fbpx
  • Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

The Money Pit house logo

Home Improvement Tips & Ideas

  • Start Here
  • Money Pit Podcast
  • Media Kit
  • Posts
  • Search
  • Start Here
  • Money Pit Podcast
  • Media Kit
  • Posts
  • Search
  • Spaces
    • Kitchens
    • Bathrooms
    • Home Exteriors
    • Garages & Sheds
    • Outdoor Living
    • Basements & Crawlspaces
  • Reno/Repair
    • Heating
    • Floors
    • Windows
    • Roofs & Gutters
    • Lighting & Wiring
  • Popular Topics
    • Storage & Organization
    • Painting & Decorating
    • Cleaning
    • Pests & Wildlife
    • Buying or Selling a Home
  • Features
    • DIY
    • Pet Friendly
    • Green Home
    • Quick Tips
  • Podcasts
    • Subscribe
    • The Money Pit Podcast
    • Your Calls, Our Answers Podcast
    • Money Pit Minute Podcast
    • Top Products Podcast
  • Spaces
    • Kitchens
    • Bathrooms
    • Home Exteriors
    • Garages & Sheds
    • Outdoor Living
    • Basements & Crawlspaces
  • Reno/Repair
    • Heating
    • Floors
    • Windows
    • Roofs & Gutters
    • Lighting & Wiring
  • Popular Topics
    • Storage & Organization
    • Painting & Decorating
    • Cleaning
    • Pests & Wildlife
    • Buying or Selling a Home
  • Features
    • DIY
    • Pet Friendly
    • Green Home
    • Quick Tips
  • Podcasts
    • Subscribe
    • The Money Pit Podcast
    • Your Calls, Our Answers Podcast
    • Money Pit Minute Podcast
    • Top Products Podcast
You are here: Home / Outdoor Living / Decks & Patios / Building a Deck with Composite Decking
Decks & Patios

Building a Deck with Composite Decking

Tom KraeutlerUntitled-2 3 Comments

Facebook0Tweet0Pin0LinkedIn0Email0
clean mold from deck
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Composite Decking
  • Vinyl decks
  • To nail or not to nail…that is the question

Building a deck is one of the least expensive ways to increase your exterior living space and enjoy a piece of the great outdoors and new developments in composite decking assure that your deck will be both durable and beautiful for many years to come.

As the foundation for an outdoor room, a deck is a great way to move outside in warm weather for a fraction of the cost of a new addition. Starting at only a few dollars a square foot, decks also return more than half their cost when it’s time to move on. Decks can make a home easier to sell and return a significant portion of their cost when the property is sold. But the cost of building a deck can vary widely due to the many choices of materials available for building your summer retreat.

Decks have traditionally been constructed of southern yellow pine that’s been pressure-treated to prevent rot. Wood decks are the least expensive but can be troublesome to maintain. Even wood that is decay-resistant will warp and split, making the deck uncomfortable for bare feet and possibly unsafe. To minimize movement, make sure the deck is sealed within the first 30 to 60 days after it’s constructed. Using a good-quality sealer helps stabilize and protect the wood from the damaging effects of solar radiation and moisture.

Photo Credit: jocelyntlee0 / Pixabay

Composite Decking

If your budget is healthy and tolerance for maintenance low, consider one of the many high-tech alternatives to wood decks. Composite material is more comfortable on the feet than wood, easy to maintain and virtually impervious to weather.

Typically, composite decking materials are not used for building the structural components of a deck. The floor framing and support structure are usually made of pressure-treated lumber, with the composites used for the decking and rails. Although more expensive than wood, the marginal cost increase of building a deck with composite can be offset by the material’s maintenance-free features. Coloring is molded into composites. The material can also be painted or stained with such specially formulated composite deck finishes, which provides protection from stains and mildew and enhances the color of composite materials.

composite decking

Vinyl decks

If you need a totally maintenance-free material, vinyl decks may be the option for you. Vinyl deck systems are manufactured to include decking, fascia to cover the outside of the underlying wood framing, and railing systems. Although pricey, vinyl decks are impervious to weather. But like all vinyl, fading is possible and some can be slippery when wet. Just like composites, most vinyl deck systems are installed over a wood frame. In fact, both vinyl deck systems and recycled composites can be used to rebuild a deck with worn or rotted deck boards. If the support structure is intact, the decking surface and railings can be removed and replaced with vinyl or composite components for a totally new, maintenance-free look.

https://youtu.be/B2HqHGLCSqw

To nail or not to nail…that is the question

Once you’ve made your choice in decking materials, deciding how to fasten the deck board to the frame involves a few trade-offs. If you are working with composite decking, vinyl or fiberglass-plastic decks, the fasteners are usually a hidden feature not visible to the eye. But if you are working with wood, you might want to think through the options. Nailing may be easy but even galvanized nails can leave stains and “rust bleeds” on the wood. Plus, as the wood expands and contracts, nails pull out, resulting in loose boards that can be unsightly or even dangerous.

For a more permanent solution, choose stainless steel screws when you’re building a deck. Using a power drill with the right tip, stainless steel screws can be driven to a position just below the deck’s surface where they are difficult to spot. And, since the screws are stainless, they can’t rust and stain the finished surface of the wood, so your outdoor room will have beauty as well as longevity after building a deck.

Related Posts

footing for deck, deck design5 Secrets to an Amazing Backyard Deck Designdeck, deck cleaning, patioWood Deck Construction Vs. Brick Patio Paverswood deck, building, construction, backyard deckTop Tips For Planning The Perfect Backyard DeckVeranda Composite Decking: Beautiful, Durable & Easydeck restorationWood Deck: Tips for Repairing, Refinishing and Cleaningdeck collapse, deck design5 Deck Design Ideas for Safer Structures

Related Podcasts

The Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast LogoReplace a Warped, Uneven DeckThe Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast LogoTips on Building a Roof DeckThe Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast LogoEasy Maintenance on Composite DeckingThe Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast LogoBuilding a Deck Near the Ocean: Low-Maintenance Composite MaterialsThe Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast LogoRebuilding a Deck: How to Make it Structurally SoundThe Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast LogoDeck Material Options
Facebook0Tweet0Pin0LinkedIn0Email0
Decks & Patios

About Tom Kraeutler

Tom is the Host, Founder and Chief Home Improvement Evangelist of The Money Pit. He is a hands-on home improvement broadcast journalist and the kind of guy homeowners want to call at midnight -- when their basement floods!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jamie Hunt

    great article – I agree best to use Stainless Screws and Stainless Steel Decking Screws

    Reply
  2. roreilly

    Be very weary of Fibron products. Our HOA did a large fence a couple years ago and have had quality issues ever since. They don't stand behind their warentee (hard to even get ahold of anyone). They even claimed that it wasn't their product without even looking at it….. even so it's been a maintenance nightmare with warped boards, tops breaking off and the 4×4 sections splitting…… buyer beware!

    Reply
  3. Brad Jones

    Never drive a screw below the deck wood surface. Water will sit in the depression and rotting will occur.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Footer

Favorite Posts

Best Heaters for a Garage: Forced Air, Infrared or Portable?

Basement Waterproofing Tips | How to Fix a Wet Basement

How to Make Natural Wood Stain Using Coffee, Berries & More!

How to Floor Your Attic Without Wrecking Your Roof

10 Easy Recipes for Natural Cleaning Products

Popular Podcasts

Episode # 2080: Stopping Noisy Plumbing | Fast Fix for Loose Wallpaper | Solutions for Smelly Water | Your Q & A

Episode #2079: Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting | Automatic Pet Doors | Kitchen Cabinet Organization | Your Q & A

Episode #2078: Quick Ideas for Curb Appeal | Top Home Repair Mistakes | Cleanups for Driveways & Walks | Your Q & A

Episode #2077: Paint Colors that say Wow | Top 5 Projects for ROI | Easy Fix for Noisy Radiators | Best Floors for Damp Places

Episode #2076: Kitchen Spruce Ups for Renters | Secret Code for Best Air Filters | Power Plan for Black Outs | Your Q & A

Newsletter

Get weekly updates with the latest tips and tricks to save money in your home.

No spam, ever.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Site Footer

  • Media Kit
  • Partners
  • Endorsement Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy and Cookie Solution
  • About
  • Affiliates
  • Cookie Policy (US)

Copyright © 1999–2021 The Money Pit · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!