|
|
Contact us at (770) 920-8777 for more information about Custom Decks |
CHOOSING A DECK MATERIAL WILL IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF MAINTENANCE REQUIRED AS WELL
AS THE BUILDING AND UPKEEP COSTS. YOUR CHOICE OF MATERIALS WILL ALSO DETERMINE
WEATHER THE DECK PLANS ARE DURABLE, PRACTICAL AND VISIBLY ATTRACTIVE.
COMMOM DECK MATERIALS USED TODAY INCLUDE, WOOD, VINYL, ALUMINUM AND COMPOSITE
MATERIALS. WOOD IS USED FOR THE FRAMING STRUCTURE AND IS ALSO POPULAR FOR THE
DECKS AND ACCESSORIES. WOOD CAN BE STAINED FOR AN ENHANCED LOOK. ALUMINUM, VINYL
AND COMPOSITE MATERIALS CAN BE USED FOR FLOORING, BALUSTERS, AND OTHER AESTHETIC
COMPONENTS.
STAIRS, RAILINGS, BEAMS, JOISTS, FLOORING PATTERNS, LIGHTING, BENCHES AND OTHER
COMPONENTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED DURING THE PLANNING STATES. ALSO, CONSIDER THE
DECKS COLOR, SHAPE, AND SIZE. PLANNING AHEAD FOR THE FURNITURE, ACCESSORIES,
PURPOSE, AND USE OF THE DECK WILL HELP IN DETERMINING THE MATERIALS, SIZE, AND
STUCTURE OF THE DECK.
PRESSURE TREATED PINE (PTP)
MOST COMMON WOOD USED FOR DECKS. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN USED FOR YEARS, THE PTP
YOU BUY TODAY MAY NOT BE AS GOOD AS IT WAS 10-15 YEARS AGO. THE TREES GROWN AND
HARVESTED TODAY FOR DECKS ARE FORCE FED AND FERTILIZED TO GROW FASTER. THE PINE
WOOD IS NOT AS CONSISTENT OR AS STRONG AS A NATURAL GROWN TREE. THE HARVESTING,
PROCESSING, AND CHEMICAL TREATING OF THE FINISHED WOOD HAS BEEN QUICKEN AND SO
EFFICIENTLY REFINED THAT THE CURING OF THE WOOD IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING AFTER IT
HAS BEEN USED. THIS AIDS IN THE CRACKING, BOWING AND WARPING OF THE PINE USED
TODAY. THE UPFRONT COST OF THIS MATERIAL IS USUALLY THE LOWEST. THERE ARE VERY
FEW COMPANIES (if any) THAT WILL WARRANT PTP. IT IS A HIGH MAINTEANCE DECK
MATERIAL AND NEEDS TO BE REGULARLY CARED FOR. EVEN THIS WILL ONLY PROLONG THE
DETERIORATION OF THE WOOD.
AN EXPERIENCED CONTRACTOR WILL USE A PREMIUM GRADE OF PRESSURE TREATED PINE
LUMBER THIS IS A BETTER GRADE OF PTP. BUT, EVENTUALLY YOU WILL HAVE THE SAME
RESULTS.
CEDAR
CEDAR IS AN ALTERNATIVE WOOD TO PTP. IT MAKES A LOT BETTER LOOKING DECK. THE
WOOD IS SOFTER THAN PINE AND CAN BE MARRED AND DENTED EASILY. IT IS A NATURAL
BUG DETERENT WOOD. IT IS A HIGH MAINTENANCE DECK MATERIAL AND NEEDS TO BE CARED
FOR MUCH LIKE PTP. LIKE PTP IT WILL CRACK, WARP, AND BOW, BUT, NOT AS QUICKLY OR
AS BAD. THE DOWNSIDE IS THAT IT COSTS CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN PTP, AND DISCOLORS
TO A SILVER GRAY.
COMPOSITE MATERIAL
A MAN MADE BLEND OF PLASTIC AND WOOD IS BECOMING MORE POPULAR EVERYDAY. THIS
DECKING MATERIAL IS SUPERIOR TO WOOD IN ALMOST EVERY CHARACTERICTIC. IT COMES
PRE-COLORED, HAS VIRTUALLY NO MAINTENANCE, COMES WITH LIMITED WARRANT IES, AND
IS HANDLED AND INSTALLED LIKE WOOD. THE COST OF THE COMPOSITE IS 15% TO 25%
HIGHER THAN PTP. THE SAVINGS IS REALIZED IN THE LONGEVITY OF REPLACEMENT AND LOW
TO NO MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP. IN THE LONG RUN THE SAVING IS ENORMOUS.
THE SKILL LEVEL OF KNOWING HOW TO INSTALL THE MATERIAL HAS TO BE THERE. BUT,
THAT GOES FOR ANY TYPE OF DECKING MATERIAL.
STEEL, ALUMINUM, AND VINYL
THESE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO MATERIALS LISTED. THEY ALL HAVE PROVEN TO BE
EFFECTIVE AND PROBLEM SOLVING MATERIALS IN ISOLATED SITUATIONS. THE COST OF
MATERIAL, INSTALLATION AND HANDLING IS GREATER THAN MOST HOMEOWNERS WANT TO PAY.
|
|
