With the remarkable advancements in engineering, wood decking is being replaced by composite decking which has many advantages over the traditional wooden decks. These composite decks are known to outlast and outperform their wooden predecessors. Let us look at some of the key advantages of composite deck over wood.

Durability

Wooden decks are beautiful to look at, but they weather very easily over time. Seasonal changes like the blistering summers, wet springs and frigid winters leave the wood damaged with splintering of wood, warping and a faded look. Also wood is known to attract insect infestations causing extensive damage to the structure. This can pose as a serious health hazard from the deteriorated wood quality, which can lead to collapse of the deck. In contrast to wooden decking, composite decking is designed for maximum durability and strength. Not only it resists scratching, splintering, mold, staining and fading, it also doesn't crack with the effect of season changes. Also as it is insect and termite proof, it is much safer especially for families having kids and pets.

Low maintenance

One basic requirement of a wooden deck is intensive upkeep. Even pressure treated ipe, redwood, cedar or lumber need heavy maintenance. The wooden deck requires seasonal sanding and sealing, which keeps off the natural splitting and rotting of the wood. Also as wood is easy to fade, it needs a regular coat of paint. On the other hand composite decking is so engineered that one does not have to take care of sanding, painting or staining for it. To maintain the original appearance, a simple soap and water occasional clean up is sufficient.

Aesthetics

Composite decking offers a range of colour options from greys to reds to natural looking deep earth tones. It even has designs which look like exotic hardwoods. Thus, the composite decking is looking more natural these days than ever before. Also along with decking, associated composite accessories like stairs, railings, gates and outdoor furniture are also available. In wooden decking, such variation is not available.

Eco friendly Decking

Another positive aspect of installing a composite decking is that, aesthetically it may provide the look and feel of real wood but sans the negative impact of cutting woods on the environment. Composite decks use recycled content in their manufacturing, material like recycled plastic, paper, wooden scraps and more. Thus it does not impact deforestation directly unlike wooden decks.

Value

Initial cost of a composite decking may seem to be significantly higher as compared to the cost of a wooden deck. But in the long run, wooden decking can turn out to be more expensive because of the periodic maintenance costs, moreover add to it ongoing maintenance expense of the pressure treated lumbar. Also wood is prone to pest infestations like termite and termite control can be quite costly. Comparatively, a composite deck is much low maintenance and it takes care of itself for well under 10 years.

Thus, there are many benefits of owning a composite deck over a wooden deck. The hassles of repeated repair and maintenance of wooden deck make it a cumbersome property to have, as compared to composite decking which is an easy and convenient option.