The Big Deck Refresh — Part 1

Composite decking: more styles, colors, and affordability than you think

Colleen Lock, Cardinal Consumer 

My husband, Glenn, and I recently decided it was time for a deck upgrade. Our current  20×28 deck was beautiful, but sadly, our long-time hot tub recessed within the deck failed and needed to be replaced. This meant pulling out deck boards, and the deck was starting to show signs of wear and tear anyway. Never shying away from a project, Glenn had always wanted to add a covered extension to the deck as well. Now was the time. We debated our next steps.

Our first thought was to remove and flip the current top boards. The original deck was 13 years old and built with pressure-treated lumber, and stability-wise, it was sound. The joists and under decking were strong without any water rot or damage. Why not just flip the top boards? Besides, after completing a recent kitchen renovation, funds were tight, and last I checked, a Go Fund Me for a deck project was not a viable option.

We flushed out the first idea. Rebuild the decking area around the hot tub and the new extension with composite. I had always wanted composite, and with the current lumber inflation, we could finally justify the costs. “But would it look okay when the original decking was pressure-treated lumber?” Glenn thought we could make it work by staining the pressure-treated lumber with a coordinating stain with the composite we chose.

The first plan isn’t always the right one.

We forged ahead with Plan A. All DIYers know that nothing goes smooth, and although we thought our deck boards were in good shape, we quickly learned that they were not. Glenn and I had been dreading the tedious removal of screws filled with a stain sitting in the weather all these years. How many were rusted and broken? And if we could not remove them all, how would we remove the boards without damage. We knew there would be some loss, but quickly we realized Plan B was not an option when the first few boards crumbled from water rot after removal.

Sidebar: Secretly, okay, maybe not secretly, I wanted composite throughout. I knew it would be expensive, but if we were going to take on this project, shouldn’t we do it right, to begin with? I am smiling as I write this because a long-standing joke between Glenn and me is that he typically finds a way to make it happen if I ask him for something more than five times. I am a thinker and a saver, and he knew we would find a way to make it happen.

Time for Plan B.

Composite throughout. Remove all the top boards of the existing deck, replace them with composite, build removable access to the hot tub with composite for hot tub maintenance and create a step-up covered extension that will offer much-needed relief from the direct afternoon sun. Our wishlist included an outdoor fireplace and a water feature. (Hopefully, you’ll be reading our installation next year on these two additions when that Go Fund Me happens).

Remember the name of the article? Composite decking: more styles, colors, and affordability than you think. Right, time for that part.

We knew very little about our options and knew we needed guidance. I made a phone call to Cardinal Home Center, and it was suggested we visit the Madison location and meet with Cardinal decking expert Matt Racer to answer our questions.

After introductions, we were shown all the brands and options in composite decking. Wow, there were hundreds of choices. We were introduced to the four major brands Cardinal carries. Trex, Fiberon, TimberTech and Wolf. Each of these four brands has low, mid to high-cost ranges, and each, on average, offers the same warranties, roughly 25-50 years.

Not all decking is created equal.

We thought we would make our decisions based on the manufacturer, but that was not the case. We learned that there are two very distinct approaches to manufactured decking. Composite and PVC. What’s the difference? Composite decking boards are made from recycled wood fibers and recycled plastics. At the same time, PVC (also known as Vinyl decking) is entirely synthetic and doesn’t include any wood material. Both methods offer moisture, mold, and mildew resistance. And both resist rotting, splitting, and cracking and are easy to install with traditional and hidden fastening systems. And both have a plethora of style options. But is one better than the other? There is no correct answer. In a side-to-side comparison of samples, we picked up what appealed to us visually as Matt answered our questions, and in the end, we narrowed our selection to two samples based on the look and feel. It turns out one was composite, and one was PVC.

 

From the surface, both materials felt similar. We gravitated to the higher-priced options because they had the texture and appearance of natural wood. Some of the more budget-friendly options were still beautiful but appeared flat. Our first pick was PVC, Wolf Serenity Decking in Driftwood Grey (top). Our second selection was Fiberon Concordia in Castle Gray (bottom). Both samples had great texture and visual appeal, and both offered 50-year warranties and were comparable in price. Before we committed, I asked Matt to show us a lower-priced option with the same look and feel. Enter sample three – Fiberon Good Life in Cottage. This is where it gets interesting. Why was the third option 20-30% less than the other two samples? Look at the side views of our three samples.

Top Profile

Side Profile

Enter the third option, Fiberon.

See the cut out in the Fiberon Good Life sample (top). By removing some of the composites on the underside of the board, you can use less material, but the board cannot be reversed. This wasn’t a concern. Remember failed Plan A. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be flipping boards anytime soon, and with the low-maintenance composite, I was hoping I would never have to. I asked Matt to explain the difference in price between all the samples and grades. We looked as many as 100 samples, and Matt explained that the cost per foot differed between 20-30% based on selection. The price was now not a critical choice in our decision process. We would pay 20-30% more if we loved our decision.

Decision Time.

And the winner is…The PVC Wolf Serenity Decking in Driftwood Grey. Why did we select the PVC? Glenn and I were unanimous. Our number one reason for choosing the PVC is that it remains solid all the way through. Have you met Duncan, our Bernese Mountain Dog?

The PVC is made for high-traffic areas. If our dog were to scratch the decking for any reason (for example, squirrel? Need I say more), the scratches will not be as prevalent. The solid color is less visible than a composite where a top and bottom layer sandwich the composite material and is not completely solid.

In the end, Matt and the knowledge of the Cardinal team made what could have been a laborious process an easy afternoon. We spent about 2 hours with Matt, had all our questions answered, and a decision made. Time to write up the estimate. Thanks, Cardinal.