Which Decking Material Is Best????

7 years ago

We are having our first deck installed within the month and after researching all the options, I am now in information overload and completely confused. Everyone has a different opinion. Wood would be my first choice, but I do not want to do the work every few years. Tropical hardwoods that require less maintenance are extremely expensive and we do not have any local dealers, so they have now been crossed off my list. Top of the line options are over our budget, so we are looking at midgrade composite or pvc products. We have looked at Trex Enhance, Wolf, Horizons and Fiberon. Does anyone have any guidance on this? Should I keep my wood options open?

Please help!!!

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Comments (5)

PRO
Keystone Custom Decks
7 years ago
As a decking contractor we have dealt with multiple homeowners in your exact situation! There so many options out there and it can be very confusing.

We primarily work a brand called TimberTech. They have multiple lines of deck however for your situation we would recommend the earthwood Terrain or Tropical collections. The Terrain is an entry level decking which we have installed on a number of projects! this is a great option for someone who doesn't want a huge price tag but still wants the low maintenance deck. The Tropical is a good mid price point camped composite that is a bit nicer looking as it mimics hard woods.

The best part is both collections have a 25 year stain and fade warranty!

Hope this helps!
PRO
Chicago Roof Deck & Garden
7 years ago
Agree with Keystone. Hardwoods (ipe, tigerwood) are great options for long term solutions as well. The composites can get hot so be cautious if you are in direct sun.
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Your deck will be amazing. It has fantastic form and plenty of architectural interest, it will add enormous benefit to the front facade and street appeal. I love your palette, it is simple and still has point sof interest. MY suggestion would be to use a combination of your exterior colours applied where best to highlight the deck structure and either tie in, or accent against it. Ding all of these things by painting the lower retaining section in the base grey the charcoal colour to continue and blend into the lower floor brickwork, also do this charcoal on the upper deck frame which is also the roof of that entry way. I am trying to say that thick timber which trims the deck. And the slatted section of the stair wall which acts as a breezeway in the light grey- why? Because the open sections of the slats will always appear black as you can see through them to under the satirs, and the light grey slats will stand out and feature that shadow line, perhaps even use liting to further enhance this detail. Lastly, the stair treads themselves left natural, like an architectural contemporRy stAtement, the natural timber tones will be rich and sophisticated and act as art inviting you to the home. These stairs would really pop and be commentedon at street level, also consider lights in each tread, perhaps the slatted wall side to highlight both this and the stirs for night practicality. What a stunning entrance. The natural character in rich timber tones will warm the grey, keep it contemporary and not introduce personalized colour, which can take away from street appeal. This on the other hand, appeals to everyone. And greenery, landscaping will only take this to the next level. Literally!
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We are building our deck from pressure treated wood, but using a composite railing. We figure this way, the staining of the deck will be a much less laborious job, since we won't have to do all those balisters like our last deck. Our deck gets a good amount of sun, so we did feel that the composite flooring might get really hot, especially since we want a dark gray. (gray decking, white railing) Our last deck was wood, lasted 31 yrs so no complaints there, We probably didn't stain it as often as we should have, but now that we're retired, hopefully we'll have more time to attend to things like that.
Pensacola PI
7 years ago
Researched this to death as we are building a deck as well. Azek and be done with it. NOT cheap, but neither is the wood over the long run.
CEFreeman_GW DC/MD Burbs 7b/8a
4 years ago
I'm in the same situation as the OP here. I've saved to the point where I, too, am ready to deck. My is a front porch deck, so it's mostly shaded.
Everything else I've built is treated lumber, but those are pergolas and raised garden beds.
I keep seeing Azek, but am now looking at Keystone's recommendation of the Timbertech products.

Just wondering if anything's changed in 5 years, product and durability-wise?
Thanks for your opinions!

Which Decking Material Is Best????

Comments (5)

Keystone Custom Decks

Chicago Roof Deck & Garden

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