Composite Decking vs Wood !! ??

A lot of customers that I've worked for in the past few years were always torn between the idea of building a composite or a conventional wood deck in their backyard !! 

I know that most of the composite decking companies would do anything to sell their product to the customers !! Saying things like it's longer lasting than wood, won't fade, no more staining, more durable, better look and faster installation !! I will never try to stop a customer from buying composite decking, but I will definitely put the pros and cons before we start to make sure that they've weighted in all their options !! 

The huge difference between the wood and composite is the price !! Even if you had a great deal on the materials, you can expect to pay at leas 4 to 6 times more for composite that standard pressure treated !! 

Also some people want a surface that is clean, won't rot, is easier to clean and that they won't have apply stain !! Well for that matter you could be tempted to go for composite, to save the hassle, but be aware that in the sun the composite decking get so hot that toddlers would literally burn their feet of the surface how's that for comfortable ... !! 

I always tell my customers thinks twice, because I've met a few people that were really disappointed of choosing composite over wood !! They are sold as composite, because when you rip the material you can notice a mix of plastic, pressure treated sawdust, and even some metal flakes !! Since it's composed in part of wood some of these brands will get mildew spots on their surface, will fade in the sun and will even get cigarettes burn (at least with a wood deck you can sand the burnt spots to make them disappear) !! The myth that you will never have to build a deck again is......... false because most companies will build all the sub-structure out of pressure treated wood to keep the cost low and get the job, but then your deck is only as good as it's footing, so at best 15 to 20 years and that would become a very expensive 15 years deck wouldn't it !?? 

I mean again if you have all the money in the world and you have a nice shady oasis that you want to build yourself a beautiful and spotless deck on it !! 

Go Composite !! 

Otherwise you can even try Cedar (Low Maintenance), Brazilian Walnut (Would Probably outlast your composite deck by 25 years and would cost you about the same)

Oh I forgot to mention if you drag your patio furniture and scratch the surface, on your composite decking or make a big dent on a board, it's only a 1/16" of a inch shell before the core, you've just bought yourself a new $85+ dollar board !! 

Cheers