tawawpub.com

Composite Porch Decking: Alternative Materials

by

aayana

If you’re beginning construction on a new patio or outdoor addition to your home, you’re probably thinking of using wood as your primary building material. But there are significant drawbacks to using wood that many homeowners never become aware of until it’s too late. Wood has a tendency to attract rot and mold over time, even when maintained properly. This can be expensive and tedious to clean and restore. Most homeowners want something they can build once, clean occasionally, and forget about the rest of the time. Composite porch decking may be a better choice for those who want a low maintenance alternative.

The Material

Composite porch decking is material made from a mixture of wood fiber and plastic, creating planks that offer the best benefits of both compounds. You get the timeless quality of wood along with the strength and durability of high quality plastic products. People have a tendency to associate the word “plastic” with the word “cheap”, but nothing could be further from the truth in this case. In fact, this alternative material can mean spending much less time on your maintenance chores throughout the life of your patio. It is easier to clean and it is certainly resistant to termites.

Inside the Compound

Composite porch decking is created through the use of polymers. Some use polypropylene, while others may use polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride. These polymers are combined with recycled wood fibers. These fibers are added for a variety of reasons. They make the aesthetic more closely match with what a homeowner expects his patio to look like and they can protect the plastic from the damaging effects of the sun. Look for compound materials that use a finely chopped wood fiber, as this will give you a more consistent look throughout the boards used in your construction.

Benefits

Over time, a patio is subjected to the outdoor elements. The major enemy is the weather itself. A season’s worth of rain probably isn’t going to do much harm to a wooden patio, but what about five years’ worth? Ten? Even the finest woods can’t stand up to that kind of weathering. You are fooling yourself if you think your patio will look the same in a decade as it did on the day you built it. Without some maintenance, the same is true of composite porch decking, but the maintenance required is much less intensive. You will also have much more resistance against insects, which can take a harsh toll on pure wood materials.

Are you remodeling and need to find the right

composite porch decking

for you home? The wonderful staff at

latitudesdeck.com

is here to help you find the right fit for you.

Article Source:

Composite Porch Decking: Alternative Materials