Your choice of materials for your next deck is expansive. Today’s technology gives homeowners many different opportunities to enhance the beauty of their homes, hardscaping, and landscaping. While designing your new haven, you will need to decide what type of material you would like to use. For example, if you want to use wood, do you choose cedar, redwood, or pressure-treated pine? Maybe you would like exotic wood like tigerwood, ipe, or mahogany. Another option is composite. If you want a long-lasting material, this option is one your deck contractor can easily use on your Piedmont home.
Benefits of Composite Decks
Each type of material has its pros and cons. For example, wood is familiar to us, and its upfront costs are less expensive. Before you settle on a type of wood, consider the benefits of composite decks:
- Looks like wood: When the composite was created in the 1980s, it looked more like plastic. Nowadays, the appearance resembles grained wood boards. No two boards look alike, so you get a more natural veneer.
- Moisture isn’t retained: One downside of wood is that it will absorb water, leading to rot, unless you regularly apply stains, sealers, or paint. Composite is fully moisture-resistant, allowing it to be installed in areas with high moisture.
- Easy to maintain: You don’t have to spend your weekend cleaning and staining or painting deck boards when you can be grilling gourmet meals outdoors instead. Some simple sweeping and washing will keep things looking great.
- Insects don’t care to eat plastic: Composite is comprised of tiny wood fibers encased in plastic. Bugs do not like plastic, so you do not have to worry about termites.
- No splinters in your feet: You can walk barefoot across your deck and not worry about getting a splinter stuck in your feet. This is especially good for children and pets.
- It comes together easily: Composite can be put together with the standard tools used with wood decks.
- Good return on investment: Wood is generally less expensive than composite when you first build your deck. However, when you consider the continual maintenance, composite will last many years with little care.
With all the benefits of composite, it begs the question, what is the downside of this wonder material? Not much. While it can get much hotter than wood (i.e., 34 to 76 degrees F hotter), some composite versions are heat resistant. Pick the right one, and you are sure to have the perfect, cool-to-the-touch deck for your next gathering.
Choose Schafer Construction as Your Piedmont Deck Contractor
Before you choose the type of material for your outdoor oasis, choose a deck contractor with the years of experience you need to build your dream. Schafer Construction has been in the deck and sky bridge business for more than thirty years. We have the expertise to bring your vision into reality. Give us a call today!
Call Schafer Construction at 510-339-9100 or contact us online. Homeowners across Piedmont and the San Francisco Bay Area rely on our skilled and experienced team for their deck construction, inspection, and repair needs.
