Editor’s note: This is a guest post written by Tom Kolnowski, for digitized.house
It’s undeniable that adding a backyard deck or balcony opens your home up to the great outdoors, bringing the potential for open-air gatherings, grilling adventures, and gazing upward to the night sky. But did you know choosing conventional wood as a decking surface can hold you hostage to backbreaking maintenance rituals? Break free of those chains by choosing an alternative decking material.
Don’t get me wrong. I love natural wood surfaces like cedar. It’s just that it has no place on my deck. After years of annually power washing and staining my cedar-clad decks, I vowed to never build another deck with conventional wood. And by turning to alternative decking materials, I’ve permanently retired my power washer and paint brush.
Here are 4 alternative materials you may want to consider before embarking on your next backyard deck project.
Composite Decking
This material is the most commonly used alternative to wood decking, and brings significantly reduced maintenance requirements compared to its natural brethren. Typically manufactured with a blend of recycled wood fragments and various plastics, composite decking has the color and texture molded in and will never need to be sealed or stained. I repeat. Composite decking will never need to be sealed or stained. So you won’t have to worry about spending untold hours toiling with a paint brush, lost hours you’ll never ever get back.
This genre of decking was created by Trex and they continue to be a major force in the space, though there are many other reasonable choices here, including Fiberon, MoistureShield, TimberTech, and more.
One cautionary note: since this material has a high wood content, some varieties can be susceptible to staining—so it’s best to wipe up any greasy stains right away so they don’t have a chance to sink in. Clumsy barbecue gourmets, I’m talking to you.
If you are pursuing a green building approach with your home, composite decking is the natural, highly sustainable choice. For instance, Trex says their products are made from 95% recycled materials.
Polymer Decking
Made from 100% synthetic plastic polymer, this type of decking has no wood content whatsoever and tends to be more stable than composite decking, so you can expect less fading over time. Typified by the all-PVC products from AZEK, Fiberon (their Paramount PVC line), Genovations, and Veka, polymer decking weighs less than composite decking and—you already guessed it—will never need to be sealed or stained.
The all-polymer makeup makes this type of decking impervious to grease stains, and it will resist most any other type of nastiness you can throw at it. You’ll still want to wipe up the smudge from an errant, half-cooked hamburger, but you won’t have to worry about it leaving a permanent blemish on your new deck.
While the surface of a polymer deck resists mold and mildew better than a composite deck, they will still accumulate a layer of dirt and grime—so you can simply rinse them off with the garden hose.
Aluminum Decking
If you’ve ever attended a sporting event at your local school, you’ve no doubt sat in the bleachers. And guess what the decking material was under your feet? Aluminum of course, and for good reason. Among the most durable and weather resistant of all metals, aluminum decking is virtually maintenance free and is becoming more prevalent for residential applications.
There are multiple tough-as-nails options here, including made-for-the-home products from Nexan, Versadeck, and Wahoo Decks. And like all of the materials mentioned above, aluminum decking is available in a wide variety of colors and textures.
Many companies also offer marine-grade aluminum, an even better option for decks that may be exposed to salt water, such as those at dockside or poolside.
Enhanced Wood Decking
All right, I know what you are thinking. What is a wood product—any type of wood product—doing on this list? As I mentioned, I love the look of natural wood, but could there be decking alternatives that bring the genuine feel, texture, and warmth of real wood while delivering on a maintenance-free mantra? As it turns out, there are several options out there that precisely fit that bill.
As a class of building product, enhanced wood decking begins life as a genuine wood plank, then is taken through a high-tech treatment process to morph the wood into a much more durable and weather resistant surface. Among a few of the choices here are Kebony and TigerDeck.
The downside with enhanced wood decking boards is they will ultimately weather to a natural gray over the years, and if you are fine with that look then this can be a beautiful option. But for the decking connoisseur concerned with maintaining the original color of the wood, a UV-resistant deck oil will need to be applied once or twice a year. That may qualify as a crime in my book.
Your beautiful, maintenance-free deck life
There, it had to be said. Before signing on the dotted line with a reputable deck builder or taking the DIY plunge, make sure you carefully consider your choice of decking surface. Choosing one of these maintenance-free alternative materials over standard wood can free up more time to enjoy your newfound outdoor space. Wasn’t that the idea in the first place?
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