If you have lived in Texas long enough, you have probably heard horror stories about every type of decking material. At Lucas Craftsmanship, we understand the dilemmas you face when making decisions about major home improvement projects. That’s why we are happy to let our customers know you can have your dream deck without compromising too much on your preferred materials.
Pressure-Treated Timber
One of the cheapest decking materials available, pressure-treated timber has a bit of a bad reputation due to the fact that it is prone to cracking and warping. However, if you don’t mind or even enjoy frequent property maintenance, pressure-treated timber can provide you with a long lasting deck.
Besides general maintenance such as re-staining the wood every two or three years, you can extend the life of your deck by ensuring that the material is treated with moisture proofing before installation. It is also important to ensure that pressure-tainted timber is allowed to breath, so maintaining space between the group and deck is essential during installation.
Classic Softwoods
If you want classic softwood, make sure to opt for redwood or red cedar that is cut from heartwood. Any negative stories you may have heard about softwoods probably derive from the wood being sourced from the sapwood, which is the outer layers of the tree and doesn’t have the same level of rot and bug resistance.
That is not to say that there aren’t good quality suppliers of sapwood – you just need to know what you are looking for. There are cheaper softwood options which are made up of both heartwood and sapwood, making the material affordable but with almost as much resilience against the Texas heat
Tropical Hardwoods
If you have spent any time at all looking into exotic materials for your deck you will have come across materials such as ipe, red tauari and cumaru. These are trees that grow in tropical conditions so they are incredibly durable and aren’t easily infiltrated by wood destroying insects.
If you opt for tropical hardwoods you are likely going to pay a premium for the superior quality of the material. Installation is not an easy task, either, as the wood is notorious dense and therefore difficult to work with using traditional installation methods.
Composite Deck Material
There is no denying composite decking is fast becoming the most popular material for building a long-lasting and durable deck. A composite is basically two or more materials fused together to make an entirely new product, such as decking planks. Most composite decking materials are created with durability and weather resistance in mind.
A common complaint with composite decking materials is they are impossible to recycle, as the component parts cannot be separated. However, that problem is addressed with plastic lumber, which is recyclable and often comes from recycled plastic to begin with.
If you would like further help deciding how to build your deck, the team at Lucas Craftsmanship hears your call. Reach out to us today for a consultation on building the perfect deck for the Texas sun.