Our deck project kind of got back-burnered amidst all of the party/dollhouse/bedroom stuff, but we have made one decision in that time: much like both of our parents chose for our houses growing up, we’re going the pressure-treated wood route.
But making that call was no easy decision. We actually weighed a bunch of options, got a few quotes from a few different sources, and endured the all important “sleep on it” step. Then we second-guessed ourselves a few times because the right choice isn’t very obvious. Haha. There are so many ways to go, so it really is one of those it’s-different-for-everyone things. In the end it just came down to personal factors about look, price, effort, keeping in line with our neighborhood, etc – so we can definitely see why people come to different conclusions (and also develop some pretty strong opinions, if the message boards I’ve been reading are any indication).
So we thought we’d run through our thought process for anyone else facing a similar decision. For us it quickly came down to two materials: pressure-treated wood vs. composite. We eliminated cedar (wasn’t our favorite color/look), exotic woods (for their cost) and vinyl (looked too unnatural) early on, so I think that helped us focus. But we went back and forth between PT wood and composite options more than a few times.
Composite seemed like the obvious choice at first. Lots of friends had “heard it was really nice” and several of you even commented about liking it. We actually even put an offer on a house partially because of its awesome composite deck back when we were house hunting. The pros we kept hearing about were: low-maintenance (it doesn’t need to be resealed or stained) and that it looks good (some might say “upscale”). We personally have mixed feelings about the look and feel of it – sometimes it looks really great to us, but sometimes it also looks really plastic-y to us. It can also fade in the sun, which we hear can be frustrating. But the thing that put the specialty decking screw in the composite coffin was the cost. Various estimates that we got put it between $2,000 and $3,000 more than wood for the same sized deck built exactly the same way! Yup, it more than doubled the total cost of pressure-treated wood – and that was the lower-end composite stuff vs. premium pressure treated wood.
So it goes without saying that cost was a big factor in picking pressure-treated wood. We’re still working out final estimates, but using premium pressure treated wood (which is less prone to warping than the basic stuff) is likely to cost us around $1,000. We got estimates from Home Depot and a smaller specialty lumber place about a half-hour away called 84 Lumber, and 84 Lumber came in around $400 cheaper for the same amount of pressure treated wood so we’re happily going with them (like HD, they also came in 3K more for composite). It’s pine wood harvested down south, and is all treated to be safe for human contact, so we’re not worried about scary things like arsenic which used to be used in pressure treated wood years ago.
So 1K seems like a much more digestible figure for our “little deck project” over 3-4K. We realize that some of what we save now will be spent on future maintenance (it’s recommended that wood be sealed every 1 to 2 years) but that was a trade we were willing to make since we’re DIYers through and through – so we’re no strangers to sealing something. Plus, wood is a material that we’re comfortable with – both building and maintaining, so in some way it felt easier to have some staining or sealing projects in our future than the unknown of composite (what if we picked a color that looks “in” now but looks dated down the road? what if we eventually convert a window in our bedroom into a door out to the deck and damage a few boards of the composite stuff which might be harder to repair/replace/match than regular old wood? what if we over-improve our house for the area?).
The thing that ultimately secured the victory for wood was it’s look. Not only do we like the more natural appearance of it, but we also think it’s better suited for the character of our house and our neighborhood. Somehow sticking a swanky composite deck on our little brick ranch felt like wearing Prada loafers with my Sprite t-shirt. If we were in a newer construction home or a neighborhood where people were making these types of upgrades all around us, we definitely would rethink our choice, but we’re surrounding by homes with wood fences, decks, and porches – there’s nary a composite deck to be seen.
We both grew up with wood decks and remember our parents sealing them every few years (sometimes with our help) and also talked to close friends of ours (who bought a home with a giant wood deck a few years back) and they’ve said they really love it. Even right after spending a weekend resealing it they said they were really happy with it (it was at least 15 years old and hadn’t been sealed or maintained in years before they moved in, but afterwards it looked like new).
Once we get our plans finalized and our permit secured (next week if all goes well!) we’ll be good to place an order for all that lumber and finally get this ball rolling. Of course we’ll share all of the delivery/building details as we go. Oh and when it comes to the actual wood slat pattern, we’re debating something cool like mitering the corners of all the border pieces so it looks like it’s framed out (sort of like how the right edge of this deck looks). We’re also thinking about placing the boards in a modern way, like this shot that we took at the Virginia Museum Of Fine Art:
See how there are these really cool zipper-looking seams?
We’ll share more on the actual design plans as we go (permit permitting, haha). Oh, and if you’re looking for more details about decking materials – here are some of the resources I relied on (in addition to talking to my local Home Depot and lumber yard): The Family Handyman, This Old House, TreeHugger and Better Homes & Garden (<— warning: the lady in this video is very chipper). Anyone else building a wood deck, fence, or porch these days? Or sealing something they’ve had for a while?
Sherry from BC says
I can’t wait to follow this project along. I have a friend who put in great recessed lighting on his. Sorta like this. But there are round ones too.
http://www.decksdirect.com/aurora-odyssey-led-strip-light.html
Are you planning to have any recessed lighting?
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh, so fancy! We’re hoping to drape string lights across the top (between the house, above the entire alley) for sort of a pretty starlit-bistro feeling. Will keep you posted!
xo,
s
Kim says
We have a “real” wood deck. I stain it every year. The stain/sealant I use says it should last 5 years, but here in Ohio with the crazy rain we get…it lasts 1 year. I also love the look of real wood and we use the deck all the time (which is probably why the stain wears off so quickly).
My parents have a composite deck that my dad built himself. It’s gorgeous but it cost a LOT of money (way more than I’d ever spend). My mom was pressure washing it and the finish started coming off. The company replaced all the pieces b/c the deck was less than 5 years old and it should last forever, but they told her she can’t power wash it. I think when a deck costs that much $$ it should be able to withstand a power washer.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- so interesting!
xo,
s
Jen says
My husband and I just finished the same debate for the deck we are building this summer, and arrived at the same conclusion. Although, we ruled out composite earlier because we felt it was slippery, and didn’t really look like wood, or plastic. It just seems a bit confused to me. So, vinyl was our other option. Until it turned out to be 4-5 times more expensive than PT. We also may enclose our deck to make a screened porch down the road, and it just didn’t make sense to spend that kind of cash on a surface we might cover over in 5-10 years. We were still trying to make vinyl railings work for the ease of maintenance, but the cheapest ones have a funny sleeve detail where the balustrade meets the post, which I didn’t like. So, staining and sealing it is. Looking forward to seeing how your deck evolves this summer!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny to hear the process you guys went through! Thanks for sharing all of your thoughts everyone!
xo,
s
Dawn says
Sounds like you made the right choice! When I bought my house over 2 years ago, the deck had NEVER been sealed so last summer I had it stained – use a solid stain by Flood Comp. Because the wood wasn’t sealed when the deck was built in 1997, the solid color was more forgiving than a semi-transparent stain. Flood stains have a great warranty and variety of colors. I used a dark brown color on all the horizontal surfaces (shows less dirt/pollen) and a tan on the vertical surface for a 2-tone effect. It turned out great! Happy decking!
YoungHouseLove says
Yay! So glad it turned out so well!
xo,
s
Meredith says
Have you picked a stain/color? My husband and I just recently stain part of our bi-level deck a really dark brown. After we finished half of the deck, we realized that we both hate the color. Now we have to redo it and don’t know which color to choose. Any suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
We haven’t gotten there yet, but we can’t wait to explore!
xo,
s
Carol says
We have a pressure-treated wood deck that is 25 years old and still going strong!!! What is even more amazing is that we have never stained or sealed it. When it was built, someone told us the PT wood (probably the old “bad” kind) should hold up without it and that once you stain or seal, you have to keep up with it. No maintenance appealed to us as our tri-level deck is huge and has hundreds of balusters. As we live in a wooded area, we do get some green tinge, but we keep the deck looking good by power washing once every year or two. Because of its age, we are now getting some flaking and splitting, especially on the “top” boards of the railings and benches. But as you say in your blog, we can replace only those pieces. Good luck with your project and I hope your new deck gives you the same service and enjoyment ours has.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow that’s pretty darn amazing! I can’t believe it has held up that well 25 years later!
xo,
s
Linda says
I know you have checked into it, but just FYI to anyone sealing their decks – the EPA has recently released new standards for stains, etc., and, in our condo association’s case, we had to move from a Cabot stain to a Benjamin Moore stain both for chemical and wear element reasons. The new stuff was more expensive.
So, beware any really cheap stains out there – they may be the ‘bad’ old stuff that hasn’t sold yet. I think I have the info at home, but we were glad our contractor brought it to our attention (even if it hurt our wallets).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we’re planning to go eco with the stain, even if it costs a little more- it’s just a place Clara and Burger will spend lots of time so we’d love a product that’s low-VOC like SafeCoat!
xo,
s
K Tomson says
Hopefully on this upcoming long weekend will get to stain/reseal my porch/deck. Don’t enjoy this task one bit!
Kim says
Oh and something I didn’t know…Lowe’s can’t color match stain (I don’t know if other stores can). I bought a gorgeous “oops” stain/sealant from Lowe’s the last time I stained the deck and used it on just the spindles and when I ran out they told me they can’t color match. I just used a coordinating color for the floor of the deck, but was sad that I couldn’t color match b/c I loved the color so much.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I never thought about that! Good to know!
xo,
s
Lynn @ SafeBeauty says
You guys are like my DIY Tony Robbins. You’re just like “Just keep swimming..” and I love it! I like the zipper seam look because if ever you sell you’ll have that little ‘shee shee’ over the competition. We don’t have a deck anywhere but we do have a pool surround that needs some love due to it’s chipped paint spots. We are throwing a kids party next weekend and since we have other things on our plate for that, the repainting and sealing of that will be done afterwards but before the housewarming party. We are looking all over the place for inspiring pics of colors and different choices. Anyhow, can’t wait till you guys get your permit cause my hands are tingling for you guys to get started. :o)
My best, Lynn
*yeah that lady in that last video was borderline manic?
Tori says
Wooden decks are a classic choice! The versatility and authenticity float my boat, too. We are actually in the midst of re-staining and sealing our wooden deck. We bought our home in August, and it looks like the previous owners didn’t care too much about the deck. We scrubbed it yesterday with a stiff brush and some great deck cleaner. It already looks better– even some of the scummy mildewy parts are cleaner. Here’s hoping it doesn’t rain on Saturday, when we’re aiming to finish! We’re opting for Sherwin Williams, and I’m thinking Yankee Barn to go with our cream siding.
Julia says
When I was about 7 or 8 my parents had a deck built on top of the concrete slab in behind our house and I have so many fond memories of parties, cookouts, late night star-gazing etc. out on that deck! When my parents had it put in, they had the boards laid at a 45 degree angle to the house, so the lines ran diagonal. If I remember correctly, it ended up requiring more wood than normal to complete, but it was a really neat look.I have also seen some cool decks with a herringbone pattern, or some similar to the one you posted with the frame, except the “frame” part is 2-3 boards wide.
Sigh. I miss living up north in the land of decks. Down here in FL we are much more partial to concrete slabs. Though, I have a pool in the middle of the concrete slab in my backyard, so I guess I should not be complaining!
Rachel says
My dad and I just finished building a deck! I’m a first time home owner and my fixer-upper needed a lot of help in the backyard. I’m young and single and I love to entertain, but was lacking in the “adequate space for more than two people to hang out” department, so building the deck was SUPER exciting! After much deliberation about what material to use (wooden deck, composite deck, pavers, etc) and how to style it, we chose pressure treated wood in a simple 16×16 square. After also considering using Dek-Blocks, we went with plain ol’ cement blocks. This sucker went up lickety split and only cost around $500, which left plenty of money for patio furtniture, cafe lights, and flowers. I chose to wait to seal it until after the summer sun and rain has had a chance to weather it just a bit. So, I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for a deck sealing tutorial from y’all! :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome! It sounds great!
xo,
s
LaMadre says
we recently built a deck and used that type of edge. We love it. It’s clean and finished looking. And, I might add, a bit more upscale. Good Luck!
Courtney says
When we gutted our kitchen in February my husband built the cabinets, so we needed to find a clear coat for the interiors (used BM Advance on the exteriors). When our local store told us they are phasing out safecoat we discovered a company called Vermont Natural Coatings. The PolyWhey line is made from the discarded whey casings at the Cabot Cheese factory! So cool! We loved loved loved their furniture finish and have heard nothing but rave reviews about the other products as well. They have an exterior product that we are planning to use on the fence we JUST put up and the deck we’re building next month!
http://www.vermontnaturalcoatings.com/our-products/polywhey-exterior-wood-finish/
What sealed the deal for me choosing wood over composite was seeing the brochure at Home Depot of all the products meant to fix the problems with composite decks!!! Mold and mildew remover, waterproofers, and composite stain! I sort of think composite might be a trend that will fade away as more and more people experience the downsides. Who knows!
YoungHouseLove says
So interesting! Thanks for the tips and the link to them- sounds like a really cool product!
xo,
s
LeeG says
We are about to start on a massive deck/screened in porch project here in Bethesda (about 12 years in the making!). We also decided to go with pressure treated wood. A couple of companies suggested “ecolife” lumber. Apparently, it’s treated with more eco friendly and kid safer chemicals than the regular stuff. It added only about $700 more to our original quotes of 30K (gulp).
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that massive deck and screened in porch sounds awesome!
xo,
s
Dave says
Lowe’s has $50 off every $500 you spend on in stock decking. Better check it out soon…ends May 28th.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Dave!
xo,
s
Heather says
As an owner of a deck for 12+ years, I would go composite.
John says
Perhaps you could string lights from side to side across the deck, imagine how pretty it would be. Love sitting on the VMFA deck.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that’s the plan! A pergola-ish thing between the houses with swagged lights!
xo,
s
Melissa says
I think it’s a great choice. We have Aztec (sp?) decking on our small decks off our back door and deck. They fade a lot so the color you see originally may not be the color you have a in a few years. What about a diagonal pattern for your boards? Maybe make it seem less like a hallway?
YoungHouseLove says
That could definitely be fun too!
xo,
s
Monika says
I was actually directly involved in the research that led to a bad of CCA – containing copper, chromium, and arsenic – treated wood for residential use as a part of my post-graduate research (I was a part of a big team though!). What led to the ban is that it was found that all three metals leach out of the wood and even transfer onto skin upon contact. Can you imagine our horror after collecting soil samples on playgrounds? Anyhow, use of arsenic has been banned, but copper and/or chromium are still allowed to be used and are still considered heavy metals. The presence of chromium, the worse offender of the two, can be spotted if the wood has a green hue. The wood is also tresated to varying degrees, so I would definitely look into lowest concentrations available on the market and look into sealing that puppy just in case. The leaching is worst when the wood is brand new. How is this for info dump?
Monika says
I meant “ban” in the first sentence. Shucks ;) Also, to add to the sealing – what I meant to emphasize is that you have seal the deck at least once a year for the seal to “hold” the heavy metals in. But it does appear to hold them in based on our research. It’s like “bad-news” “good-news”. As a side note #2, we have a CCA treated wood deck that we seal each spring, so my son can trod on it barefoot with no worries. Plus it’s not 10 years old. No playing under the deck though!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for all the info Monika! We’d love to use an eco sealer like SafeCoat which is so awesome it’s even recommended to seal lead and make it kid-safe!
xo,
s
Lauren@FilingJointly says
Yay for using wood. My dad is crazy-handy and built a huge deck as well as a big fort on stilts, as we had no acceptable trees, for my younger brother. Both he built out of wood and both have held up amazingly (20 years and 12 years respectively) with minimal care. I actually don’t think the fort has ever been sealed.
I think some commenters mentioned splinters with the wood deck but my four siblings and I were barefoot all over that thing growing up and now when we visit and I don’t remember ever having a problem.
betterOutdoorLivingatHome says
I agree with your choice of wood. Wood has a warmth about it that you can’t get with composite. Your deck will be a nice addition to your home!
Allison says
I think you guys definitely made the right choice! We had a choice for really cheap composite decking from a company that was going out of business a few years back. We did our front porch and my dad’s front porch with the composite, and a few years later there is already shifting, warping, and fading. We used all of the right hardware, so I don’t know what the problem was. On the other hand, my in-laws have an old front porch made of treated wood, and I love it. No issues at all. She even stained it last year after it had aged for years, and the color is gorgeous!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that’s so sad!
xo,
s
Nancy says
We went with composite when we had to redo our deck because we had a bunch of 1×1’s that were…not fun to stain but more importantly we had an infestation of carpenter bees (probably a combination of not recognizing them for what they were at first and soft wood.) Otherwise I’d prefer wood because yes, the composite does fade and is very expensive.
Julie says
I think the wood deck will be beautiful!
But I have to say; I am totally spoiled by our gorgeous gray composite decking. I too, thought it looked nearly plastic in the store; and nearly changed my mind because of it. For future reference, if you ever do decide to go composite, it looks really natural once it’s down.
Happy decking!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Julie! We’ve seen gorgeous composite decks that definitely don’t look plastic (and others that feel and look a bit more artificial). I wonder if it’s a depends-on-the-manufacturer thing!
xo,
s
Aurelie says
saw this on zulily today and thought of clara!
http://www.zulily.com/p/the-inchworm-17714-1566116.html?pos=10&
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!
xo,
s
pattilouwho says
Have you heard of Ipe (or Brazilian hardwood)? We used it to build our deck off of our house about 5 years ago. It’s the hardest wood out there and man, is it ever durable. You use special stainless steel screws to install, and you have to purchase a diamond blade to cut, but I think the end result is amazing. We used pressure treated wood for the posts and the framework underneath and then used the Ipe as the actual planks. Here is a photo of our deck (after being freshly sealed): http://urbanbundle.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_0380.jpg
YoungHouseLove says
It was out of our budget but sounds so awesome! Your photo is gorgeous! I’m drooling!
xo,
s
Sarah P. says
I’ll start by stating (again) that I am completely floored at how many comments you respond to! Where do you two find time in the day!?
Also, your paver patio project has given my husband and I the confidence to build one ourselves. I read your posts religiously to make sure I’m following similar steps (we live in NY so our crusher run has to be a depth of 6″ minimum). John’s not kidding around, it is back breaking work!!
You two have inspired us so much as we renovate our old/new house that we love! Thank you for many, many years of encouragement, creativity, and a solid DIY attitude.
Good luck with the deck and I will definitely submit photos when our paver patio is finally done!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re so sweet Sarah! So glad to help! As for responding to comments, you guys are our virtual buddies and we love chatting! Me especially, haha.
xo,
s
Elaine K says
We have a wood deck and it’s easy enough to reseal it. We get the kids to help and it’s done pretty quickly. Best investment we made for outdoors is a small powerwasher. It helps with pollen and the inchworm invasion.
kristi says
Will you stain the boards before you install, or how will you stain the underside? (or maybe just the underside before you install?)
YoungHouseLove says
In our area it’s advised that you let wood acclimate outside for a while before staining or sealing, but by using pressure treated wood, it’s already protected from the elements pretty well (so stain is just to enrich the color if you’d like, and sealant on top can make it more durable since it gets walked on/beaten from above, haha).
xo,
s
Fillenoire says
New reader here! As someone obsessed with all things HGTV as well as a new Richmonder I have to say you guys are awesome. Totally love the way everything has been decorated and all the work you’ve put into it :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much! And welcome to Richmond!
xo,
s
Adriane (aka the greenhorn) says
We just built our deck! We also used pressure treated and are so far very happy. Blog post coming after we break it in with a partay :) Good luck, can’t wait to see how it turns out.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Share the link for sure!
xo,
s
Erin says
You might try the CAMO system, it is less expensive when compared to the Kreg, and it uses star headed screws: http://www.camofasteners.com/system.html
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Erin!
xo,
s
Alan says
Good choice! My friend’s husband installed a purplish/grey composite deck about six years ago, and every time I’m out there I think to myself “It’s really purple, isn’t it?” Pressure treated wood is timeless…you’ll love it!
Jessica Dixon says
Hi! I can’t wait to see your deck when it is finished! I think I would have went real wood as well.
I have a question not related to the deck…I was wondering if you have ever had to remove “glitter paint”? The people who lived in our house before us had glitter mixed in the paint and it is very uneven some spots are loaded with it and some not so much, I want it GONE lol, I have been wanting to redo our bathroom for soooo long but its a big room and dont know how to get started without getting that glitter and texture gone…Do you have any suggestions? Thank you for any advice you can give.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! We’ve never tackled that. Anyone have advice?
xo,
s
Jessica Dixon says
Well thanks anyways :) I will figure it out one way or the other, I am so tired of looking at the room in its current state.
Elena says
Hi guys,
Could you, please, share HOW you get a permit for building one thing or another (if you already did in one of your older posts, it would be nice to have a link). I understand that most people probably know the process, but there might be dummies DIY beginners like myself who is totally clueless. Thank you.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re already planning to do a post on that – hopefully next week. So stay tuned! :)
-John
Michelle N says
On a different note… Have you guys seen the Melissa and Doug Grub Scouts Sprinkler?? Could totally pass as worms. Not sure if Clara plays in the water but this sprinkler looks like fun! Fyi Fab.com has it for $15. Too cute not to share! Have a good day!!
http://m.melissaanddoug.com/grub-scouts-sprinkler
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- cute!
xo,
s
Erin K. says
We are currently in the process of replacing our old wooden deck. During the 30 years the previous owners were here they did not take really good care of it at all and when it was built a lot of corners were cut. With a very active 17 month old we wanted to redo and make it safe. We were enticed by composite decking but like you the price just wasn’t worth it. At $20.00 a board it was a little pricey for our pockets. We found that going with a local hardware store was the way to go. Curtis Lumber quoted us around 2,000 for our deck (12×20) plus delivery. Home Depot and Lowe’s quoted 3,000 to 3,500 for the same thing. Yikes! Can’t wait to see how yours turns out. My husband and father-in-law will be building ours this weekend. Happy building!
YoungHouseLove says
You too, Erin!
-John
Matt says
Just a word of caution, I use to work for Home Depot and have run both the Paint and Lumber departments, I recognized your quotes. I’m not sure if they still do but about 3-4 years ago there “premium” decking was pre-treated with a Thompson’s water sealer product (it’s an oil-based sealer) If you use the behr stain on it you will/may have problems down the road with it, because it’s a water base (if you read the label carefully it will say some where something like “oil like”, but it’s not an oil). The premium wood tends to look better though. They may have stopped producing the lumber this way now, to make sure I would ask a department head, or the Behr rep if you can catch them in the store (they are the most knowledgeable, and If you catch the paint department head, they will probably have their number and can call them for you). Also it will most likely be fine if you let the wood season for a year or so once you have put it up, then use a pre-stain product to prepare the wood. I know it’s a lot of information but that always bothered me when I was there.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! We’ll be going with the lumber from a local place (in the premium wood), so we’ll have to be sure whatever we use to stain/seal it works with the wood!
xo,
s
jo says
Have you seen the latest Lowes magazine. They have a beautiful standard builder’s deck upgraded with a pergola. I was coveting it.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh we’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Sally says
A few years ago, there was a huge concern about pressure treated wood because the chemicals that they used were carcinogenic. Basically, it is treated with a type of arsenic. Has that problem been solved? My husband’s family owns a lumber yard – they won’t stock it because of the health hazard.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, check out the post for that info! The arsenic was removed in 2002 we believe.
xo,
s
Amy Melby says
I’m so glad you guys posted about this! We are planning four own deck and have been doing the waffling bout composite/cedar/PT as well. I think we have also finally agreed on PT and now just to get the final layout planned out. My hubby isn’t quite so handy that way, so I think I’ve got him convinced to hit HD up for some help in the planning department, lol
Good luck guys!
Jane says
I just bought that same storage bin for $24.99 at Aldi’s. it was on clearance. Ours in Milw. WI had quite a few if anyone wants to get one.
Brandi says
Funny, I am sooooo the opposite!! Plus I was just chatting with my husband tonight about how we’re not willing to compromise on our deck – we will be going composite all the way!! Even though it will take another year to save, it will be worth it. My parents have replaced all of their large wood patios (4 of them!) with composite and years later with zero maintenance they still look beautiful. We are a busy family, and we plan to use our deck a lot – I am much happier knowing that we won’t be wasting a summer weekend (we don’t get very many up here in Canada!) scraping and staining, along with tolerating the fumes that go along with that. Plus the kids won’t be in danger of getting a splinter while they run around barefoot.
jja says
Great chocie.
barb says
I honor your choice. Love the design element and beautiful beachy graying in the museum photo. My deck is PTW, but it’s a horrible choice where I live, which is sort of like living in a treehouse — LOTS of shade. Poor ‘ol deck doesn’t get much sun so it is NOT aging in a beautiful beachy gray way and instead turns an awful sticky pollen-embedded, algae-coated green mess every year, making it pretty inhospitable. (Did I say “pretty” inhospitable? It’s a hot mess…) So, sigh, matching the materials to the environment is my lesson learned. Can’t wait to see your deck. Love you guys! Tickles to Clara!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so sorry Barb! I wonder if a quick power washing every year (around pollen season) will help? It think someone else mentioned spraying down a deck during pollen season (I think it was composite and that got slimy and gross in the shade too) to try to keep it hospitable, so maybe that helps?
xo,
s
Dylan says
I hope you have good luck with pressure treated lumber. No way in a million years would I use the stuff on a deck. Here in Oklahoma I can buy Cedar for the same price as pressure treated. I used redwood on my deck and never looked back. – If you don’t like the color of cedar, that’s what stain is for and remember, the darker stain / more color (pigment) you use, the more uv protection it has and the longer it will keep from fading and turning gray.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Dylan- maybe how certain wood fares vary by location? Many of our neighbor’s fences and decks are PT wood and look great after years (and sometimes decades) of use! The small deck that was built in our alley (which is really gross and not-maintained-at-all since it hasn’t been stained or sealed in years) is around 40 years old and still very structurally sound, so as long as it’s maintained in our area it seems to do well!
xo,
s
Jules says
I can tell you from experience that you’re probably making a wise decision. When we built our home we had a 12X24 wooden deck that’s probably 12′ off the ground. It lasted approximately 18 years. We didn’t stain it and waterproof it throughout the years like we should have but it still held up pretty well. We decided to replace it with the composite decking from HD. It was more expensive but my dad and his friend did all the work so it wasn’t as expensive as if we had hired it done plus it was supposed to be maintenance free. It turned out beautiful until about six months later. We chose the tan color because it matched our house better. In about six months it started turning a blackish/gray color like it had mold on it. When I removed our rug, underneath it was like new and the rest of the decking looked horrible. I took pictures, emailed the company, made phone calls and they wouldn’t do anything about it. The said it was just the way it weathered. Long story short. We still have to clean it twice a year and it looks really good for a couple months and then it’s back to the blackish/gray color. So it’s definitely not maintenance free as they claim.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, Jules! So sorry they wouldn’t do anything to help you and that it ended up being so high maintenance!
xo,
s
Whitney says
I have no plans to build a deck anytime soon but when I saw your comment about the woman in the video being ‘chipper’, I knew I had to see what that was all about. All I have to say is WOW….chipper is the understatement of the year! I couldn’t even watch the whole thing. So thank you for that! On a more related note, I love the zipper look AND the framed out look. It makes it look more modern and deliberate. Thank you for all the work and tutorials you put into your blog. I absolutely love it and I’m pretty sure my husband feels like he reads it as well for how much I reference it! Keep up the great work!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Whitney!
xo,
s