Sections sometimes interlock so that rain won't drip through. Cons: It's expensive, and no one would mistake it for wood.
For three years, we expose our test boards to harsh weather at test sites in hot and humid Florida, and in hot and dry Arizona. Each year we have the boards sent back to our Yonkers, N. Our exposure scores reflect how each model compares with the others in our tests. Our tests showed that some composite decking didn't make the grade for rigidity, and some tonier wood products outperformed most.
Wood Alternatives Are Generally Better at Resisting Sun and Spills Most of the composite, plastic, and aluminum decking we tested kept its original color better than unfinished wood.
Many also fended off mustard, wine, and other stains. Wood Is Stiffer and Surer Wood resisted slips best in our friction tests. Woods also resisted bending and sagging. A few plastics and composites came close in those tests, but several flexed or sagged noticeably. Wood Alternatives Offer a Range of Design Options Many of the synthetic products are available in colors such as white, gray, and several shades of brown.
Surface textures include smooth like plastic lawn furniture, in some cases , subtle wood grain, ridges, and other decidedly nonwood-like patterns. Some composite planks are flexible enough to be easily curved into patterns or shapes that would be expensive to duplicate in solid wood. New Fasteners Improve Looks and Ease Installation TrapEase is one brand of special-purpose screw intended for use with plastic and composite decking.
It has coarse threads at the tip to bite into the deck's supporting joist and finer threads toward the head to stop the decking material from bulging out. Invisible fasteners suitable for wood or plastics come in three types: metal clips with sharp prongs that dig into the deck planks and the joist, elliptical wafers that fit into a slot cut into the sides of the planks and are held with a screw driven into the joist, and strips that fasten to the joist and underside of the plank.
When all the planks are in place, the fasteners don't show. Snap-in-place fasteners are easy to install but unique to specific brands. One brand of aluminum decking we tested snaps together, much the way tongue-and-groove flooring does.
A vinyl decking product we reviewed snapped in place over metal clips screwed onto the joists. We respect your privacy. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story.
Sign In. Become a Member. Remember Me. These decks also have complex fastening systems so the pieces can move as the temperature changes, but they squeak when you walk on them. The 1. A hidden rubberized strip helps minimize noise and squeaking. The tongue-and-groove feature makes for easy installation and hides the screws so that you have a neat, uniform look. The wood-grain on each material provides extra traction, especially when the deck becomes slick.
With deep grooves on its underside, Eon decking is stiff, strong, and light. No fasteners are visible thanks to a hidden clip system. Its non-slip surface actually becomes less slippery when wet. It comes in six different colors and, for plastic, is a great way to fool your guests into thinking it's real wood. All these qualities make aluminum the most expensive decking option of them all.
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Photo by Hamilton Hedrick. It's also extremely hard, making installation labor-intensive. To maintain its rich appearance, ipe must be sealed every year.
It can last 25 years or more. Because it's imported, its price can fluctuate. Reliable lumber suppliers should offer assurance that these woods are seeded or naturally renewed. To confirm that the supplier engages in sustainable practices, check in with the Forest Stewardship Council. Wood decking of any type requires annual refinishing to hold its original luster. Do that twice on a cedar deck and you would have been better off buying synthetic decking that needs only an occasional washing and has a life expectancy of 25 years.
Skip to content. It's a beautiful hardwood that's similar in appearance to mahogany, but has a darker, richer crimson color. Tropical hardwood decking is so dense it doesn't accept stain very well. If you choose not to stain the deck, be sure to apply a UV-blocking clear wood preservative every two to three years to enhance water resistance and deter checking. Most standard deck stains are meant for softwood decking. Finally when buying tropical wood—or any wood for that matter—check with your lumber dealer to ensure that the wood is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council , a nonprofit organization that identifies lumber that has been harvested in a legal, sustainable manner.
Composite decking and its close cousin, PVC decking, represent the fastest-growing decking materials sold today. PVC polyvinyl chloride decking, also called synthetic decking, is made of percent plastic; there are no wood binders. Both types are extremely weather-resistant, easy to clean, and neither will ever splinter, warp, cup, or rot. Although many homeowners think composites do a better job of mimicking real wood than does PVC.
Wood-composite decking cost two to three times more than pressure-treated wood, and PVC decking runs 10 to 15 percent more than wood-composites.
Composite decking brands include Trex , Fiberon , and Veranda. Its powder-coated finish lasts virtually forever and it'll never peel or blister. Aluminum can't catch fire, wood-boring bugs hate it, and it's percent recyclable. When compared with wood, composite, and plastic lumber, aluminum decking is three to four times lighter, yet two to three times stronger.
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