Twelve years ago, as part of a lake front whole house remodel for one of our clients, we added a screen porch and new cedar deck. We chose cedar at the time for several reasons. It is naturally rot-resistant, stays relatively cool underfoot, is moderately priced and has a natural appearance. What we learned in the years since, is that while it is more rot resistant, than say, untreated pine, it will rot much quicker than pressure treated lumber or some other alternatives if it is not maintained regularly.
Roughly 6 years after installation, we came back to the job to replace several deck boards that had rotted and reseal the deck. The clients readily admitted that they did not keep up with the maintenance on the deck, so while I was surprised it rotted so quickly, it wasn’t shocking. It is said that cedar decks should last 15-20 years with diligent care, but I question if that is the case in a high humidity environment, like a deck on a lake in Georgia. Either way, this deck did not receive diligent care, so we’re back again another 6 years later. While the original intent was to replace some more deck boards, it became apparent that it made more sense just to replace them all, except for those that were under the screened porch.
The question of what to replace the deck boards with came down to a desire to balance, longevity, appearance, feel, and maintenance. Composite decking wins hands down on longevity. The client was skeptical about appearance, because he remembered when composite decking first came out and it had some room for improvement in that department. We supplied them with a couple of samples that we recommended and the one they chose matched surprisingly well with the cedar decking on the screened porch we weren’t replacing. One common warning we provide clients about choosing a composite deck board is that they can get VERY hot when sitting out in the hot Georgia sun. For years we have recommended getting some samples, letting them sit outside for a while in the summer on a sunny day and then go stand on them barefoot. The product we recommended was from the Trex Transcend Lineage line that uses its “specialized SunComfortable technology to reflect solar energy and reduce heat absorption by up to 35 degrees”. It sounds like marketing mumbo jumbo to me, but while I can’t verify it keeps the boards 35 degrees cooler, I can say for certain that whatever this technology is, it does make a difference. As a bonus, the composite boards aren’t going to splinter like wood can! Unlike cedar, the composite boards will require no maintenance other than some soap and water from time to time. The only real downside is that the composite boards are roughly double the cost of cedar, but they should last double, if not three times as long. I feel confident this is the last time these clients will need to replace any deck boards.