Decks - Wood Versus Composite

This situation has changed quite a bit in the past decade or so. If you are considering installing or having an outdoor deck installed, there are some very important factors to consider. My opinion has changed considerably since I built my first deck many years ago. At that time the general consensus was wood was king. You just couldn't beat the texture, smell, warmth of real wood. That is still true to a degree, but not so much today. Composite materials didn't have a very good reputation, especially in the areas of cost, durability and appearance. Most of us thought "It just doesn't look good." or "It looks cheap."

Now, I must admit that if you use your common sense and look at the facts, composite decking materials will win hands down every time as the material of choice. It's hard to let go of tradition sometimes, but you have to adapt to the better way when it is indeed better, not just "the new thing" to come along.

There are some undeniable negative aspects in using wood for these types of projects. Wood definitely needs to be?protected one way or another, especially when exposed to the elements. Even if the wood has been pressure treated to make it more resistant to moisture damage, it will still need to be?sealed or kept covered to diminish deterioration to any degree. A lot of time and money can be?involved in re-sealing?and maintaining the appearance of?even high quality hard wood. Wood is pretty much prone to warping and twisting, often resulting in an unattractive appearance or even worse, unsafe conditions. The popular use of galvanized fasteners can also increase the unsafe factor due to the chemical reaction of the products used in the pressure treating process and the material used in the galvanizing process. In other words, the galvanized fasteners (bolts, nuts, washers, nails and screws) will break down,?sometimes after just a couple of years.

Now, on the other hand, the improvements in the composite materials over the past decade or so have been impressive. A good variety of colors, density, and textures are now available, making it a challenge to come up with the final?selection. The material are much more durable, and if you go with the better quality products, they are mildew resistant, more color fast (less fading), and have non-slip textures. The initial?cost may be?a bit more ranging usually 1.5 to 3 times more, but you have to keep in mind the money saved on maintenance, repair and safety. It's pretty hard to get a splinter in your foot or hand from a composite material! And last, but not least,?no trees are?cut down in the manufacturing of the composite materials although saw dust is combined with other materials in many composites..

So the bottom line is?that?I recommend that you go composite, go green.

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