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Deck
Materials:
Decks don't have to be made of wood only. You can find many types of
alternative decking material. Virgin vinyl, recycled plastic, plastic
resin
mixed with wood fibers and aluminum. Sealing many of these materials is
not
necessary.
Choosing
decking material will boil down to
an analysis of your personal texture and color preferences,
mathematics, and
how much long term work you want to put into your new deck.
Let's
start with wood decking materials. I
feel that a vast majority of people will agree that natural wood is the
most
visually appealing deck surface. The grain patterns, hues, and shades
of
different species such as redwood, cedar, cypress, and treated pine
products is
unparalleled. The synthetic decking systems have yet to produce a
product that
rivals the natural beauty of real wood. Wood naturally absorbs and
dissipates
solar energy. In other words, you can walk across many wood surfaces
that have
been in direct sunlight for hours without burning your bare feet.
The
beauty of wood comes with a price tag.
Wood deck surfaces require periodic treatments with synthetic wood preservatives and sealants. These products
minimize
damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet light and water. Synthetic
sealants are
not a food source for mildew and algae. Many highly advertised wood
sealants
contain natural oils that feed these organisms. Even the best deck
sealants
last only 2 to 3 years before re-treatment is necessary.
There
are several types of alternative
decking materials. Some are virgin vinyl materials. Others are made
from
recycled plastics or plastic resins and combinations of wood dust or
fibers.
You can even get aluminum decking materials. Many of these systems come
with
accessory railing and trim kits so that your deck will have a truly
finished
look.
Many, if
not all, of these products are
applied to a traditional treated lumber
joist and beam system. This allows you
to do your cost comparisons quite easily since the structural aspects
of your
deck will be virtually the same no matter how you finish the top of the
deck.
However, you can now purchase, in some markets, plastic joist and beam
systems.
These materials are completely rot resistant. Their only drawback is
that they
are bouncy. To achieve a stiff deck surface you need to oversize the
plastic
joists and/or space them closer together. This of course requires more
labor
and money than traditional wood.
A
positive aspect of many alternative decking
materials is that they require no periodic applications of sealers. The
virgin
vinyl products will look just like vinyl siding
does
after 10 or 15 years. Most decking materials that contain recycled
plastics or
resins and wood fibers or dust will weather to a gray color. The
manufacturers
tell you that these materials are stainable or paintable to achieve
desired
coloration, but if you do this, you start the vicious and never ending
cycle of
periodic maintenance.
The
virgin vinyl products probably offer the
best choice if you want minimal future work. However, on a sunny day, I
guarantee you that you will need sunglasses and a pad while resting on
the
deck. These light colored materials readily reflect sunlight and can
get quite
hot. Don't forget that light colored decking
products
will require annual or monthly washings. They will show airborne dirt
much more
so than regular wood decks.
Before you
make your final decision keep in
mind that all decks will have to be cleaned on a routine basis. If you
choose
to go with natural wood, you will just have to calculate the annual or
periodic
cost of sealing the deck on a square foot
basis and
add this to the original installed price. Compare all systems on a
simple
square foot price completely installed. Factor in how many years you
think the
deck will last before you want a change. Divide the cost per square
foot by the
number of years and you will see the annualized cost of your new deck.
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