What Types of Materials Are Used for a New CT Deck?

Excited to enjoy the outdoor weather a bit more in the coming weeks? A backyard deck or patio is an excellent way to spend more time outside in the privacy of your own home. Before you do this, you need to decide on material for the deck that suits your personal style and your home’s climate in order to expand the deck’s lifespan. Newer materials, such as synthetics and hardwoods have begun to replace the traditional options like redwood and cedar, but there are pros and cons to each material. With the prospect of a beautiful new deck, you have several options for decking material, with four factors that affect your choice: durability, availability, looks, and cost. Be sure to thoroughly research every option for new ct decks and remember we’re always here to help.

Pressure-treated lumber

This is the strongest and most readily available lumber. Most pressure-treated lumbercomes with a greenish cast that weathers to a silvery gray, but you can also get it prestained to look like cedar or redwood. Treated lumber is the most affordable deck material, and thanks to new laws restricting the chemicals used to preserve the wood, today’s treated lumber is safe.

Real wood

Natural-wood decking products can be roughly divided into three categories: pressure-treated lumber, redwood and cedar, and tropical hardwoods. You can find most types of wood decking at your local lumberyard, although availability may vary depending on where you live.

Ipe wood

Ipe wood is an excellent solution for those homeowners who appreciate quality, beauty, and durability. Ipe’s coloring ranges from chocolate brown to olive green. When left untreated, the wood turns to a silvery gray color. Though, it can be easily restored to its natural color with minimal effort. Ipe hardwood is resistant to insects, molds, rot, decay, and even fire. Unlike other decking materials, this hardwood doesn’t require preservatives, toxins and chemicals to be treated. Due to the inherent strength, ipe furnishings can be slenderer and more sophisticated than redwood, cedar or pine units. However, Ipe can be difficult to work with. This wood has high cutting resistance during sawing because of its high density.

Synthetic Decking

Consider synthetic materials if you are concerned with low maintenance. Plastic lumber, which is made of recycled milk jugs and grocery bags, does not absorb moisture. Plastic lumber can be molded in various colors and can be painted, but it will never quite take on the look of wood. For proper installation, you will need to use sliding clips because plastic expands and contracts in temperature extremes. Regardless of which type of synthetic material you choose, you will need to install it over a support system build using real wood. To keep overall costs down, most homeowners choose treated lumber for these invisible underpinnings.

Vinyl

The newest material to join the decking family, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is just as near to maintenance-free as composite is. PVC is made of a cellular core with a layer of solid PVC around it and comes in a variety of colors, so instead of brown you can choose from white, gray and tans as well. It does have a significantly higher price though, at about $9.60 per square foot, the price can be worth it since it comes with a 25-year warranty. Composite and vinyl decks offer durability, low maintenance, and aesthetic benefits like non-fading colors. More and more homeowners and remodelers are taking notice. As the popularity of this product category continues to grow, manufacturers have taken their systems one step further by offering railings to match and complement their decks.

Fiderio & Sons | CT Deck Builders

The process of deck remodeling may sound easy, and for experienced builders, it is. To put it simply, we have better tools and more experience. We are familiar with the materials and hardware, and we have done it many times. With experienced builders, you can expect that we will get it done faster, that we are familiar with zoning laws and building codes and that your deck will last longer.