Deck Material

The right deck material can make all the difference in your deck you are planning. There are basically three choices - pressure treated lumber, natural wood not treated or synthetic materials. Each of these has its own positive aspects for using on your deck.

The least expensive is pressure treated wood and it is the most popular one on the market. It is made out of pine or fir and treated with preservatives to resist the elements that it will be exposed to. It is wise to look for “kiln dried” or” kiln dried after treatment ‘ to obtain the best of what you need. There are two colors you can choose from either green or brown. This type of wood should be exposed to the elements for 90 days before staining.

Cedar, cypress and redwood naturally resist rot and decay. They are an easier wood to work with than pressure treated lumber. These woods require easier handling, as they are easy to dent and mar. These types of wood are a little more expensive that the pressure treated lumber. If your budget is a little tight you can use pressure treated for the places that won’t be seen and the more expensive to the places that will be visible.

If low maintenance is your main concern then synthetic would be a good choice. Plastic lumber is made out of recycled milk jugs and garbage bags. This material will not absorb moisture. You can pick from the many colors that are offered or paint this material yourself, but be prepared this material will never take on the look of wood. There are also two other options in synthetics such as vinyl lumber and wood - polymer lumber.  Vinyl lumber comes in white and several additional colors. The advantages and disadvantages are similar to vinyl. Wood- polymer lumbers contain up to a 50:50 ratio of waste wood and recycled plastics, which can be stained or painted. This product looks and feels like wood and can be stained.

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