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Deck Materials
The quality or grade of your decking material
ultimately determines the success or failure of your structure.
Using a high end decking material will offer you the best
results. High end materials include cedar, redwood, mahogany,
ironwood, and certain composite decking materials.
When selecting your high end material it
is important to consider the cost, availability of the product,
shipping cost, and maintenance costs. It is best that you
take these figures and compare them to the amount of money
it will cost you to use non-high end materials (pine or
fir) that will need replacement in 10 years. Most likely,
you will see that it is worth the additional costs for high
end materials because they will last for longer periods
of time.
If you do decide to go with a high end
material for your decking construction, pay special attention
to the grade of wood. Not only does the grade represent
the level of visual appeal, but also the level of strength.
Wood grades are also based on the number of obvious flaws,
such as splits, sap pockets, knots, and other imperfections.
In addition, you will want to focus on
the level of maintenance. There are three different decking
material options that can affect the strength and amount
of maintenance required.
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Pressure-treated Lumber- Least expensive
(Pine or Fir)
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Rot-resistant Wood- High End quality
(Cedar, Cypress, Redwood)
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Synthetic Materials- Least amount of
maintenance (Plastic, Rubber, Vinyl Lumber)
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