According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2015 edition of Cost vs. Value Report, adding a new deck to your home not only improves your outdoor living space but also gives you 80.5% return on investment. If you’re thinking about a construction project just in time for summer, building a deck is perfect.
While there are many materials that can be used for this, nothing really comes close to using beautiful and elegant wood for that homey, cozy ambiance. Before hiring skilled deck builders in Oakland, you must first have an idea which type of wood would you want to use for the project. Here are three quality types you can choose from:
Pressure-Treated Lumber
If you’re looking for affordable, rot and insect-resistant type of wood, pressure-treated lumber is your best choice. This type of wood is available just about anywhere in the U.S., which makes it cheaper and very popular. In fact, about 75 percent of all new decks use pressure-treated lumber, making it the number one decking material sold today.
The only downside is that it pales in comparison to other fancier wood in terms of being dimensionally stable. Pressure-treated lumber is prone to cracking, shrinking, twisting, and warping when it is poorly maintained. If you do choose this type of wood, you’ll have to keep up with its maintenance by power washing and applying stain or wood preservative, and having it treated with water repellents every couple of years or so.
Redwood
Moving up to the scale of cost and quality, you’ll find that redwood makes for an excellent material to use for decks. Redwood is famed for its rich red color, elegance, durability, and superior quality. It is a softwood that is naturally resistant to rot, decay and insects. Today’s redwood trees are quite rare, which gives it quite a lofty price tag, but if you want a deck that’s not very high maintenance, it’s worth the cost. Redwood is a very stable decking material, which allows it to retain its natural quality for a longer time.
Cedar
Cedar is almost on the same level as redwood. They’re both good decking materials, rot-resistant, fairly pricey, and easy on the eyes. The only difference is that cedar is prone to splintering. Some deck builders would say that cedar is instead best used for balustrades, park fencing perth, planters, pergolas, and other vertical elements.
Your choice for material is an essential element in building your deck. For a successful project, make sure that you leave deck building and deck repair in Oakland to the experts like Schafer Construction Inc.
Sources:
Wood Decking Materials, www.HGTV.com
Your Ultimate Guide to the 5 Materials That Make a Modern Deck, www.PopularMechanics.com
