Which Deck Looks The Best?

Over the course of the past ten years I have installed four decks and wanted to share with you my totally non-scientific observations and opinions on how well each has stood up to snow, ice, rain, sunlight, dogs and parties.

Observation #1 - All decking materials can be scratched.

Observation #2 - All decking materials will stain.

Observation #3 - All decking materials change color over time.

Pressure-Treated Pine - This is by far the most common decking material sold today, as it is relatively easy to work with, is readily available and can be stained and finished. My greatest disappointment is how much it shrunk after installation.

My last load of lumber came on a delivery truck from Home Depot, so I did not get to hand pick each board. The wood was still dripping wet from the pressure-treatment. I tried laying some of the 16' lengths out to dry, but they soon twisted, warped and buckled in the sun. We had to install them wet and the resulting gaps when they dried out are very unattractive.

I have since learned that if you buy pressure-treated pine from a quality lumberyard rather than a Big Box home improvement center, the wood is better quality and has been dried prior to delivery. You pay a little more, but it is worth the extra cost.

Synthetic (Composite) Decking (pictured) - Last year I installed a desk on my 1970s ranch house with this new product rather reluctantly, but after my bad experience with pressure-treated pine decided to give it a chance. Despite any manufacturer's claims to the contrary, synthetic decking does stain - and not just from red wine. Leave some wet leaves on it for a few days and your deck will look like a fifth grade art project. Power-washing will remove them, but you have to be careful not to apply too much pressure for fear of leaving marks.

When it is new or recently cleaned, it looks very nice - but it still doesn’t look like wood.

Ipe - (top photo) This hardwood looks much like its cousin mahogany, but is even more dense. Nicknamed "ironwood," it actually sinks rather than floats in water. Every hole has to be pre-drilled and the screws have to be stainless steel. You need to wear a dust mask when cutting it, as the sawdust is irritating to your nasal passages (same is true for all decking materials, including pressure-treated pine).

When new and coated with a clear deck sealer, it looks like a beautiful mahogany tabletop. Unfortunately, the sun will eventually bleach out the natural reddish hue, leaving it a silver-gray color. At first I power-washed it each year to keep it looking like a new tabletop, but I have since come to enjoy the silver-gray appearance. Unlike pressure-treated pine, you can power-wash the dense ipe without causing the surface fibers to swell and become fuzzy.

Naturally, this is the most expensive of the three options I have tried, but in the future I will return to ipe.

"Long after you have forgotten how much it cost, you will remember how good it looks."

Good Luck!

Bruce

PS - We would love to hear of your experiences with decking materials.