Redwood decks

[El Cazador]

Thinking about building a deck outside the rear of the house. One my Dad & I did at his house was out of redwood and it has really stood up to weather and pests, but we did it a long time ago. Any thoughts about it? I'm afraid to start calling for prices. Guess ya have to balance the initial cost against longevity.
Anything else I should be thinking of? And not just the wood, anything. Thanks. Vic

 

[Hallmark]

decking

Vic, you could price different types of the composite decking they have out there today. We used some on our back deck that is exposed to the elements. It is awesome. I don't think it looks as good as wood, but it is bullet proof and easy to wash off and very heavy duty. Good Luck Man Talk with some of the people at your local lumber yards, get brochures with colors and prices...

 

[sirenmoses]

another for the Trex type composite decking.

and don't forget to check into a permit, & HOA covenants, and all that other stuff.

 

[El Cazador]

Thanks, hadn't given much thought to the route but I will. In this economy money will be foremost on my mind, especially since after today I have a lot less of it available. :-(

Thanks again.
Vic

 

[davegonz]

When I visited my local lumber yard, they had a lesser known brand (Weather best). I ended up getting that for a couple of more cents a foot. 7 years later and my deck still looks good. I just power wash it every year.

 

[El Cazador]

davegonz are you talking about redwood or some type of synthetic?

 

[patpend2000]

The redwood you buy today isn't nearly as rot resistant as the old stuff, I would recommend the composite decking or one of the hardwood alternatives. The one problem with the composite is that you have to add a lot more supports under the deck as it cannot span the distance that real wood can. Also, if you go composite, buy the right screws to install it.

 

[davegonz]

davegonz are you talking about redwood or some type of synthetic?

Synthetic..sorry about that.

 

[Brentbba]

Another vote for synthetic. Cost is not much more per sq ft than redwood and will last a lot longer.

 

[Rusty55]

Composite is about the Best way to go, Make sure for your structure that you use a pressure treated wood so that you don't waste you money on all that decking and have the structure fall down. Check with the city or municipality you are in for codes and call your local inspector and ask them questions along the way so that they are on your side when it comes to inspections. Each inspector is different and interperets code differently.

Have fun and any questions just ask.

 

[El Cazador]

I might not do it now. Thinking of terracing the area instead and planting it nicely. Think that will be cheaper, and in this economy I'm willing to scale down my vision.