Composite Decks and Why You Should Build One

The hegemony of wooden patios has long been unchallenged in the marketplace. Classic, sturdy, and lasting, few homeowners look beyond wood when they decide to start their project. This is changing, however, as more contractors begin explaining the benefits to building composite decks, as opposed to those made strictly of wood. Using a combination of plastic and wood, homeowners can open up a world of potential benefits that are hard to leave on the table. If you're wondering whether or not this material is for you, read on for some reasons you might want to leave pure wood behind.

Environmentally Sound

With a pure wooden patio, you could be contributing to the downfall of a forest. With traditional plastics, you are contributing to an industry filling landfills at a startling rate. With composite decks, however, you are doing neither. Because the plastics aren't disposable, they will be in your backyard, beautifying your home, rather than rotting away in a landfill. Because the wood used in these projects is often recycled, you are helping the planet instead of destroying it. It is one of the most environmentally friendly building options for the homeowner.

Durability

Wood is susceptible to any number of environmental elements, many of which can take a toll on its structural integrity and beauty over time. Composite decks are protected against some of these elements, including termite infestation and fungus. If you've ever seen your neighbor scrubbing years of mold off his wooden patio, you have all the reason you need to consider another material in your construction project.

Low Maintenance

Few homeowners have aesthetic taste that runs to pure, untreated or colored wood. Most will want something that has been painted or at least stained. But this isn't a one-time process. You'll need to repaint or stain again in a few years if you want your patio to retain its beauty in the future. Composite decks require no such maintenance. The color should remain as vibrant in a few years as it was the day it was built. If you have little interest in making your patio an ongoing work project, this could be the material you need.

Composite decks are more expensive upfront, but the savings in maintenance will add up in only a short time. Talk to your favorite contractor about this exciting blend of wood and plastic and see if it suits your needs. If you do choose to go ahead with a purely wooden patio, you will at least know that you considered your options carefully.