Grades of lumber vary dramatically, and some companies cut prices by compromising on materials. Lower grade materials have much shorter lifespans than high quality ones, which means replacements can often cost more than your original investment. Before taking on a deck project, it’s important to first choose the material that best fits your environment, budget and lifestyle. Here are some of the most popular styles:
Redwood. A popular, naturally rot-resistant wood that’s easily available on the West Coast. Redwood has a relatively long lifespan, especially when biannually coated with a clear sealer. It’s also one of the most expensive decking materials, so consider using another wood for your deck’s framing.
Pau Lope (Ipe). Pau Lope is a Brazilian hardwood that looks like furniture and is incredibly dense. The price for installation is often higher than normal due to its density, which means pre-drilling is required. Pau Lope typically lasts four to five times longer than redwood.
Cedar. This strong, durable, rot-resistant wood is common on the West Coast. Cedar weathers silvery gray unless you apply a sealer. It costs about 20 percent less than redwood, depending on availability, but it’s also softer and has the tendency to scratch or mar more easily.
Cypress. Another rot-resistant wood, cypress is most popular in the Southeast. It’s not as strong as cedar, redwood or pressure-treated wood. Consider using a pressure-treated wood for the frame and cypress for decking.
Pressure-treated lumber. This is the strongest and most readily available lumber. Most comes with a greenish cast that weathers to a silvery gray, but you can also get it pre-stained to look like cedar or redwood. Treated lumber is one of the most affordable deck materials, and thanks to new laws restricting the chemicals used to preserve the wood, it’s also one of the safest.
Plastic lumber. Made of recycled milk jugs and grocery bags, plastic lumber can be painted but never quite takes on the natural look of wood. Plastic expands and contracts in temperature extremes, so make sure your decking contractor uses sliding clips for proper installation.
Vinyl lumber. Similar to plastic lumber, vinyl lumber comes in white and several additional colors. Consider purchasing brands that have UV inhibitors impregnated directly into the vinyl and not sprayed on after production.
Wood-polymer lumber. Containing up to 50 percent waste wood and recycled plastics, wood-polymer lumber products look and feel like wood but never require maintenance.
