Choose Wisely: Which Decking Material Does Your Home Need?

Did you know that more than 23% of new houses in 2017 alone had decks? That percentage has been slowly rising ever since, emphasizing the popularity of home decks. However, if you plan on having a deck built for your house, you may be wondering what types of decking might be right for you.

While there are many decking options to choose from these days, composite decking is one of the most popular options in terms of decking material. Why might this be and what types of composite decking are there? If you’re asking yourself these questions, you’ve clicked on the right article to find your answers.

If you keep reading, you’ll discover what composite decking material is, its pros and cons, as well as the types of composite decking you can choose from. By the end, you’ll be able to decide whether or not composite decking is right for you and your home. To start off our discussion, let’s take a closer look at what composite decking is made of and what it is exactly. 

What Is Composite Decking

When choosing a deck, many people debate whether a wooden deck or a plastic deck is the best choice. With composite decking, you get the best of both works. This is because composite decking is made from both wood fiber and plastic. The wood and plastic are bound with adhesives, preservatives, and materials to improve their protection from UV rays. 

This mixture is then heated and molded, so different planks of composite decking can have different textures and colors than others. Often, composite decking is quite sustainable.

This is because the wood used is wood remaining from factories and mills, while the plastic is recycled plastic, usually from plastic containers or grocery bags. 

Depending on what kind of composite decking you buy, the price can vary. If you buy the lower-end composite decking, you can expect to pay around $4 for every square foot. On the other hand, if you opt for the more premium composite decking that looks more appealing or exotic, you might pay around $7 for every square foot. 

If you’re wondering if the price is worth it, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of composite decking. 

The Pros and Cons of Composite Decking

If you’re looking for deck material options that require little upkeep, composite decking might be the best type of decking for you. If you’ve ever had a wooden deck before, you know how much work it can take to maintain it. However, with composite decking, which can often look the same as wood, there is no need to stain it or seal it.

More than that, your composite decking will never get moldy even if it gets wet. 

This is not mentioning how easy it is to clean. Unlike real wood which can be hard to clean without damaging it, composite decking only requires a bit of soap, water, and a brush to clean. Because of this, you won’t need to worry about buying any special cleaners for your deck and you will be saving yourself a lot of money in the long run. 

Since composite decking can’t rot, it also won’t attract termites either. And, because of its built-in protection against UV rays, composite decking will never fade in color as much as real wood can. You might be thinking that all this sounds too good to be true, so what are the disadvantages?

The big disadvantage you may face is that composite decking tends to be more expensive than other decking materials. This higher price has to do with how the materials need to be treated in order to create composite decking. 

Another con is that composite decking can scuff and stain easily. While you might be able to get stains out with a good cleaning, scuffs and scratches can be a challenge. Composite decking can also be hard to stand on barefoot in the summer because of the way it absorbs heat.

The Types of Composite Decking

Composite could be the best decking out there, but if it doesn’t look good in your eyes, is it really worth it? Luckily, composite decking can take on many different appearances. In fact, you’ll find you have much more variation with composite decking than you’ll ever have with wood decking. 

It all depends on what kind of look you want. Premium composite decking is specially made to look as much like high-quality tropical hardwood as possible. To achieve this, this type of decking boasts realistic wood textures and colors, although this is one of the most expensive options for composite decking. 

If you really want to consider the details of composite decking, you can also weigh which grain patterns and coatings you prefer. Composite decking planks that have a textured grain are ideal if you have a pet because the grain can hide any scratches that your furry friend might create. 

Some composite decking can come wrapped in an extra layer of plastic and resin. This extra layer keeps your deck from getting scratched in the first place. It can also prevent fading and staining. 

You can also opt for more exotic composite decking options that resemble weathered or tropical wood. This is not even mentioning the color options. Composite decking options come in several variations of natural wood tones (brown and gray) to make your deck look as natural as possible. 

Choosing Composite Decking For Your Home

By the end of this article, you should know all about what composite decking is and how it’s different from other types of decking. With this information, you can decide if composite decking is right for you and your home.