Best Decking Buying Guide

The Real Cost Of Buying Your First Home

It can only be used to create a waterproof seal when used over the top of another, sturdier material. Get tips on how to find the right wood materials for your deck. No matter where you live, Trex composite decking is backed by a 25-Year Limited Residential Warranty. It’s engineered to stand up to harsh weather and decades of foot traffic. There are pros and cons for each of these deck material types. When you’re the one buying, you have to balance the price you’ll pay up-front, if you’re okay doing maintenance year-after-year, and the outdoor decor you like best.

Wood composite is easily the most popular type and is usually the first thing that comes to mind when one refers to composite decking. Price, though the cost to install a composite or PVC deck, no matter the material, is fairly consistent. Stains are much less prevalent with vinyl-based composites. The harder surface does not allow much penetration versus olefin. Spills on vinyl composites usually can be removed with a deck cleaner or even warm soapy water. Light scratches in vinyl can be removed from notice with furniture polish or a liquid or solid paint stick and rags.

Which Type Of Composite Comes In Tongue

Homeowners are using vinyl decking on rooftop patios, balconies, storage areas, carports and other outdoor living areas. Vinyl decks come in a wide range of colours, textures and styles to perfectly match your home’s exterior design. Natural wood has always been popular because of how it looks. However, composite decking has consistently improved in appearance over the past decades.

Even when exposed to year after year of harsh winters and summers, composite railings tend to look the same as the day they were installed. They aren’t prone to warping, cracking, splitting, splintering, or fading. This incredible durability is a major selling point for these kinds of railings. You won’t be dealing with maintenance costs or replacing sections every few years; you just install it, sit back, and enjoy. Snap-in-place fasteners are easy to install but unique to specific brands.

Maintenance

This type of system also gets rid of the need to pre-drill holes since there are no exposed screws. Using a hidden deck fastener system in a composite deck means that your deck will be free from screw heads showing. These hidden fastener systems create a beautiful, smooth surface and an easy transition from the inside of your home to your outdoor living space.

• Composites came onto the scene in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.
• A good comparison of what can happen to a wood composite deck is to look at what an ignored leaf can do to a concrete driveway if it is not removed promptly.
• Composites are by far the oldest decking product on the market.
• This is the same thing that can happen to a composite deck if it is not kept clean.
• This form of alternative decking material is weather, insect, rot, and warping resistant, not to mention that many composite decking options are beautiful and simply stunning.
• Even though composites don’t require staining or painting, they do need to be kept clean in order to keep them looking and functioning their best.

The only way to get the full beauty of a wood deck is to use the real thing. This means your synthetic deck can be environmentally friendly. When it comes to decking in any capacity—boards, railings, or any accessories—some people are simply wedded to wood.

The material is formulated to resist the sun’s UV rays, mold and mildew. It is a very durable material that is backed by a 10-year manufacturer warranty and will last for years to come. As you can tell by their similarities, both composite and PVC are popular, high-quality decking options. Instead, you should ask yourself which best meets your needs. New metal balusters can give your existing wood deck a sleek, modern look.

Home Improvement Costs: Cellular Pvc Vs Wood And Composite Decking

Sealers are available for olefin boards that will adhere to the wood particles, but a few seasons later and it will be maintenance time again. This kind of soft surface will absorb stains as well as sealers. BBQ sauce, wine, grape juice, candle oil all easily penetrate into an exposed olefin board. Olefin manufacturers are no longer saying “maintenance-free and does not require sealing” in their advertising and warranties. When olefins give off their oil to the “skin” of the board as the temperature rises, the oil dissipates from the board and it becomes more brittle. Heat and moisture will also contribute to the composite boards’ degeneration. Moisture swelling the wood particles, then shrinking with evaporation, loosens and breaks down the plastic bond even more.