what some of these have been. One of the biggest complaints I hear is the need to clean mold off the deck as frequently as twice a year. I have also seen numerous examples of and heard home owners complain about expansion and contraction issues. I believe that part of the problem is in the marketing of the product which often implies that composite decking is maintenance free. In my experience, that is not the case if you want to keep the original look. Composite decking also fades quickly, so any good deck builder and manufacturer will make sure the customer is aware of that before the project begins. Many composites are backed with a 25-year warranty.

PVC Coated Composite decking is newer and has become a popular item with supply houses and contractors. This is simply composite decking being protected by a poly cover. Some manufacturers cover all side, while others have chosen to cover the top. The coverings offer protection against staining, scratching and fading as stated by the manufacturers. They offer more natural wood grain look for a more authentic look. As with composite decking, you can use color matched face screws or a hidden fastener in most cases. The maintenance for this type of decking will be easy since it involves a little time and a garden hose. Many PVC Coated Composite decking products are backed with fade and stain warranties above and beyond the product warranty.

PVC Decking is made from PVC and has been formulated to be exceptionally stain resistant and fade resistant with the use of UV blockers. Many times when I discuss PVC decking for the first time with a prospective customer they immediately think of white vinyl, but that is not the case most come in some very attractive earth tones that give your deck style. Many are backed by a lifetime warranty and also come with matching railing systems. The maintenance here is very little again because a garden hose and a little of your time can keep it looking great.

As you already could guess, a PVC deck or PVC Coated deck will cost a lot more up front that their wood counter parts, but if you look at the life cost and the maintenance needs they may be the best investment for your outdoor living space.




Brian Buresh founded Buresh Home Solutions in 2003 and has been providing home improvement services to home owners in Central since its inception. BHS is full-service home improvement company, offering kitchen and bathroom remodeling, basement finishing, siding installation, roofing, interior and exterior painting, handyman services, and much more. BHS service territory includes areas within a 60-mile radius of Des Moines and over 70% of all of BHS business comes from referrals from past customers.

Visit http://www.bureshhomesolutions.com/ to learn more.





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 晚上8:30 0 意見
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2012年5月28日 星期一

Deck Materials Buyer's Guide


One of the easiest ways to create more living space is by building a deck, enlarging an existing one, or replacing a broken or rotting deck. The world of decking materials is always changing, and depending on your budget and needs there may be many choices.

By looking at the most common decking materials and considering your budget along the amount of maintenance you're willing to do, you will be closer to creating the space where your family can enjoy the outdoors.

The most common decking materials are green-treated, cedar, composite, PVC-coated composite, and PVC. Below you will find the features, benefits and maintenance requirements for these materials.

Green-treated decking is the most common material used in new deck construction due to its lower cost. Green treated lumber is used in almost all deck construction for the framing because it won't degrade like untreated would when exposed to weather. Green treated decking can be sealed or stained to help protect it. Depending on your location, this type of decking will require cleaning and maintenance to get the longest life out of the project. In colder climates that usually means every year or two, ideally.

Cedar decking is one of the more popular choices due to its natural look. Cedar decking is a little bit more expensive than green-treated and will also need to be cleaned and sealed or stained every 1-2 years in some climates. With the variety of colors and stains at your disposal, you can create a very complimentary look to your home and you can even change the color over time.

Composite decking has been the new rage and I would guess almost every customer I talk to asks for it in the beginning. Composite decking materials are made from a variety of materials including post-consumer plastics and wood flour recycled from the woodworking industry. The decking boards are either face screwed or some will have hidden fastener systems. Most manufacturers offer a variety of trim and fascia boards to match the deck boards. The composite decking industry has taken some hits lately. Do a simple search for "composite decking problems" on Google and you will find what some of these have been. One of the biggest complaints I hear is the need to clean mold off the deck as frequently as twice a year. I have also seen numerous examples of and heard home owners complain about expansion and contraction issues. I believe that part of the problem is in the marketing of the product which often implies that composite decking is maintenance free. In my experience, that is not the case if you want to keep the original look. Composite decking also fades quickly, so any good deck builder and manufacturer will make sure the customer is aware of that before the project begins. Many composites are backed with a 25-year warranty.

PVC Coated Composite decking is newer and has become a popular item with supply houses and contractors. This is simply composite decking being protected by a poly cover. Some manufacturers cover all side, while others have chosen to cover the top. The coverings offer protection against staining, scratching and fading as stated by the manufacturers. They offer more natural wood grain look for a more authentic look. As with composite decking, you can use color matched face screws or a hidden fastener in most cases. The maintenance for this type of decking will be easy since it involves a little time and a garden hose. Many PVC Coated Composite decking products are backed with fade and stain warranties above and beyond the product warranty.

PVC Decking is made from PVC and has been formulated to be exceptionally stain resistant and fade resistant with the use of UV blockers. Many times when I discuss PVC decking for the first time with a prospective customer they immediately think of white vinyl, but that is not the case most come in some very attractive earth tones that give your deck style. Many are backed by a lifetime warranty and also come with matching railing systems. The maintenance here is very little again because a garden hose and a little of your time can keep it looking great.

As you already could guess, a PVC deck or PVC Coated deck will cost a lot more up front that their wood counter parts, but if you look at the life cost and the maintenance needs they may be the best investment for your outdoor living space.




Brian Buresh founded Buresh Home Solutions in 2003 and has been providing home improvement services to home owners in Central since its inception. BHS is full-service home improvement company, offering kitchen and bathroom remodeling, basement finishing, siding installation, roofing, interior and exterior painting, handyman services, and much more. BHS service territory includes areas within a 60-mile radius of Des Moines and over 70% of all of BHS business comes from referrals from past customers.

Visit http://www.bureshhomesolutions.com/ to learn more.





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 晚上8:27 0 意見
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2012年1月23日 星期一

Deck Screws - A Buyer's Guide


Building a deck is an investment in both your lifestyle and your home's value. This is why deck builders know that in order to ensure that your new deck is built to last, they will recommend using deck hardware and tools that will last as long as your deck. In addition to deck fasteners, one piece of essential deck hardware that is often overlooked is deck screws. Simply put, you have to be sure that the decking screws you buy are not going to strip, or break during or after installation.

If you're a do-it-yourself homeowner taking on a deck building project, buying cheap decking screws will pretty much guarantee that you will have a horrible deck installation experience. This is especially true if you are building a wood deck with exotic hardwoods such as ipe decking, tigerwood decking, cumaru decking, or garapa decking. These hardwoods can be quite a hassle, especially ipe since it is, by far, one of the hardest decking materials you can buy. The same goes for cumaru decking. Both can make inexperienced deck builders and homeowners doing a DIY home improvement project use words that would make their mothers ashamed!

Regardless of the hardwood decking you choose, here's what you need to know about buying the right deck screws:

Buy stainless screws made of high quality stainless steel. 305 and 316 grade stainless steel are the most commonly used and ideal for exotic hardwood decking. However the grade is not always the difference maker. Screws are typically a product that you get what you pay for. There can be a huge difference between a cheaply made 305 grade stainless screw and one manufactured from top quality materials.

Although stainless steel is a generally soft material, it is required when installing a hardwood deck because other materials can react with the hardwoods and cause corrosion issues or give off hideous stains on the decking surface. 305 and 316 grade stainless steel screws are totally ideal for deck building because they offer great corrosion resistance, have maximum drawing ability and superior formability. Their high corrosion resistance means that these stainless deck screws can last through seasonal changes and inclement weather. Choosing cheaper screws will lead to cam-out, the heads completely stripping and, worse, snapping.

The issue of stripping is one that also needs to be considered. This is where the screw head needs to be your number one focus when it comes to buying deck screws. Why? Think about it. If you buy cheap deck screws that fit a Philip's head bit and you're using ipe decking, you'll run through a whole bunch of screws because of the density of the wood. The force needed to drill in an inferior screw pretty much guarantees that you'll end up with rows and rows of stripped screws, or worse, very brittle screws that will break over time.

Again, buying high-quality stainless steel decking screws will increase your chances of a smooth deck installation process. Moreover, if you buy torx drive screws you'll really have a better time building your deck. Torx screws are just the thing for hard wood decking. Any good deck builder will tell you that building a hardwood deck from dense woods such as ipe, cumaru, tigerwood, and garapa, can only be done with resilient deck screws. Torx deck screws have a six-pointed star head that resist cam-out and stripping much more than other head designs.

If you still think you'll be just fine building your wood or composite deck with cheap deck screws, do yourself a favor. Buy at least one third more in screws so that you can have enough to replace the ones that snap or strip. The last thing you need is to run out of screws and then spend more time and money driving to the home improvement store. At this point, do you really think you'll save money building a deck the cheap way?

Or, you could follow the advice of deck builders across the country who use both deck fasteners with the best deck screws. If the pros buy deck hardware that makes deck building easier, shouldn't you? Spending a few extra dollars to ensure that your hardwood deck gets built correctly will not only save you money in the short run, it will also save you time, energy and money in the long term too. After all, wood decking doesn't stay the same. Over the course of time, hardwood decking contracts and expands as the weather changes and as it ages. Even if you're lucky enough to install a deck with cheap screws, if they break, you'll have to spend both time and your hard-earned resources maintaining and repairing your broken deck.

Ultimately, it's your deck. Hopefully, this advice has geared you toward making the process simpler, easier, and a lot smoother.




Learn more about deck fasteners and deck screws.





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 凌晨1:16 1 意見
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2011年12月16日 星期五

Deck Materials Buyer's Guide


One of the easiest ways to create more living space is by building a deck, enlarging an existing one, or replacing a broken or rotting deck. The world of decking materials is always changing, and depending on your budget and needs there may be many choices.

By looking at the most common decking materials and considering your budget along the amount of maintenance you're willing to do, you will be closer to creating the space where your family can enjoy the outdoors.

The most common decking materials are green-treated, cedar, composite, PVC-coated composite, and PVC. Below you will find the features, benefits and maintenance requirements for these materials.

Green-treated decking is the most common material used in new deck construction due to its lower cost. Green treated lumber is used in almost all deck construction for the framing because it won't degrade like untreated would when exposed to weather. Green treated decking can be sealed or stained to help protect it. Depending on your location, this type of decking will require cleaning and maintenance to get the longest life out of the project. In colder climates that usually means every year or two, ideally.

Cedar decking is one of the more popular choices due to its natural look. Cedar decking is a little bit more expensive than green-treated and will also need to be cleaned and sealed or stained every 1-2 years in some climates. With the variety of colors and stains at your disposal, you can create a very complimentary look to your home and you can even change the color over time.

Composite decking has been the new rage and I would guess almost every customer I talk to asks for it in the beginning. Composite decking materials are made from a variety of materials including post-consumer plastics and wood flour recycled from the woodworking industry. The decking boards are either face screwed or some will have hidden fastener systems. Most manufacturers offer a variety of trim and fascia boards to match the deck boards. The composite decking industry has taken some hits lately. Do a simple search for "composite decking problems" on Google and you will find what some of these have been. One of the biggest complaints I hear is the need to clean mold off the deck as frequently as twice a year. I have also seen numerous examples of and heard home owners complain about expansion and contraction issues. I believe that part of the problem is in the marketing of the product which often implies that composite decking is maintenance free. In my experience, that is not the case if you want to keep the original look. Composite decking also fades quickly, so any good deck builder and manufacturer will make sure the customer is aware of that before the project begins. Many composites are backed with a 25-year warranty.

PVC Coated Composite decking is newer and has become a popular item with supply houses and contractors. This is simply composite decking being protected by a poly cover. Some manufacturers cover all side, while others have chosen to cover the top. The coverings offer protection against staining, scratching and fading as stated by the manufacturers. They offer more natural wood grain look for a more authentic look. As with composite decking, you can use color matched face screws or a hidden fastener in most cases. The maintenance for this type of decking will be easy since it involves a little time and a garden hose. Many PVC Coated Composite decking products are backed with fade and stain warranties above and beyond the product warranty.

PVC Decking is made from PVC and has been formulated to be exceptionally stain resistant and fade resistant with the use of UV blockers. Many times when I discuss PVC decking for the first time with a prospective customer they immediately think of white vinyl, but that is not the case most come in some very attractive earth tones that give your deck style. Many are backed by a lifetime warranty and also come with matching railing systems. The maintenance here is very little again because a garden hose and a little of your time can keep it looking great.

As you already could guess, a PVC deck or PVC Coated deck will cost a lot more up front that their wood counter parts, but if you look at the life cost and the maintenance needs they may be the best investment for your outdoor living space.




Brian Buresh founded Buresh Home Solutions in 2003 and has been providing home improvement services to home owners in Central since its inception. BHS is full-service home improvement company, offering kitchen and bathroom remodeling, basement finishing, siding installation, roofing, interior and exterior painting, handyman services, and much more. BHS service territory includes areas within a 60-mile radius of Des Moines and over 70% of all of BHS business comes from referrals from past customers.

Visit http://www.bureshhomesolutions.com/ to learn more.





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

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