Do you have a deck that needs to be resurfaced, and you're wondering what the best option is? You really like the look and feel of traditional wood, but you don't really love the maintenance of it and are thinking that maybe you should take a look at some of the synthetic options. What are the factors that you should consider?
Traditional wood decks are wonderful. They have a natural look and feel. There's something warm and outdoorsy about a natural deck. And it just appeals to the traditionalist in you. On the practical side, wooden decks carry a number of benefits, especially in the short term.
The benefits of wood decks:
- Lower relative installation cost than synthetic.
- Typically good product availability
- A broader range of installation specialists providing more opportunity to manage your costs
- If resurfacing an existing wood deck, likely no structural modifications should be necessary.
There are some downsides though for sure. These include:
- The need for biannual or triannual painting or staining.
- Regular maintenance requirements such as power washing and board replacement where boards may scale or crack.
- The likelihood of rot in seems and screw holes over time.
- A relatively high cost of ownership over the life of the deck
In many ways, synthetic decks present the direct opposite to the benefits and drawbacks of wood decks. The more reputable synthetic deck manufacturers make very good products. There are different grades and types of synthetic decks with different price points attached. They also provide more design flexibility.
The benefits of synthetic decks are:
- Durability. Properly installed, a synthetic surface should last for decades.
- Design options. Presenting a broader array of colors and textures than natural wood can do (even with paint).
- Low annual maintenance and maintenance costs. Really, the only annual cost you should have is seasonal power washing.
The main drawbacks of synthetic decks:
- High initial costs. Regardless of grade, synthetic decks will be more expensive to install than your average wood deck. The higher-grade synthetic decks can be quite a bit more.
- The possibility that the deck structure may need modification due to the vendor specifications for the width of the underlying joists on your deck.
- Heat retention. Some synthetic decks can get really hot in direct sunlight. You may need to cover a portion of the deck to allow use in the height of summer.
Don’t forget the structure
It's important to keep in mind that whether a deck surface is synthetic or natural, the structure of the deck will be natural wood. This structure will need to be inspected every year and maintained properly to ensure the life of your deck. If you buy a synthetic product that lasts for 40 years, but the structure of your deck degrades in 10 years, then you may not get the full benefit of your investment.
Our Experience
For most of our homeowners, the choice has come down to the need for somewhat pricey regular maintenance of the wood decks versus the upfront cost of the synthetic decks.
You can expect to spend $2000 to $3000 or more on the regular maintenance of a wood deck every three-year cycle. We tend to see that customers who have put money year over year into their wood decks become more open to installing synthetic deck surfaces.
At the end, of course, it's a preferential choice for each person. Just make sure you know what comes along with the choice that you make. Whether your deck is wood or synthetic, you can count on Ace Handyman Services West Oakland & Wayne Counties to take care of it from start to finish.