Decks aren't just made of wood anymore

Now that spring has arrived, many people are inspecting their deck after a long winter and thinking about replacing the top boards or even tearing it down and putting up a new one.

In the past, most decks were built with either pressure-treated lumber or cedar. However, the market has changed dramatically, and people are visiting home centers and lumberyards to get a glimpse of the trend toward composite or cellular PVC wood decking products. It's predicted that by 2011, these man-made, wood-plastic deck products will account for almost 25 percent of all residential decking sales.

The major advantage of alternative decking products is the low maintenance when compared to wood decks. However, that low maintenance does come at a premium cost to wood, so before you decide which type of deck you want, you need to get the facts.

The first thing most people notice is the look and feel of these man-made decks. A composite deck is made from a combination of pulverized wood (known in the industry as wood flour) and virgin or recycled plastic. It looks and feels like real wood. A composite deck will still be susceptible to mold and mildew and can fade, especially during its first year.

A cellular PVC deck is made of 100 percent plastic material, and it looks more like plastic than wood. But when it comes to durability, PVC has many advantages over composites, including the fact that its hard outer layer does not absorb stains and won't support the growth of mold or fungi. It is also scratch-resistant, and it doesn't expand or contract, which keeps the look of the boards consistent over the life of the deck, when compared to wood or composite.

Neither composite nor PVC decks ever has to be stained, and the only real maintenance they need is a cleaning with Simple Green or another mild cleaning solution and a garden hose. They are made to be assembled with hidden fasteners and screws, which enhances the look of the deck.

Some of the more popular composite decking brands include Fiberon from Fiber Composites, (800) 573-8841, http://www.fiberondecking.com">www.fiberondecking.com; Cross-Timbers from GAF-Elk, (866) 322-7452, http://www.gaf.com">www.gaf.com; TimberTech, (800) 307-7780, http://www.timbertech.com">www.timbertech.com; and Trex, (800) 289-8739, http://www.trex.com">www.trex.com.

Fiber Composites, TimberTech and Trex also make a line of PVC products, as do Azek Deck, (877) 275-2935, http://www.azek.com">www.azek.com and Veka, (888) 464-VEKA, http://www.vekadeck.com">www.vekadeck.com.

If you are replacing your deck, you should first decide whether you need to build the deck from the ground up, or if you can keep the deck's substructure and just replace the top boards.

Many substructures on a deck that was built 10 years ago, for example, can still be very solid and not need replacement. In most cases, that substructure can also be used for composite or PVC decks.

Next, you have to think about cost.

According to Dave Stoutenger, the marketing manager at John's Lumber in Clinton Township, the cost of standard treated wood is around $1.70 per square foot if you are just replacing the boards, and can jump to around $3.25 if you need to build the deck from the ground up.

Cedar costs about twice as much.

When it comes to man-made decks, plan to spend anywhere from $5.75 for a basic composite wood deck to as much as $11 per square foot for high-end composites or cellular PVC to replace the boards. The cost of building from the ground up ranges from $7.50 per square foot to $12.75.

"A lot of dealers are quoting people in terms of linear feet, but most people come to us and want to know what it costs to replace the boards on their 12-foot by 20-foot deck, so we prefer to quote in square feet to make it easier to understand," Stoutenger said.

Even with the trend toward alternative deck products, Stoutenger said many customers still like the look of wood, and often only need to replace a few boards and strip and stain the deck to bring it back to life. He also sees many people who still want to replace their old deck with pressure-treated wood or cedar.

"When people come in, they seem to migrate to a certain deck display because they like the way it looks, not necessarily based solely on the type of material," he said. "As a result, many people still choose wood or cedar."

While the cost of composite and plastic decking is more expensive than pressure-treated wood or cedar, these alternative decks can save homeowners money in the long run because there's no need to strip and stain the deck and they last longer than wood. No matter which way you choose to go, make sure you do your homework and get all the facts.

If you would like to suggest a question for Glenn Haege's Tuesday column, e-mail askglenn@masterhandyman.com">askglenn@masterhandyman.com. If you want to talk to Glenn personally, call his "Handyman" radio show on WJR at (866) ASK GLENN, (866) 275-4536 between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.