Q We’ll
be building a 12 x 16-ft. deck this spring. We love the look of radius-edged
cedar deck boards, but the guy at the lumber desk told us we’d be crazy
to use anything but pressure-treated or composite material. Got any
advice?
A
All three choices—5/4 x 6-in. radius-edged cedar,
pressure-treated and composite decking—share similarities. They’re
all rot resistant to varying degrees, require 16-in. joist spacing for proper
support, bleach out to a silvery gray, and can all be cut and installed using
conventional tools and fasteners.
But alas, there’s no perfect choice. All have
tradeoffs. Figure out what characteristics are most important to you, then make
your selection based on that.
If the natural look of wood is tops on your list, use
cedar. The heartwood of the tree (the
deeper-colored red part, not the white sap part) is rot resistant. Cedar
doesn’t readily absorb moisture—and, since moisture is what creates
twisting and splitting, cedar decking tends to lie flat and straight. Most
carpenters figure a lifespan of 15 to 20 years for cedar deck boards, but it
can deteriorate faster when used for ground-level decks and for shaded decks
that are slow to dry out.
To retain the color, you have to clean it and reseal it
every year or two, and even then it’s a losing battle. I’ve never
seen a 10-year-old cedar deck that still had that warm, rich look of new wood.
Cedar is also soft; when used for stairs or for decks where furniture gets
dragged around a lot, the edges in particular can get beat up. Finally, the
cost of the cedar for your 12 x 16-ft. deck (based on a price of $1 per linear
foot for twenty-six 16-ft. deck boards) would be about $400. If economy and
longevity are your bag, go with
pressure-treated wood.
These pairs show the contrast between
new deck boards (right sides) and those that have been exposed to the elements
for about two years (left sides). Each has tradeoffs in terms of cost,
maintenance and appearance.
It’s stainable, hard enough to resist abuse, and
many brands carry a lifetime (though limited) warranty. But beware, not all
treated woods are created equal. The standard treated decking at my local
lumberyard costs 55¢ per linear foot, meaning your decking would only cost
$225. But inexpensive treated wood is often full of moisture and will shrink
unevenly and twist when it dries. One homeowner told me, “Yeah, my
treated deck may last forever—but it’s going to look BAD forever
too.”
We suggest you buy “choice,”
“premium” or “select” treated boards. At 80¢ per
linear foot, you’ll pay $100 more, but the boards have fewer knots and
straighter grain. And, since many of the higher-grade choices are kiln-dried
both before and after pressure treatment, they have less tendency to
warp.
If near-zero maintenance is your goal, buy
composite decking. Most is made from recycled
plastic and wood chips or sawdust. It costs about $1.50 per linear foot, which
amounts to about $625 for your 12 x 16-ft. deck. But once it’s down, it
won’t rot, splinter or twist. The color change is even (though in shady,
damp areas it can turn dark, like the example in the photo). You can even stain
most types after four to six months. Since the material is defect free, you can
use every inch. Maintenance involves spraying it off with a hose. Some people
don’t like the look of the stuff and it’s cold on bare feet. But if
you want to relax on your deck instead of work on it, bite the bullet and spend
the extra cash.
