Wood Deck Kit
|Wood Deck Kit – Part of the process of constructing a deck is deciding which materials to use for the decking. Basically, you have two choices – wood or composite. In this article, I’ll share the pros and cons of each one type to assist you pick the right one for your deck. The main difference between wood and composite decking is the level of maintenance required. Wood decking requires more upkeep than composite, but looks nicer. The companies who manufacture composite decking are performing their finest to generate their product look like real wood, but thus far haven’t achieved it. I personally don’t believe they’ll ever be in a position to match the advantage of real wood. Because of the additional time required to maintain wood decking, first you need to inquire about yourself if you have the additional time forced to keep a wood deck sealed and searching good. If you DO have time and they are prepared to spend it on your own deck, great! Go with wood.
If, however, you don’t have additional time or shouldn’t agree to sealing a wood deck once or twice annually, composite could possibly be your best option. Even though wood decks require more upkeep, there is a form of wood that can be used for decking which requires very little or no upkeep. That wood is cedar. I’ve actually laid wood decking and done absolutely NOTHING to it and had it last for years without problems. Cedar is naturally resistant to rain, snow, and sunlight. It doesn’t warp or twist, and also have very little tendency to test or cup.
The only drawback with cedar decking left unsealed is the fact that is will turn gray as time passes. If you are in opposition to this look, you’ll be able to opt to seal it once or twice per year. It may still “gray”, but it will need longer to take action. Actually ALL wood decks will turn gray as time passes, if you don’t apply sealer every month or two, the great deal 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 several years, though the fading is uniform, so you won’t really notice it happening.
There are several disadvantages to getting composite. First, composite decking is more expensive than wood. This might be a challenge if you have budget constraints. If you element in the charge savings of not buying sealer for a long time, it could stabilize the charge increase somewhat. Another drawback to using composite decking is the potential for 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 led to many decks going bad which made a class action lawsuit. Even with compensation directed at consumers, many were tied to high replacement costs. This doesn’t mean every composite deck strategy is planning to have problems, it’s just a reminder that it COULD happen.
Overall, wood or composite decks are great. You just need to decide between a gray deck, a wood deck that will need maintenance, or perhaps a composite deck which requires no upkeep, but is more expensive and possesses the potential to visit awry.