Deck Materials

Pressure Treated Wood

The trouble with wood is the fact that  when it gets wet it rots. This is especially true when wood touches the ground or is immersed in a wet situation for any length of time. Dependant upon the location almost all untreated, softwood varieties of wood will last only 2-3 years in moist conditions.

This is where pressure treating comes in. Pressure-treated wood is softwood which was immersed inside a bath of preservative and then is put under pressure to force the chemical deep inside.

The majority of decks built these days use pressure-treated wood, if not for the decking then for the support system. It is still the best material to work with and you see it in commercial boardwalks and large decking projects.

pressure treated wood, pine, cedar, redwood, mahogany, teak

Cedar and Redwood

Because of its natural oils cedar is naturally protected from rot and insects. It's light, easy to use and rated to possess  the shrinking and swelling tendencies of other softwoods. Both cedar and redwood age to a beautiful, natural silver color so that yearly maintenance is not required. These woods are more expensive but increase the value of the home without having to replace the deck in 10-15 many years. Many people opt for pressure treated lumber for the structure and cedar and redwood for the decking. However, cedar also comes in joists, rails and 4' x 4' posts.

Composite Decking

For the past decade composite products have been moving in to the decking market. Composite decking is a mixture of wood fiber and ground-up, recycled plastic that is pressed into planks with a realistic wood grain. Composite decking will not shrink, warp, or split the way pressure-treated wood tends to do. Composite material is more expensive than traditional lumber but will outlast wood and is virtually maintenance-free. However, although the planks are colored right through, the surface may fade in direct sunlight and tend to get hot underfoot during long exposure times to the sun.

Many types of composite planks are complete imitations of their wooden counterparts. They have the woodgrain look and can be cut, drilled and theirs ends sanded just like wood (sanding the surface would not be advised). Other makers of composite planks make a product with hollow rectangles or channels to make the product lighter.

Hollow Vinyl Decking

The base thickness of hollow polyvinylchloride (PVC) decking is barely a fraction of an inch thick. The companies use “honeycombing” to make it strong while keeping it light. Whereas composite decking contains from 10% to more than 60% wood filler to plastic or vinyl material, vinyl decking is pure vinyl with maybe carbon or fiberglass fibers added for strength. Most PVC products, including decking and siding, are now made of two layers of PVC layers of differing qualities. The capstock, or coating layer, contains a UV inhibitor, usually titanium dioxide, as well as other additives which give it its appearance and resistance to denting. The core gives it the structural quality and is typically thicker. But this stratification is very thin in hollow PVC.

Solid Core Vinyl

Most solid vinyl decking materials are made with a cellular PVC process. Cellular polyvinylchloride  is an extruded material, meaning that it is forced through a die rather than molded. This is achieved created by foaming the PVC, creating tiny air bubbles, which means that the product has a density less than half that of regular vinyl. Being that it acts like real wood it is used for interior and exterior trim work and, and is prevalent in windows and doors.

Aluminum Decking

Like aluminum soffit and railing systems this decking material is lightweight and easy to install. Being a relatively new product only time will tell if this product will stand up to the punishment of thousands of footfalls. It will never warp, crack, split, or twist and mold or mildew are non-existent because there is nothing to feed on. However at $7+ a square foot it is the most expensive of the non-woods.