Installing a deck for your home can be a beautiful, functional and perfect home addition, whether it’s a new construction or a rebuild of an older deck that’s beyond repair. When it comes to decking material, the first thing that likely comes to mind is wood, although composite has become popular in residential home deck building projects across the country.
Truth be told, using wood for your home’s deck is a good choice when you prefer the natural beauty and feel of real wood, but what about composite decking material? What are the advantages to using composite over wood? Here are some reasons you may want to choose composite materials for deck building in Fort Collins, CO.
Cost
Although wood decking materials and installation may cost less initially, the maintenance costs over the lumber’s lifetime is much higher when compared to composite. Doing the refinishing work and repairs on a wood deck yourself can save you money compared to paying for hired services, but you must be willing to do it. And while composite building materials may cost more at the start, future maintenance work and cleaning supplies will cost very little.
Maintenance
Wood decks, as pretty as they are, will require sanding and staining or painting every couple of years to keep them from splitting, peeling, fading and warping. As a result, many homeowners never install a deck because they know they won’t have the time to maintain it. But choose composite decking—which is similar to refinished indoor flooring—and you will enjoy a low maintenance, easy-to-clean deck material option that will never need refinishing. Just clean it occasionally with soap and water, and you should be good to go.
Appearance
If using a composite material for your deck sounds good, but you really want the look of wood, then you’re in luck. A high quality composite material made of wood and plastic can indeed look like real lumber, complete with grain-like designs and color. In addition, because composite decking materials are manufactured to avoid changes like warping and fading, your beautiful-looking composite deck will retain its same lovely appearance for years. The appearance of wood, on the other hand, can alter over time due to sun damage, wood decay, mold and attacks by animals and insects, if not properly cared for.
Safety
When it comes to your deck, safety does not involve only its structural integrity and building quality. Like a patio, you may want to walk around on your deck barefoot to soak in a warm day, or because it is more convenient to do so, or your kids and pets will want to play on it. However, the natural life cycle of wood may cause wood decks to rot, splinter, crack and split, creating an unsafe hangout area in between refinishing jobs. With a composite deck, none of this will happen, which makes it a safe area for everyone’s bare feet.
If you have decided that it’s time to move forward on that long-awaited deck project, give the team at TNT Home Improvements a call today. From materials to all the information you will need, we are here to help you plan for deck building in Fort Collins, CO.
