Designing Your Deck

Designers always talk about bringing the outside in, but there’s a simple way to do the reverse: Adding a deck to your home—whether it’s a simple extension off your master suite or a series of interconnected decks that show off your landscaping—brings the inside out. With a deck, you have the opportunity to create outside rooms that effectively expand your home’s square footage and help you enjoy leisurely afternoons or evening parties in your backyard.

Where to start? Today’s decks come in all manner of materials, from natural wood to high-tech composites, concrete tiles, plastics and vinyl, and natural stone. Each creates a sturdy, unique deck. The key is to think about what you’ll use your deck for: Will it be a high-traffic deck where children run and play? Will it be a quiet retreat? Will it be the site of regular barbecues and backyard cooking? Each use requires a different level of sturdiness and may call for different materials. 

Also consider the material’s longevity and maintenance needs. Some materials are inexpensive to install but expensive to keep up. And, finally, think about the mood you want to set with your deck. Whether you’re looking for rustic, modern, elegant, or sturdy, there’s a decking material for you. 

Wood

Before there was composite decking or more high-tech decking, there was always wood. The go-to material for decks for decades is notable for its wide variety of products, its numerous grades, and its inexpensiveness.

What you will get with a wood deck is its traditional beauty. Whether you choose common pine or more exotic redwood, Ipe, tiger wood, or Jatoba, you’re investing in a natural product that’s handsome and costs less in initial investments. Look for pressure-treated woods, which have preservatives designed to extend the life of your deck and protect it from weathering, splitting, splintering, pests, or rot infestations. Also consider harder-grade woods, including heartwood, the oldest, hardest part of the tree that’s naturally more resistant to rot and pests. Most exotic woods, including teak, are naturally harder. Although these woods are more expensive, they’re expected to last longer and have fewer problems.

What you won’t get with many wood decks is a lifetime guarantee. The harder and the more extensively treated wood can carry a warranty for the lifetime of the original purchaser, but many decks will need to be replaced within 10 years. And all wood decks need to be sealed, cleaned, and sometimes repainted yearly or every few years. 

Worried that wood might not be the environmentally friendly choice, no matter how beautiful or eye-catching it might be? Consider wood carrying the FSC label. That means the wood has been certified grown in an environmentally and socially conscious manner by the international Forest Stewardship Council. You can also use companies that individually promise they’ve harvested the lumber in a sustainable way or use reclaimed lumber that has been remilled and made into new products. 

Composite

Did you ever imagine you’d be sunning yourself on top of milk jugs or soda bottles? When you install a composite deck, you might well be. Composite decking is notable for its environmental friendliness, variety of styles, longevity, and low-maintenance materials. 

It’s also growing in popularity. Composite decking is a combination of wood products, like sawdust and plastic that usually comes from recycled containers. People who buy eco-friendly varieties can feel good about reusing old materials and making use of wood chips and sawdust that go into the construction of composite decking. Manufacturers like EverGrain, NexWood, Tendura, Trex, and WeatherBest make decking in a variety of colors and wood-like finishes that mimic everything from exotic hardwoods to knotty pine.

Composite decking also doesn’t have some problems of natural wood decks: It often carries a warranty of 15 years or more, is less prone to rot and pest infestation, and doesn’t splinter or warp. It’s also usually made with a nonskid texture.

However, because composite decking contains natural wood fibers, it reacts somewhat to moisture. And because the planks are less strong than wood, the joists under the planks that hold the deck up must be placed closer together. Composite decks are often built on top of pressure-treated wood supports so when the supports need to be replaced, the deck is affected. Although it requires far less maintenance than wood, your composite deck should be cleaned yearly with a brush and commercial deck cleaner to remove debris that can breed surface mildew. 

Aluminum

If you’re looking for a sleek, modern deck, aluminum may be the material for you. With its polished surface, aluminum blends well with modern-style houses and can be a unique addition to more traditional homes. 

Aluminum decks are very strong, supporting as much as 240 pounds per square foot. They also have the advantage of being fire resistant. Because the planks are strong, they require fewer joists underneath than some forms of decking such as AridDek. 

Aluminum is also extremely low maintenance. It runs no risk of cracking, splitting, or splintering. Like other forms of man-made decking, aluminum is nearly impervious to rot and pest infestations. Aluminum resists corrosion and doesn’t rust, so you won’t have to spend time keeping your deck from moisture or degradation. 

Aluminum decks also have a seamless surface. Many manufacturers, such as Lock Dry and DryDeck, sell interlocking planks that prevent moisture from seeping into the usually wooden supports, making the structure waterproof and creating a dry space underneath the deck. Look for aluminum decking with powder coating and ridges that makes it slip-resistant. Powder coatings can also contain colors, allowing the homeowner to choose a tone that matches the décor, such as white, gray, light brown,and a wooden brown. 

Concrete

Does the thought of concrete decking summon to mind schools and other drab places? Today’s concrete decking is anything but boring, offering a variety of colors, textures, structural grades, and precast or stamped concrete tiles. 

Because it’s concrete, the deck is impervious to fire, rot, and pests. And concrete deck manufacturers have gotten creative with their decking, creating tiles with the look of natural stone but the sturdiness of concrete.

You have two choices with concrete decks: One option is a poured and steel-reinforced deck that’s built at the site. The advantage is there’s no wood involved, so the deck isn’t at the mercy of wood supports. Poured concrete decks are supported by steel pylons that are sturdier and can support more weight than typical wood decks. However, these kinds of decks are also among the priciest of all decks. 

The other option is to use precast concrete tiles. These tiles can resemble stone decking, with a variety of colors and natural textures that’s both slip-resistant and varies in color to make each deck unique. Dekstone, a manufacturer of one of the main forms of this kind of decking, ships its deck tiles unsealed. The tiles can be directly attached to wood joists or a waterproofing membrane can be placed under the tiles to protect the wood and concrete from excessive moisture. All forms of concrete decking should be sealed from moisture every few years. 

Plastic

There’s a reason plastic is used in so many products: It’s versatile, easily recyclable, durable, and easy to clean. Plastic decking is one more step toward man-made decking. It’s often environmentally friendly, made of 95 percent recyclable plastics like polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene. As with composite decking, look at the manufacturer’s label to check to see how much of the deck is made from recycled materials, and whether it’s recyclable. You can also look at the material itself. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are the most common recycled plastics made primarily of milk jugs and soda bottles, respectively.

Plastic also has the advantage of being one of the most low-maintenance deck materials. Because it has no organic matter, it’s impervious to rot that affects wood decks and (to a far lesser extent) composite decks. It also doesn’t split, splinter, or become brittle over time. If mildew grows on the surface of the plastic planks or they get dirty, simply hose off the deck or use a deck cleaner. Many decking manufacturers, such as Verdura, offer full 30-year warranties on their decks. 

Plastic decking is lightweight but strong, and usually installed above wooden joists. Many types of plastic decking come with a no-show type of installation that’s totally waterproof. It also comes in a variety of colors, including white, black, teak, oak redwood, and green. 

Stone

Decks made with natural stone, tile, slate, or pavers impart a different feel than rustic wood or modern aluminum. Stone decking is a cool and sophisticated look, and notable for its wide variety 

of materials, grades, treatments, and textures. Colors can be rich, like black or Tuscan red, or mellow, like beige or earth tones.

The advantage of stone decking is that it requires less annual maintenance than wood and light colors remain relatively cool in hot weather. It also doesn’t warp, isn’t as susceptible to moisture as wood, and is impervious to pest infestations. It’s also extremely strong.

When considering a stone, porcelain, or slate deck, check to make sure the tiles or pavers are for outdoor use and specifically for deck use. Many forms of stone decking come in interlocking tile formats. These types are stone mounted on a composite base that can be attached directly to joists without the need for mortar or grout.

Like many other decking materials, stone decks tend to require less annual maintenance than wooden decks. However, many manufacturers still recommend they be sealed regularly to protect them from stains and moisture.

Be sure to look for higher-quality stones because they are sturdier, more resistant to movement, and are less likely to crack. Warranties for stone decking materials vary by manufacturer, but many last at least 10 years. 

Vinyl

You might have heard of PVC pipes or even vinyl fabric. But a PVC deck? Absolutely!

Vinyl decking, also called PVC decking, is another form of decking made with a different type of plastic. It has the advantage of being nearly maintenance free and impervious to rot, moisture, and pests. Although some vinyl is made of virgin plastic, not recycled, some varieties, like Quadra Vinyl, are made of 100 percent recycled vinyl. The planks can also usually be recycled after use. Look for manufacturer labels that identify if the planks are recycled or recyclable.

Vinyl planks, like other plastic decking, are strong and easy to clean. Vinyl planks have internal reinforcement that make them rugged and make other reinforcements, like steel or aluminum, unnecessary. As with plastic, there’s no need to spend time doing annual sealing or maintenance of the planks. Simply hose them off if they get dirty and clean with a deck cleaner if the deck gets more stubborn stains. Like plastic, vinyl decks come in several colors, including white, gray, and wooden-like tan. They also usually come embossed with a wood grain texture that reduces the risk of slipping. And most vinyl decking comes with an extensive lifetime warranty. Popular brands of vinyl decking include Dream Deck and EverNew.

Like other decking materials, vinyl decking is usually built on wood supports and is subject to the health and longevity of the wood. Because the planks are made completely of plastic, they’re also slightly more sensitive to the heat of the sun than other decking choices, though vinyl is also often treated to keep it cool.