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A nice wood deck on a sunny day is a great spot to relax in, and building a deck may have been on your wishlist for years. If you're now at a point where you can build that deck, you'll want your dream materials, but those materials may actually not be the best. Due to a lumber shortage, deck builders are using more composite decking, which may make you wonder if wood decks are still even a possibility. They are, but with caution because of that shortage.
Composites Have Taken the Lead for Good Reason
More deck companies have been using composite decking instead of wood due to a major lumber shortage that's persisted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. That could make it seem like wood is not a major option anymore for deck building, but it has more to do with the shortage and the fact that the wood that is available tends to go to house framing. This does not mean that wood is not available for deck building, but it does give composite decking a major advantage.
Wood Needs Protection From Weather and Bugs
Any real wood you use in a deck has to be treated so that weather and bugs won't destroy the wood within a couple of years of installation. Any damage to the wood, such as chips from heavy items falling on it, would require repairs that re-seal the wood. You wouldn't be able to wait on fixing those as you could with synthetic materials (you wouldn't want to wait long to fix those, either, but they aren't quite as susceptible as wood). If you did decide to use wood for a deck, you'd have to be much more careful about maintaining it and monitoring for problems. Note that composite decking has its share of problems, too, namely expanding and contracting in heat and cold, and mold growth. But wood often has those issues too. You can speak with deck builders about the best composite to use if you want to reduce problems.
Cost Is an Important but Very Changeable Factor
The market and supply of lumber have been so volatile over the past couple of years that the cost of lumber has become more unpredictable. Costs rose substantially over the first couple of years of the pandemic due to shortages, but now those prices have started falling, despite the supply still being low. So, even though wood is more affordable now, there's still a shortage that may make composite decking the better choice simply because you can get composite decking more easily. You could have an inexpensive wood deck, but it might take several months to obtain supplies, whereas you could have a composite deck in a matter of weeks.
Speak with deck builders in your area to find out the current state of the lumber supply chain. If you have your heart set on a wood deck, you can work that out, but keep composite in mind too.
Contact a local deck builder to learn more.
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