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Deck Building Materials

Deciding on which materials to use for your project can be a daunting task. Supply companies are stocking a wide variety of new materials which are both practical and hold up well to harsh weather environments. From manufactured composite decking to hidden fasteners, consumers have more choices than ever before. Click on the links to the left for information on some of the most popular products.

Wood
Wood has a warmness and a beauty that's just about impossible to duplicate in any man-made product. Today's highly crafted decks use some of the most extravagant Hardwood and Softwood species of lumber. From Ipe to Clear Cedar, decks built with wood still remains the most popular choice.

Many wood decks will actually have a combination of several different species of wood used in its' construction. Its' not uncommon to see a Clear Cedar railing used with Ipe or Mahogany decking. The combination of wood is sometimes used to keep cost down as well as to enhance the overall appearance of the deck. You can see a variation of this in some homes with wood in-laid floors and highly crafted furniture.

Note: Building departments will often require that the substructure be constructed from pressure treated lumber regardless of the species of wood used for the decking and railings.

Man Made
If you would like a virtually maintenance free deck (no sealing, no splitting and no splintering wood), then composite materials may be right for you.

Today's selection of materials include composite decking with simulated wood grain texture, vinyl decking, PVC and composite railings, plastic lattice, composite trim boards.

Quite often different combinations of products are used for a maintenance free deck. For example, Carefree™ makes a great looking solid vinyl railing system that's often used with Trex or Evergrain™ composite decking.

The list of new products grow every year. Most consist of either reclaimed plastic, PVC or solid vinyl.

Note: The cost of a maintenance free decks can sometimes be more than a Clear Cedar or Redwood Deck.