Wood Deck Top Rail
|Wood Deck Top Rail – Part of the process of developing a deck is deciding which materials to use for the decking. Basically, you might have two choices – wood or composite. In this article, I’ll share the pros and cons of every type that may help you pick the best one on your deck. The main difference between wood and composite decking could be the level of maintenance required. Wood decking requires more upkeep than composite, but looks nicer. The companies who manufacture composite decking are doing their very best to create their product appear to be real wood, but to date haven’t achieved it. I personally don’t even think they’ll ever be in a position to match the best thing about real wood. Because of the an extension cord needed to maintain wood decking, you need to inquire about yourself if you might have the an extension cord necessary to keep a wood deck sealed and looking good. If you DO have time and they are ready to wait on your own deck, great! Go with wood.
If, however, you do not have an extension cord or shouldn’t invest in sealing a wood deck a few times annually, composite might be a good choice. Even though wood decks require more upkeep, there is a sort of wood which you can use for decking which requires little or no or no upkeep. That wood is cedar. I’ve actually laid wood decking and done absolutely NOTHING to it coupled with it last for many years without having problems. Cedar is naturally proof against rain, snow, and sunlight. It doesn’t warp or twist, and also have little or no tendency to check or cup.
The only drawback with cedar decking left unsealed is always that is will turn gray as time passes. If you are instead of this look, you are able to prefer to seal it a few times each year. It may still “gray”, nonetheless it will take longer to take action. Actually ALL wood decks will turn gray as time passes, unless you apply sealer every few months, which is a lots of work. Composite decking, alternatively, is virtually maintenance free. Once it’s laid down, it will not change much even through extreme weather. Some composite deck colors will fade over a long period, but the fading is uniform, so you won’t really notice it happening.
There are some disadvantages to using composite. First, composite decking is more expensive than wood. This could be a difficulty if you might have financial restrictions. If you take into account the charge savings of not buying sealer for a long time, it may stabilize the charge increase somewhat. Another drawback to using composite decking could be the chance for the item failing. Just like any man-made product, composite decking could be faulty. A few years ago, one major composite decking manufacturer put out some defective material. This triggered many decks going bad which developed a class action lawsuit. Even with compensation provided to consumers, many were tied to high replacement costs. This doesn’t mean every composite deck technique is likely to have problems, it is just a reminder that it COULD happen.
Overall, wood or composite decks are great. You just need to decide from a gray deck, a wood deck that will require maintenance, or even a composite deck which requires no upkeep, but is more expensive and it has the possibility to visit awry.