Choosing your Materials

In order to install the perfect deck you need to decide what materials you are going to work with. Here are two major factors to keep in mind as you’re selecting your materials: 1. How much maintenance do you want to do? 2. What is your budget?

Maintenance

There are two options to consider when thinking about the maintenance of a deck: traditional wood and low maintenance. Traditional wood requires frequent maintenance. Between staining twice a year, cleaning weekly, sanding, and treating it you may feel as if you’re constantly working on your deck. Plus, your kids spill one glass of red juice and your wood could be stained permanently. If you’re looking for something that requires less work, then look towards a composite material. Trex Transcend is the material that requires the lowest maintenance. I was just cleaning a Transcend deck this morning and all it took was a hose. The other varieties of Trex offer a similar low maintenance solution, however, they don’t offer the same scratch resistant features that Transcend offers.

Cost

Building deck is a serious investment of your time and money. It will take weekends and weeknights to finish the project. The cheaper material to use is definitely wood. A basic redwood is going to run less than a tropical hardwoord like ipe. Really it comes down to a matter of personal preference on appearance when it comes to choosing to upgrade to ipe. Do you like the color and feel of redwood? Trex decking will cost considerably more than traditional wood, however with that upgrade in cost you also get low maintenance qualities and the longer lasting decking. So you have to factor in those additional maintenance costs (staining, pressure washing, and treatment) into the cost of your deck. Also, consider the time that it will take you to keep your deck looking beautiful.

Whatever material you use, please do your research. While vinyl decking and other materials might be cheeper, look at what you’re getting. Have your estimators show you samples of the decking products. Feel the difference in weight and substance of the deck boards. If possible go to their showroom and see the decks themselves. We encourage you to do your research and find the

What do you consider when selecting materials?

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