composite vs. pressure treated decking
There have been many discussions over the years about these two products. composite is good but like any man made product on the market today will expand and contract with temperature changes. Pressure treated over time can slightly shrink as well. these pictures show a deck we just recently finished and as you can see this material is awesome. very few knots and looks amazing. if you can find a contractor that will take the time to carefully select the materials you dont need to spend thousands of dollars on a composite deck. Just "food for thought" enjoy, summer isnt to far away?????
https://photos.app.goo.gl/VlMlVJR5ryPHS4Q42 |
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I think that deck is nice but there certainly isn’t any wow factor in my opinion. We have a mahogany deck at home and the upkeep is crazy. If I had to do it again I would go composite for the maintenance factor alone. They were roughly the same price.
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They all look nice for the first few years. The wood decks just require more work to keep them looking that way 10 to 20 years later.
I have 3 houses, one with a mahogany deck that is 22 years old that needs to be completely redone and another with a Trex deck that is 12 years old that, after washing every spring, looks almost like the day it was built. My Meredith home has 2 small ground level pressure treated decks that have to be redone and I'm going to do them over in Trex but I also want to build a roof top deck which I will build in pressure treated wood. I just did the roof over so I figure it's good for 20 years, then the deck would have to come off to reroof. |
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I have older composite on my deck at home. It's about 20 or so years old now.
These issues maybe brand specific or they may have improved it lately, but after 20 years it's not totally maintenance free if you want it to look like the day they installed it. 1. It collects mold over time that seems to grow inside the boards, so you have to wash it with a bleach based deck cleaner every 2 to 3 years to bring back the original color. If you don't do this it may look a bit dirty or tarnished. 2. It gets hot under bare feet, much more than any natural wood deck. 3. As others said, it often expands with age, rather than contract like wood. Unless properly installed with larger gaps between boards, and at the ends, you may have standing water on the deck, or have to retrim the ends if they press against other deck parts like post's, etc. Maybe current installers know this now and it's less of an issue now. On the good side, no rot, and no spinters. |
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The older original decking had the wood in it and that is what held the mold. It was also hotter, or maybe that was the brand. My Azek is not hot to walk on.
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Sky - the boards seem awful close should they be spaced for drainage? Maybe they are and I don't see it. Looks good...
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In my case the mold wasn't on the surface, but inside the product, and this is on a deck that is south facing, and gets plenty of sun all day, so it's usually considered a dry area. It's not an area that would usually be considered prone to mold growth. |
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After out new PT decking sat over winter the gaps are perfect. Also we then applied solid stain both for looks and for protection. PT decking needs to be sealed in some way or over the years cracks will form. And then freezing will enlarge to cracks. The clear slap on sealer will work as well as stain. |
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Thankfully my house is level to the ground out back....I dropped a cement patio that is in perfect shape 7 years later. No maintenance no fuss. Much better choice if possible IMO than putting up any kind of decking.
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