Every year we hear the same question, “What are the differences between the various types of decking and which one will best suit my needs?

There are basically four main categories to choose from; Pressure Treated, Exotic Hardwoods, Composites and Vinyls. 

Pressure Treated Southern Yellow Pine: 

Pressure Treated Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) is still one of the most viable options in decking due to its long lasting properties and being the most economical of all decking. A lot of homeowners still love the idea of having real wood and are willing to put forth the annual maintenance efforts required to keep it looking nice. The main pro is price while the con is required maintenance to keep it looking nice.  People that choose pressure treated decking are looking for a lower initial price, looking to move in the near future, or like the look of real wood.

Exotic Hardwoods:

Ipe, our most popular exotic hardwood, is also known as Brazilian Walnut because of its rich dark brown appearance. It is priced comparable to composites and vinyl.  Ipe will last upwards of 40 years even without sealing.  Periodic sealing of Ipe will however maintain its rich dark brown color.  The main pro to Ipe is its appearance, durability, and low maintenance requirements compared to pressure treated decking.  The con is it is priced similar to composites and vinyls and still requires some maintenance to preserve its color.  People that choose Ipe love the look of natural wood, how it enhances their brick or wood home, provides continuity of their interior wood work to the outdoors, and it also blends well with hardscaped patios and surroundings

Composites :

Composites are a mixture of wood fibers and plastic resins. It is widely popular due to its low maintenance aspects. There are a variety of colors, grain patterns, and hidden fastener options to choose from. Some of the lower priced composites have a very high wood content which makes the deck board susceptible to mold and mildew penetrating into the board making it virtually impossible to eliminate. Some composites are softer and scratch more easily than others.  When considering what composite is right for you there are a few things to consider such as; amount of traffic on your deck, type of entertaining, children, and pets.   The main pro is low maintenance and has a more realistic wood look than vinyls.  The main con is its initial price.  People that choose composites want low maintenance and like the wood like appearance over vinyls.

Vinyl :

The Vinyl, also known as Cellular PVC, is the newest of decking types. Vinyl decking is the fastest growing type of decking on the market due to it requiring the least amount of maintenance. There used to be only a choice of a few light colors, but now vinyl decking is available in darker richer colors and is gaining on composites’ stronghold of wood like appearance. It is more viable than the “plastic decking” due to the capability of being able to control the quality during its manufacturing process. It will have a nicer appearance and be of better quality.   The main pro is it being the lowest maintenance of all decking types while the main con is initial price.  Customers that choose vinyl want the lowest of maintenance.

There are upwards of 70-80 manufacturers of composite and vinyl decking.  And there are many brands with inferior quality and not likely to be around in a few years should you have a warranty issue.  We at Archadeck have been working with these products since their introduction and know which products have the best track record and which products to avoid.  In general “you get what you pay for”.  We will be glad to help you select the best product for your outdoor living space.

Knowing that the railing is the most laborious task when sealing a deck we suggested pressure- treated decking with a white vinyl railing system to tie the deck in with the trim of the home. The customer agreed and we were assigned the project.

There are some 6×6 recessed panel vinyl posts added to the railing to provide additional visual interest to this project. Most projects only have 4×4  vinyl posts. The deck wrapped around the house to increase their outdoor living space by turning an unusable part of their yard (a steep bank) into useable living space. We even created a unique dining area to incorporate their gazebo while keeping their views unobstructed.

 While not all aspects of this deck are low maintenance , we drastically reduced the amount of time needed to maintain this deck for this family. By incorporating an all vinyl rail system vs. pressure treated we were able to save this family approximately 60%-70% of the time it would normally take to maintain this deck had it used an all pressure treated rail system.

If you would like more information please call, e-mail or leave us a comment.