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PVC Decking provides a range of benefits and solutions that homeowners have struggled to find for years with previous decking options. Homeowners have long had the desire for a low maintenance decking product, and PVC, with its no-wood composition, certainly answers that need. Most will look similar, and have basic color choices, require some periodic cleaning, and care should be taken not to scratch or stain the decking.

Wolf® Decking

In addition, it comes with all of the same drawbacks as wood-composite. You may wish to purchase PVC decking if you want a lighter-weight material that is easier to handle than wood-composite. Like wood-composite, PVC decking does not rot and never needs to be finished. Some homeowners simply like the look of PVC more than with the other materials. Also called plastic orsynthetic decking, this is made of cellular polyvinyl chloride , the same material that is used for plastic fencing.

What To Know About Deck Railing Height

Your home's outdoor space is an extension of the interior, a place to be enjoyed many months out of the year and some places all year. It makes sense that building or updating a deck can boost the value of your home and provide a peaceful retreat. Although plastic comes from a non-renewable resource, manufacturers can recycle it over and over again.

Timbertech Pro Vs Azek: Which Decking Is Best For You?

Also, if your deck was built before 2004, it's probably made of lumber treated with chromated copper arsenate. Regular refinishing helps to seal in the toxic arsenic that CCA decking contains. But if the finish is flaking or worn off in spots, we suggest hiring a pro who's equipped to safely remove the old finish, dust, and debris and then refinish it.

It’s stiffer than PVC decking boards and can span greater distances. Its stiffness also makes it easier for one person to handle and helps hide minor imperfections in the framing. Composite is also less slippery than PVC decking boards when it’s wet.

Most of the composite, plastic, and aluminum decking we tested kept its original color better than unfinished wood. Building a deck with composite boards over a wood substructure is highly common. Decking material needs to screw into joists for maximum support and durability. All artificial decking needs less maintenance than wood, but composite tops the list.

Much to the delight of homeowners, capped PVC does not require annual sanding, staining, or sealing. And, no other decking material is available in such a wide array of colors and natural-looking wood grains. Though these products may look similar, they each have their own unique qualities and benefits. Here, we examine the benefits of PVC decking vs. capped composite, and why a homeowner can’t really go wrong with either choice.

Understanding the pros and cons of manufactured decking can help you decide which material is best for your needs. PVC often has a more aggressive texture than composites -- and that can be a plus or a minus, depending on your preference. Lastly, both product types offer multi-tonal or “streaked” products that are designed to resemble real wood.

In general terms, more composite manufacturers have a wood-like grain pattern and more PVC products have a more linear grain pattern. However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule and exceptions exist for both. When comparing composite vs PVC decking, the main difference is appearance. By contrast, PVC has a more obviously synthetic appearance. However, there are actually quite a few other differences between the two materials that are worth noting. Rather, vinyl decking is a roll-out material that can be used as a protective membrane when waterproofing a deck. So, while you could use PVC decking to create the structure of your deck, vinyl “decking” could not be used in the same way.

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Ceramic-coated screws come in several colors, which helps them blend in. The width of the decking, its color and finish, and the design of the railing are important design elements. A ranch, raised ranch, or contemporary house style can work well with many deck designs. It's more challenging to make a deck work with older styles, such as Tudor, colonial, or 1920s bungalow. Many manufacturers of synthetic decking offer a variety of railings, such as provincial or Mission style, that can help the deck fit with the rest of the house.

What Is A Composite Decking Board Made Of?

Stay up to 30 degrees cooler than competitive composite products. Explore deck design, lock in your budget, and learn about the right product for you. Economists not only look at the initial cost of an action, but the future costs as well. When shopping for a new deck, you need to shop like a good economist. How much time and money will it take to maintain your deck?

Their decking uses fiber sequencing technology for added strength and long lasting beauty. Serenity Decking uses a proprietary ColorWatch ASA capstock which gives the decking the color variation of real wood and repels moisture and UV rays. Furthermore, the appearance and texture of Trex resembles real wood not plastic. It has a matte finish and wood like grain that you will not find in a PVC decking. PVC decking is shiny and smooth to the touch making it look like faux wood.

• PVC decking is about half the price of composite decking but cost is added if you are installing PVC and need to buy the special tools needed for PVC deck installation.
• The average time it takes to recoup the price difference in coating and cleaning costs with a composite deck is five years.
• While this may mean short-term savings with wood decking, those savings can be lost in the long-term maintenance and eventual replacement of a wooden deck.
• Each comes in different levels of quality, but overall you can expect to pay as much as 20% more for composite decking over pressure treated wood.

Trex will not fade or lose its original luster even after decades of exposure. Wood resisted slips best in our wet and dry friction tests. A few plastics and composites came close in those tests, but several flexed or sagged noticeably.

Deck boards with a core made from a blend of engineered materials (like recycled plastics, HDPE, etc.) and organic materials , with an engineered cap. With its initial price typically in between wood and cellular PVC, a casual observer might consider composite decking a great middle ground. As a result of having this organic filler, it’s still quite susceptible to many of the same disadvantages as a wooden deck. Aside from those downsides, composite decking is also susceptible to scratching because the wood makes it softer.