Composite Decking vs. Wood Decks

You want to make your backyard a better place and you have decided to build a deck. Some people have suggested composite decking and others have suggested wood. You are now confused because you don’t know the difference in the two!

First you need to understand what composite materials are, they are materials that ate created from two or more materials that have different properties.

Differences in Wood & Composite Decking

There are some slight difference in why you should use one over the other. Here are some facts and you can judge for yourself.

When you use wood materials to create a deck you are exposing the wood to the elements. Over time wood will weaken, wood absorbs water and it will become soft over about 20 years time and it will need to be replaced. Properly treating & weatherproofing a wood deck can prolong that lifespan.

Composite decking are made from a blend of woods and recycled plastic, vinyl or acrlyic materials that prolong the life of the deck. What you also to remember with decking that with wood or composite you have to place the materials at least a nails space between the two boards. This will allow for water drainage.

Many people in the industry of wood making materials is if composite is so much better than wood then why does composite decking material look so much like it. When you use composite most of the time it will be colored and treated in order to give a off a better color, but natural wood like Mahogany has a life of about 40 years if treated properly.

A wood deck can be refinished to get that original look back but you cannot do that with composite. The color treated composite will fade after a number of years. Then you will have to treat it again or replace.

If you want to break it down to shelf life then wood breaks down faster and composite will last forever in a garbage dump.

Composite is a material that people choose for looks. When they want a deck that people will talk about then they chose composite when they want the true look of wood and durability then you choose wood. It is also believed that composite coloring will fade and you may see different colors on the deck.

The last item that wood has over composite is there are more lawsuits filed against composite material manufacturers then wood. Not too long ago there was a lawsuit called the Trex Class Action suit. There were complaints that many people had issues with the Trex being defective. The problems consisted of rot, degrade and splintering. The case is on going. Wood when treated properly with sealant and taken care of over time can last a long time. Composite they say has little or no maintenance which may be true but the materials itself could be defective and over time you can see it.

Which ever material that you decide to go with make sure you get a contract and a guarantee in writing. Take nothing for granted and cover yourself from every angle.