The spring and summer months increase home improvement projects especially outdoors. Decking is the number one addition and is continuing to grow. This is with good reason. Many people want a place to relax, escape and entertainment. The atmosphere alone is nostalgic for vacation and family gatherings. Barbecuing on the grill and relaxing with a glass of lemonade or frosty beer, friends and family gather around the picnic table. Children running around and enjoying the cool breeze or the summer sunshine. The deck is the central hub of activity. Besides the emotions it evokes, decking is a great investment. People looking for additional living spaces and wanting another cooking area will find that creating an outdoor area with a grill gives them more bang for the buck.
The most popular decking material is still wood. There are many alternatives, but wood is king. Our history is built around the American dream and buying a home. This tradition is still a prevalent goal for many families. Wood products are a part of that tradition and it evokes a sense of value and strength. The different types of wood products have grown as well as introduction of non wood materials. There are so many choices that it can be somewhat confusing for many people. Let take a look at the popular choices.
Composite and PVC decking were introduced in the 80 and has grown in popularity. The enticement of a maintenance free product has helped these products explosion in sales. The first few years have seen its share of issues and lawsuits as well as many companies that have closed down. Over time, this has decreased and there are products that have been fine tuned and corrected. As with every product, these products have their pro and con. There is no decking out there without maintenance. The amount of maintenance and degree of issues varies. The investment is large so take the time to examine the manufacturer you are buying from as well as the timeframe the product has been out and what issues have been reported. Take a look at a finished deck if you can and ask questions. There is nothing worse than being unhappy with your product after installation. Labor is expensive and no one wants to have to replace a deck once it is down.
Wood decking has been around since the beginning of time. The different types of woods have increased as technology has allowed for extraction of more difficult species and transportation is now available for lumber that could not be accessible previously. The most popular lumber is pressure treated pine due to the price. Longevity of this product can be as long as 10-15 years in temperate areas. The problem is that it may need to be replaced in as short as 5 years in areas that are not temperate. The treatment of this deck board is toxic and has led to health issues this in turn has resulted in the product being removed from the market.
Alternative treatments have been used but still contain toxins. Take in to account the labor to replace pressure treated decking 2-3 times more in the lifetime of the home and the pressure treated deck becomes a lot more expensive not including the headache of replacement, time without a deck and looking for competent installed and new boards. The other species that are now increasing in popularity are tropical lumber such as pipe, compare and tiger wood. They are somewhat more expensive than pressure treated, but the longevity for pipe alone is over 40 years untreated. The beauty of this dark natural wood is one of the other reasons for its popularity. The nice thing about the tropical species is that they are naturally insect and mold repellant, rot resistant and extremely dense. Used in many commercial and residential projects, tropical lumber has become the preferred wood material for decking.
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