Today, homeowners are not only limited to choosing wood as the main material for their new deck. More modern materials such as composites and plastic are also available. The obvious question is how do you pick the best decking material to use for your home. Here are the factors that determine the quality of decking materials.
Cost: The cost of building is often the primary concern of most deck builders. It is still safe to say that wood is still the most expensive material to use, with all these considered, including labor. Top of the line composites and plastics sometimes compare to the price of wood as a raw material, but you can also expect topnotch quality from them.
Ease of installation: The best decking materials must be easy to work with. It is possible to use your ordinary tools with hardwood, but they can be very heavy. Some composites and plastics require special fasteners, but ordinary tools will also do. In fact, the use of power tools are sometimes discouraged to avoid damage.
Maintenance: Maintaining a deck doesn’t just eat up your time, but your resources as well. Maintenance is the edge of composites and plastics over wood since you barely need to maintain them. Ordinary wood needs initial and succeeding treatments like repainting or re-staining. It is also prone to decays due to moist.
Appearance: Wood is still the best when it comes to visual appeal, especially when viewed up close. Wood decking materials emit a very natural feel in the atmosphere. Plastic and composite materials are also available in wood-like finishes, but natural wood is still better.
Longevity: Both composite and plastic decking materials are designed to stand the test of time. Weathering is not a problem with these two. Wood is also capable of exhibiting minimal wearing, granted that it is initially treated with the right chemicals and maintained by the user.
Apparently, each type of material has their its own strength. The best decking material still depends on what you need and which among the factors above is your priority.