The Best Decking Material for Your Investment

Choosing the best decking material for your outdoor living space can ensure you get the most durable and beautiful deck for your budget. But with a number of decking material options to choose from, it’s important to evaluate how each choice will contribute to the bottom line.

To begin the process of finding the best decking material for you, first consider all your available options. Then, choose based on your budget, needs, and tastes.

Step 1: Learn Your Decking Material Options

Decking material options fall into two broad categories: traditional wood decking and composite decking. And these two categories can be broken down even further. Within traditional wood decking, there are non-pressure-treated options like cedar, pressure-treated wood, and exotic hardwoods – among others.

When it comes to TimberTech composite decking, our durable and beautiful capped polymer and capped composite decking lines go above and beyond competitive composite and PVC decking to create a category all their own: capped composite and capped polymer innovation.

TimberTech^® Capped Polymer Decking

• Product line: TimberTech AZEK® decking.
• 100% synthetic material, from core to cap, for superior moisture and weather resistance.
• Lasting beauty, with a 50-Year Fade & Stain Warranty.
• A deck that needs minimal maintenance.
• Performance you can count on with a Lifetime Limited Product Warranty.

TimberTech Capped Composite Decking

• Product Lines: TimberTech PRO® decking, TimberTech EDGE® decking.
• Blend of polymers and wood fibers.
• Capped with 100% synthetic material for premium moisture and weather resistance.
• Beauty that doesn’t fade, with 30- and 25-Year Fade & Stain Warranties.
• Minimal maintenance, with top product warranties.

Exotic Hardwoods

• High upfront cost and high cost for maintenance over time, even for the densest hardwoods like Ipe.
• Beauty that fades quickly.
• While somewhat naturally resistant to fungus growth given its porous texture, it is still vulnerable to mold, mildew, and rot.
• Can crack, buckle, and warp with weathering.

Traditional Pressure-Treated Wood

• Potentially low upfront cost, but ever-accumulating cost for maintenance over time.
• Beauty that fades quickly.
• Requires staining and sealing, which can involve harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
• Vulnerable to mold, mildew, and rot.
• Will crack and splinter with wear and tear.

Step 2: Evaluate Best Decking Material for Performance

When it comes to performance, you want your decking material to last you for the long-term without losing its beauty or structural integrity.

Pressure-treated lumber, exotic hardwoods, and traditional PVC decking are often touted as high- performing – but when you compare their performance to TimberTech, the benefits begin to crumble.

Step 3: Evaluate Best Decking Material for Aesthetics

Aesthetics is more than just a desired look. If the decking material fails to retain its attractive appearance for the long-term, is its fleeting beauty really worth the investment? While traditional wood requires a lot of maintenance to retain its appearance, TimberTech composite decking offers effortless beauty and a nature-inspired aesthetic, making it the best decking material in terms of aesthetics.

Step 4: Evaluate Best Decking Material for Long-Term Value

In terms of long-term value, the best decking material will be one that stands the test of time – retaining its structural integrity and its beauty for the long-haul. Traditional wood requires costly maintenance and repairs over the course of its life, and traditional PVC decking can incur high replacement costs.

TimberTech composite decking, on the other hand, ends up saving you on cost over time due to its durability and enduring beauty.

Ipe Hardwood vs. AZEK

NOTE:T he estimated average cost of capped polymer deck boards and Ipe hardwood decking costs are based on the national average for a 16’ x 20’ deck. Meant for visual representation only. Actual costs may vary.

While the upfront costs for Ipe hardwood and TimberTech AZEK decking are similar, over time, you can see the difference in maintenance needs over a 10-year period.

Maintenance costs for Ipe hardwood are almost 4x more expensive than for TimberTech AZEK capped polymer decking over that same 10-year period.

Pressure-Treated Wood vs. EDGE

NOTE: The estimated average cost of capped composite deck boards and pressure-treated lumber decking costs are based on the national average for a 16’ x 20’ deck. Meant for visual representation only. Actual costs may vary.

When looking at the differences in cost between pressure-treated lumber and TimberTech EDGE, the upfront costs are similar, with TimberTech EDGE coming in slightly higher.

However, maintenance costs over a 10-year period, show that pressure-treated lumber costs over 3x more than TimberTech EDGE.

The Best Decking Material for the Overall Cost? TimberTech Composite Decking

TimberTech capped polymer and capped composite decking shatters the myths of composite decking costs by being highly cost-efficient over time.

Ready to learn more about calculating cost? Numerous factors contribute to your overall deck cost. Explore the costs to build a deck and start budgeting sooner rather than later.

Now that you know TimberTech offers the best decking material for the cost, you’re ready to start calculating your overall deck budget. Launch our Decking Cost Calculator to get started.

Crunch the Numbers on Your Project

Jump into our Cost Calculator to figure out the material expenses for your deck remodel.

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