Springtime is prime time to hit the deck. Creating a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor living, a deck is an elevated platform most commonly attached to the back of a house.
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“Today’s decks are far different from the 12-by-16-foot rectangles our fathers and grandfathers put up in the 1970s and ’80s,” says Michael Beaudry, of the North American Deck and Railing Association in Quakertown, Pa. “Now, decks are built with multilevels to serve multipurposes, giving people easy access to outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, hot tubs or pools.”
Modern-day deck designs complement a house’s architecture and are built around a homeowner’s expectations for usage, privacy and views of the surrounding landscape. NADRA projects nearly 4 million residential decks will be constructed this year in the United States, whether homeowners are replacing decks that are decades-old or building new ones.
More than 75 percent of decks built today are made of wood, but consumer interest in color choices and lower maintenance is driving the synthetic lumber market. Beaudry says there are more than 100 wood-alternative decking materials, including vinyl or plastic planks and manufactured wood composite lumber.
Dave Lombardo is on deck using innovative wood-wannabes in his Baltimore-based business, American Deck.
“When I started designing and constructing decks 20 years ago, we only made them of wood. These synthetic products didn’t even exist,” Lombardo says. “Now, a homeowner has many decking material choices, depending on preferences and lifestyle.”
No matter which decking a homeowner may want underfoot, a deck’s framework of supporting posts, beams and joists is most often made of pressure-treated wood. Synthetic lumber is not strong enough to be load-bearing. New innovations in pressure-treated lumber, such as micronized copper azole and alkaline copper quaternary, have replaced the once commonly used chromated copper arsenate-treated wood.
“There’s no hiding the natural beauty of a solid wood deck,” Lombardo says. “But one made with cedar, redwood or pressure-treated lumber requires regular maintenance with sealing or staining.”
Different types and grades of wood vary in performance and price. While material costs and availability of hardwoods vary from one region of the country to another, installing a pressure-treated wood deck is the least expensive option with an estimated cost of $19 and up per square foot. Redwood and cedar have natural decay-resistant properties, with an estimated installed price range of $20 to $40 or more per square foot.
A tropical hardwood such as Brazilian ipe does not require regular staining and sealing because of the wood’s density, but the mahogany-colored wood weathers to a steel gray. Trained installers can charge $25 to $50 and up per square foot for this top-tier lumber.
Some homeowners may feel like their home’s wood deck is stacked against them because of annual maintenance costs and upkeep. Synthetic, lower-maintenance wood-composite decking materials are high-tech timbers made of plastic and wood fiber.
But not all wood composites are created equal, Lombardo says. Some composites have a water-resistant, wood-grain-embossed surface that hinders the potential for mold and bacteria growth. Many composites are lower maintenance than wood and only require routine deck cleanings.
A wood composite deck can be installed for $24 to $30 or more per square foot.
Solid plastic or vinyl planks might be the choice for the homeowner who wants to create a backyard oasis bedecked with a near maintenance-free product. These synthetic decking materials are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polystyrene and recycled plastics.
Plastic or vinyl decking can be embossed with a wood grain that comes in a variety of colors. Installing a deck made of plastic or vinyl materials may run upwards of $25 to $35 per square foot.
Lombardo says that while the cost for some of these synthetic lumbers is higher initially, homeowners don’t have the maintenance costs that are associated with staining and waterproofing wooden decks. Some synthetic lumbers even offer 25-year structural and 10-year color-fade warranties.
“Every deck should be designed differently, based on the house style, topography of the land, budget and maintenance constraints,” Lombardo says. “The synthetics and woods all perform differently, so homeowners need to ask questions to choose a decking material that’s best for their house, yard and lifestyle.”