Deck Materials and Maintenance

Naturally rot-resistant wood is wonderful stuff, but as human pressure on forests increases, woods have become more and more expensive, forcing people to search for more cost effective alternatives. A popular substitute, especially in areas far from cedar and redwood forests, is decking made from less rot-resistant, cheaper softwoods that are pressure-treated with various chemicals that inhibit decay.

The degree of a wood’s rot-resistance depends upon the depth of treatment—wood that is in contact with damp soil needs the deepest treatment.

Natural wood decks have advantages that no other decking materials possess:

Wood is nontoxic and extremely strong for its weight, as well as beautiful and easily worked. Wood is a renewable resource if it’s intelligently managed. Wood is produced with comparatively less fossil-fuel inputs compared to other materials used for decking, especially if harvested products come from forests that are local to the buyer.

Lumber made entirely from High Density Polyethylene resin—the same plastic milk jugs are made of—is made from plastic waste that easily makes another turn around the recycling wheel. Like composite lumber, it is workable with wood tools. HDPE plastic lumber comes in various colors and wood tones. Plastic lumber colors and wood tones include: white, green, sand, cedar, gray, weathered wood, redwood, and many more. Decking, trim, and railings are only some of the uses High Density Polyethylene plastic.

Composite decking products blend waste wood fiber and recycled plastics, adding in waxes, fiberglass, and preservatives to form wood-like boards. Popular manufacturers known for sustainable products and practices of composite decking include Trex, Nexwood, Verenda, Timbertech, and others.

Some composite products last up to 20 years with little maintenance; however, all weather and warping are not unusual.