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Well, just checked prices and the composite material would likely cost 3 times as much, and given how many other projects I'd like to get done, that's way out of my budget.
I am never barefoot outside (and very rarely in my house!) and I suspect I won't mind the staining and sealing every few years since I like puttering around the house. The wood will have been treated for insect control. Splintering, well, probably no way around that.
Thanks for both replies!
I go barefoot outside often, so I love my composite deck. I usually stubbed a toe or smacked my heel on a nail at least once a week on my old deck. No longer have that problem.
Easy. NO maintenance. I was tired of staining my old deck and the wood was starting to rot in a few places.
My composite deck stays clean all by itself. I love it.
Depends on where you live I suppose. I've seen plenty of composite decks up here with mildew and moss.
I rebuilt our deck about 10 years ago and went with tigerwood. It's a tropical hardwood like Ipe but not quite as hard or expensive (still not cheap). It takes some annual work to maintain the brown and striations markings visible. Last few years I've just let it go grey which doesn't hurt it.
All this wood is beautiful. But, in the PNW I think I will stick with my aggregate concrete with virtually no maintenance. I have hardwood floors inside the house. Not a big deal to throw on sandals when I go outside and I do not need to walk barefoot on a deck or spend every summer refinishing one. My sister did that with an absolute enormous deck in Colorado (in her 60's). It was almost the length of the entire house and a second story deck over a walk out basement.
All this wood is beautiful. But, in the PNW I think I will stick with my aggregate concrete with virtually no maintenance. I have hardwood floors inside the house. Not a big deal to throw on sandals when I go outside and I do not need to walk barefoot on a deck or spend every summer refinishing one. My sister did that with an absolute enormous deck in Colorado (in her 60's). It was almost the length of the entire house and a second story deck over a walk out basement.
So, is this concrete deck up off the ground? The reason we have a deck and not a patio is that the ground is sloped and a concrete or paver patio just won't work without a fair degree of earth moving. And, we like wood.
So, is this concrete deck up off the ground? The reason we have a deck and not a patio is that the ground is sloped and a concrete or paver patio just won't work without a fair degree of earth moving. And, we like wood.
I have quite a slope going from the front to the back and one side to the other. It's not a cliff. I had a giant stair done (two steps). It's the full length of the sliding glass door. I keep planters on one side. Our street is on a very significant slope and many houses backyards are built on a significantly high retaining wall (which our HOA has insurance on).
My 15 x 12 patio has planters built on two sides (so that we do not fall off the edges). From the house to the low point in the back yard is probably 6-8 feet. Like I said, not a cliff; but, not a level yard. I'm not sure I would want a level yard here because of the amount of rain we get. I have severe settling issues with the house. I have had a lot of foundation repairs.
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