Composite
Advantages
- Deep wood grain appearance
- Low maintenance
- Several color choices
- Minimal moisture absorption
- Virtually none of the problems common to maintaining wood decks
- Matching railing system
- No need to paint or stain, saves time and money
- True, good looks of natural wood
- Barefoot friendly and slip resistant
- Perfect choice for pools, hot tubs, and spas
- Contains no toxic chemicals or preservatives
Disadvantages
Ipe
Advantages
- Resists insects, moisture, and movement
- Resistant to surface cracking and naturally resistant to molds
- Extremely durable
Disadvantages
- Very expensive
- Labor price increases because it requires pre-drilling or hidden fastener system
Cedar
Advantages
- Naturally resistant to decay and insect damage
- Less than half the swelling and shrinking tendency of other domestic softwoods
- Lies flat, stays straight, retains fasteners, and provides a firm base for paints and stains
- Rich grain, texture, and color
Disadvantages
- Maintenance
- More expensive than pine
Treated Pine
Advantages
- Protected with ACQ, an environmentally advanced wood preservative
- Does not contain arsenic, chromium, or other EPA-classified hazardous presrvatives
- Provides long term protection from rot, decay, and termite attack
- For use in above ground, ground-contact, and fresh water immersion applications
- Easily painted or stained
- Features a limited lifetime warranty
- Very strong load bearings
Disadvantages
- Susceptible to water damage, cracking, and warping
- Needs yearly maintenance
