Redwood Deck Plans
|Redwood Deck Plans – Part of the process of building 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 each one type to help you select the right one to your deck. The main difference between wood and composite decking may be the amount of maintenance required. Wood decking requires more upkeep than composite, but looks nicer. The companies who manufacture composite decking are performing their very best to produce their product look like real wood, but so far haven’t achieved it. I personally don’t even think they’ll ever be able to match the beauty of real wood. Because of the more time needed to maintain wood decking, you need must yourself if you might have the more time needed to keep a wood deck sealed looking good. If you DO have the time and so are happy to spend it on your own deck, great! Go with wood.
If, however, there isn’t more time or don’t want to commit to sealing a wood deck maybe once or twice a year, composite might be the most suitable choice. Even though wood decks require more upkeep, there is a kind of wood you can use for decking which requires almost 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 years without any problems. Cedar is naturally proof against rain, snow, and sunlight. It doesn’t warp or twist, and also have almost no tendency to test or cup.
The only drawback with cedar decking left unsealed is is will turn gray with time. If you are against this look, you are able to decide to seal it maybe once or twice each year. It may still “gray”, nonetheless it will take longer to take action. Actually ALL wood decks will turn gray with time, unless you apply sealer every month or two, the industry lot of work. Composite decking, however, is virtually maintenance free. Once it’s laid down, it won’t change much even through extreme weather. Some composite deck colors will fade over many years, however the fading is uniform, and that means you won’t really notice it happening.
There are several disadvantages to presenting composite. First, composite decking is more expensive than wood. This might be a challenge if you might have financial restrictions. If you take into account the price savings of not buying sealer for years, it might stabilize the price increase somewhat. Another disadvantage of using composite decking may be the chance of the product failing. Just like any man-made product, composite decking might be faulty. A few years ago, one major composite decking manufacturer created some defective material. This ended in many decks going bad which designed a class action lawsuit. Even with compensation given to consumers, many were tied to high replacement costs. This doesn’t mean every composite deck product is going to have problems, it is simply a reminder that it COULD happen.
Overall, wood or composite decks are perfect. You just need to decide from a gray deck, a wood deck that will need maintenance, or perhaps a composite deck which requires no upkeep, but is more expensive and contains the potential to look awry.