What decking material is best for me?
Lets take a look at and define a few Decking options.
4 Main Decking Types:
Composite
Pressure treated pine
Cedar
Ipe/Exotic Hardwoods
Composite - Trex, Timbertech, Fiberon, etc
Vinyl wrapped, core made of reclaimed wood, recycled plastic & chemical resins- virtually maintenance free- won’t rot
Great scratch resistance (dogs no problem)
Long Fade & Stain Warranties
Does get hotter than other materials
Upfront cost is high but it will last
**TIP- The difference in collections, is color. Don’t get hung up over full profile boards vs scalloped. (With the exception of full PVC boards that are $$$ and not worth it)
Pressure Treated - Classic wood decking
Classic look
Most budget friendly option
Quickest build
Lots of Maintenance- power-washing, painting, staining (future expense)
Easier to DIY
Will Rot/shorter life expectancy (10-15yrs if WELL maintained)
**TIP- In the early 2000’s Pressure Treated Lumber Changed. EPA regulations took the harmful poison out (the good sh*t) to make it environmentally friendly. Good for Earth, Bad for decking! That deck at Mom’s that stood for 30 years…they literally don’t make them like that anymore
Cedar - Natural resistance to bugs & rot
Natural Appeal
Long Lasting
More Costly than Wood, Less costly than Composite
Some Maintenance required
Very Soft and easily scratches
**TIP- I’ve done so few of these decks in recent years, cedar is very rarely requested for a decking material, composite has made it almost obsolete. Clad the inside of your closet, don’t put cedar on your deck
Ipe “e-pay” & Exotic Hardwood - Worth it?
Tricky to pronounce (LOL)
Very Hard, extremely dense- Super Strong
Resistant to rot, bugs
Maintenance required IF you want to maintain color
Most expensive option
Costly labor (requires pre drilling and special coatings on exposed ends)
Most Exotics will turn silvery gray in the sun with no protection in as little as 1 season, all will inevitably fade to the same silvery gray
**TIP - Ipe is a costly option that is usually done in Hamptons-like areas. Frankly, it all turns gray anyway, why spend the money.