Composite Decking. Is It Right for You!

​Building a deck with a composite surface is the perfect way to create an outdoor living space that looks amazing and requires little to no maintenance. With traditional wood decks, be it cedar or pressure treated timber, the wood weathers, and ages fairly rapidly. To prevent this, you must apply oils and stains which help to keep the wood healthy and fresh looking. The process to apply stain to a weathered deck can be costly as there are many steps including cleaning, brightening, and sanding before any stain can even be applied. Over the lifespan of your deck, say 25-35 years, you would do this at least 5 or 6 times so you can imagine how the maintenance costs can start to add up.
 
Now if we consider using composite or pvc, yes there is a higher upfront cost, but over the course of 50 years (which is the warranty of many of the products that we, at King City Decks install!) those higher costs turn into long term savings.

​There are two types of synthetic decking that are typically used; composite and PVC. Composite is made from highly compressed wood shavings with a plastic finish layer. These layers are what you see on your deck surface and can come in a variety of colours and grain patterns.

PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride is entirely made from plastic making it highly durable and long lasting. We only work with composite/PVC products made from recycled materials.

​For example, Fiberon boasts up to 97% of each of their deck boards as recycled wood shavings and plastics. It takes 1000 plastic grocery bags to produce a single PVC board. Not to mention the water they use to produce the boards is 99% recycled; the entire manufacturing process is quite remarkable.

​Now, aside maybe from the colours, what would make you choose one type of synthetic board over another? There are two main factors that drive the decision between composite and PVC decking and they are price and installation conditions.

PVC is a more expensive option, comes with a longer warranty, and can be installed in wet areas like around pools or on docks. Composite, because of its wood content, still has some susceptibility to shrinking and expanding, and the product guarantees are typically a little less at 25-35 years.

​For most decks, either style is a great option and the decision usually comes down to which colour/design you fall in love with the most! 

The installation process of these boards is unique as well. We use a clip-fastening system that ensures there are no visible screws and perfectly straight and equal board spacing. With the different colours and styles of boards available, it is easy to customize your deck with different borders or accents which can add a unique element of style to your project. As for the sides of your deck there are matching boards and specialized fasteners to cover the entire deck frame (unless your deck is elevated in which case click "HERE" to see deck under-siding options).