What Decking Material Is Best for You?

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Since composite or vinyl decks burst onto the scene several years ago they've been touted as revolutionizing landscaping and home improvement projects.

Billed as low-maintenance, attractive solutions for the yard, these products are marketed toward busy homeowners who would rather spend time enjoying their outdoor spaces than maintaining them.

However, before any homeowner goes out to have a deck installed — whether composite or wood — it's important to consider the benefits and pitfalls to these types of materials.

Longevity

At first glance it would seem that composite decks would take the award for the decking material with the longest life span. Vinyl and plastic decking materials are often lumped into the "composite" category. These decks are made of polypropylene, polyethylene, virgin vinyl or plastic, or a combination thereof. Sometimes the plastic is mixed with wood pulp as well.

Composite decks are not as susceptible to weather-related damage as wood decks. However, a relatively high rate of expansion and contraction can cause warping issues or loosening of hardware. Also, composite decks are not as easy to repair as wood decks. Composite decks must often be replaced instead of repaired, which can cut down their longevity once installed.

Environmental Impact

There are supporters and detractors to both wood and composite decks in terms of environmental impact. It can be argued that wood decks go against the green movement because of the need for lumber and depletion of forests to that end. Composite decks are often made from recyclable materials, which would seem eco-friendly. But these same decks take hundreds of years to breakdown in landfills once they are eventually disposed of.

Both wood and composite decks require a host of chemicals for cleaning and other routine maintenance, which can seep into the ground surrounding the home.

Maintenance

Wood decks will require routine cleaning, staining and other maintenance. These factors are what turn many homeowners to composite decks.

In the early days, composite decks were promoted as "no-maintenance." But after problems including warping, staining and molding were discovered, even with top brands, and subsequent lawsuits filed, composite deck manufacturers revised their claims. Today, these decks are considered low-maintenance, and manufacturers recommend certain cleaning applications and tightening of joint spacing to avoid sagging. What many people do not know is that the framing, railing and some other structural elements of composite decks are required to be made out of wood under certain building codes because composite materials are not rated as structural items. So a composite deck will have some wood elements, regardless.

Durability

There is no completely impervious decking product on the market. Both composite and wood decks can warp, fade or be dinged or scratched. Thinking you'll receive many years of perfection is an unreasonable expectation.

With this in mind, wood decks may have the advantage over composite because of their ability to be refinished. So if the sun fades an area, if a pet scratches a board, or a children's toy gouges a part of the deck, it can be repaired. The same refinishing options aren't available with a composite product.