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 Composite Decking VS. Wood Decks

Is Composite Decking is Maintenance Free?

Composite Decking Manufacturers stopped using “Maintenance Free” when describing their products early on after law suits. Nowadays they refer to it as “Low Maintenance”. They will tell you that the product will require cleaning a couple of times a year to make it look good again. (Good—not, “Like New”) The cleaners leave the decking looking powdery. They are acidic and chemically strip the finish and kill the mold for a time. Green clients should be aware that to “maintain” these products it involves splashing chemicals around your yard. A good stiff brush is required to physically scrub the decking.

Is Composite Decking Better than Wood for Decks?

If it is better than wood—why are they trying to emulate the look of wood. The new products are quite convincing. Big hunks of plastic with wood grain and variable colorants to emulate the look of wood perfectly. Sure, it will fade out, but when it is installed it looks just like wood. I suggest that only wood is wood. Ipe or Mahogany will likely have a durability of 40 years if oiled yearly. A wood deck can be refinished every few years to look like new again. You cannot refinish a composite deck—you simply replace it. 5 years from now, your composite deck will look like a 5 year old composite deck—with scratches and stains.

Does Composite Decking Lasts Forever?

When buried in a landfill—composite decking may very well last forever. They say a plastic shopping bag will last 1000 years underground, I bet the composite decking will also do just as well. Long after you have tired of your stylish composite deck, it won’t be recycled; it will go to the landfill with the plastic patio chairs and the rest of the plastic packaging.