Composite Decking is becoming an increasingly popular option for decks. Here are the 7 most important things you should know about it:
- Composite decking doesn’t have to be stained or treated. Many people worry that composite deck boards will warp, crack, or splinter just like wood can. However, this isn’t true with today’s technology. Composite materials are made mostly out of plastic, so they are largely resistant to damage from moisture and UV light. This means that you won’t have to spend hours keeping your new deck looking neat and tidy!
- Composite material has a lower cost than other types of decks such as pressure-treated lumber and cedar. It can be slightly more expensive than redwood, but it lasts much longer and is much easier to maintain.
- Composite decks are less likely to attract termites who feed on the cellulose in wood. This means that composite deck boards won’t warp or rot like wood can.
- Composite materials reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills because they don’t splinter like traditional wooden decks do when you cut them up for disposal.
- Composite doesn’t need to be stained or treated with chemicals! Most people spend hours applying stains and sealants to their decks each year in order to them look nice. With composite, you won’t have to do this!
- The composite material doesn’t absorb moisture like wood does which means that the boards won’t swell or shrink as drastically when it rains or when they are exposed to high heat/low humidity. This also means that the board will not develop cracks over time as many wooden decks do.
- The composite material doesn’t need to be cleaned with chemicals like bleach and ammonia to remove algae growth because it isn’t made out of cellulose (the stuff that algae grow on). It is much easier to prevent algae growth too since composite takes less effort to maintain than other types of decks!