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Decking Materials and Cleaning
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Your Perfect Deck
Whether you're grilling, entertaining, or just enjoying a cold drink, your deck is a place where you can unwind. When choosing a decking material, there are many things to consider, including appearance, maintenance, and price.
Decking Materials
You can select from an array of natural and manufactured decking materials. Pressure-treated softwoods, such as yellow pine and hem-fir, are popular choices. Because of a 2004 ban on the residential use of chromated copper arsenate, pressure-treated lumber now is soaked in arsenic-free alkaline copper quaternary or copper azole. Untreated softwoods, such as redwood and cedar, or exotic hardwoods, such as ipe and Brazilian cherry, provide an attractive, natural look. Other common choices include composite lumber, typically manufactured from a combination of wood byproducts and recycled plastics, and synthetic materials, such as hard vinyl, aluminum, and plastic lumber.
Maintenance Requirements
Although natural woods tend to carry a lower price than their manufactured counterparts, the total cost of owning a wood deck almost always exceeds that of a composite or synthetic deck because of ongoing maintenance expenses. Natural lumber usually requires an annual or biannual pressure-washing, sanding, staining, and sealing to preserve a like-new appearance. Synthetic and composite materials, on the other hand, demand little more than a periodic deck cleaning with soapy water, though some composites benefit from an occasional staining or sealing. If you plan to use your decks for several years you will see a payback on your investment in composite materials.
Regional Concerns
When choosing decking materials, be sure to take into account regional weather conditions and local building codes. Also be aware that prices of certain materials fluctuate depending on your region. Redwood, for example, is an affordable lumber option on the West Coast but is more expensive on the East Coast. To learn which woods or manufactured products work best in your area, consult with local North American Deck and Railing Association contractors.
