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To avoid splitting planks, drill pilot holes for nails, countersink screws in wood, and predrill screw holes into composite. Choose zinc-coated or other corrosion-resistant fasteners, and use the right fasteners for composites. Also consider hidden fasteners or systems that hide the attachments.

Wolf® Decking

It can come in a variety of types, including white and black vinyl composites with wood fibers. Talk to a professional when considering a vinyl option and ask if it has the same properties of PVC. Wood composite is easily the most popular type and is usually the first thing that comes to mind when one refers to composite decking. There are many synthetic decking materials from dozens of manufacturers.

What To Know About Deck Railing Height

In hot, sunny areas, plastic decks can get very hot on the soles of the feet and actually radiate heat, making them uncomfortable. Still, for a virtually maintenance-free deck, plastic decking may be the answer. Plastic decking, which is 100 percent recyclable such as Azek, looks like wood. It might expand and contract in certain climates, loosening joints and making decks unstable. New metal balusters can give your existing wood deck a sleek, modern look. The round Classic Balusters are held in place by hidden connectors that require no hole drilling.

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

Edge-fastening looks good because the screws are hidden, but face-fastening is faster, stronger, and easier to fix. When face-fastening, use screws designed only for composites. This decking bubbles up around standard bugle-head deck screws .

The labor cost to install a new 144-square-foot deck ranges from$1,500 to $2,000. This runs$9 to $12 per square footfor boards and the structure, and $25 per square footfor stairs. This means that pros can cut these boards without the risk of splintering or cracking, a common problem with other vinyl materials like siding.

A dry space under the deck is a great place to continue your deck party during a rain shower, or to create some useful dry storage. Screwing through the face of the boards is by far the fastest, easiest and most structurally sound method of fastening deck boards. Modern deck screws have reverse threads to suck the decking down tight to the joists and specially designed heads to prevent mushrooming. Some face-screwing systems, like the Cortex system from FastenMaster, allow you to countersink the screws and fill the holes with plugs made out of the same material as the decking. Installing the plugs is time consuming, but the fastener locations are almost invisible. Trex uses recycled plastic film and reclaimed wood to build a better decking material. PVC-wrapped composite decking is a plastic-coated board comprised of a composite core wrapped with a vinyl shell.

Do You Know How To Avoid Staining A Deck? Build It From Something Other Than Wood Like Pvc Decking Boards

PVC deck materials typically are 10 to 15 percent higher than wood-composite. Lastly, composite manufacturers often use a higher percentage of recycled material while PVC is often manufactured from virgin materials. If reducing your carbon footprint is important, research the manufacturer you’re considering for recycled content claims. Vinyl decking is used to help eliminate water from seeping below the surface of a deck and is more of a protective membrane than a proper deck board material. You cannot use vinyl decking to create a solid structure that can bear weight on its own. It can only be used to create a waterproof seal when used over the top of another, sturdier material. Get tips on how to find the right wood materials for your deck.

But synthetic plank decking offers good looks with less upkeep.Composites, which blend ground-up wood and plastic, have chipped away at wood's popularity. One can combine composite with other decking materials, but it can be difficult. Tiles from the same manufacturer often work well for this purpose.

Planning Guide: Decks

Uncapped decking is the more cost-effective choice, but it is also more vulnerable to staining and mold growth if not carefully maintained. Easily customizable, PVC can be made to mimic the color of more expensive wood decking options, such as mahogany, ipe, and redwood. And because it’s completely plastic, keeping it clean is a breeze – you can even safely pressure wash this material without fear of splintering. Compared to natural wood, the plastic in composite decking makes it more resistant to moisture and insects. It also allows for greater style variation – you can choose a custom color and wood grain to match the aesthetic of your home.

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If you’re interested in composite decking options, check out our selection of Trex capped composite decking solutions. If PVC is more up your alley, our AZEK decking options are guaranteed to last. When the temperature changes suddenly, PVC decking can expand and contract. But because the wood fibers in composite decking make it more rigid, it won’t expand and contract as easily as plastic in direct sunlight. Both composite and PVC decking materials can be either capped or uncapped.

The main difference between wood and composite decking is the amount of work required to maintain them. From a visual aspect, composites are usually pretty easy to tell apart from natural wood. Since PVC decking does not contain any post-consumer recycled materials it costs more to produce. Also, unlike Trex, the price of PVC fluctuates with the prices of oil making the final cost of your deck unpredictable. 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.

It is lightweight and has the same density as white pine, a softwood. Some PVC decking is "capped," meaning that a protective shell is added to the surface that also gives it a wood-like look. Wood-composite decking is a mixture of high-density polyethylene and wood particles, along with preservatives and binders. Wood-composite can be eco-friendly when it is made with leftover sawdust from furniture manufacturing and plastics recycled from milk jugs and detergent bottles. Pressure-treated wood is hands-down the cheapest way to floor your deck.

• However, it can lead to a bit more “bounce” than composites once installed.
• PVC and composites alike should be intermittently swept or hosed off to remove dirt and debris.
• Both expand and contract with temperature changes and manufacturer’s guidelines should be followed carefully.
• Both PVCand composite decking require less maintenance than wood.
• That includes unclogging gaps in boards, and cleaning up spills to prevent staining.
• PVC and composites also both often have “hidden” fastening options that reduce the outward appearance of the installed decking for a more polished look.

Deciding whether tobuild a deck or hire a prodepends on your skills. Many composite and PVC manufacturers sell only to authorized dealers, so DIY may limit your choices.

Whether you're a homeowner, contractor, marina, or golf course, you can trust that we have the most knowledge, the best products, and the highest level of service in the southeast. Capped decking offers extra protection in the form of a hard outer shell. It’s bonded to the core material during the manufacturing process. In addition to increasing the overall durability and performance of your deck, many caps have UV-inhibitors built in as well.