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Wondering what to do with the underside of your deck? See how eight different options completely transform your space. 

Pros & Cons of Vinyl Wrapped Composite Decking

Vinyl Wrapped Composite is the newest type of decking on the market. We have been using the Timbertech version of it for several years. It is pretty much what it sounds like, the old composite type of decking, wrapped in a vinyl shell.

We here at Decks R Us are big fans of the latest versions of Vinyl decking, especially the Azek brand. We began using Azek back in 2005 when it was still sold under the Procell brand. This decking is made much like the older composite type, but is 100% plastic. It is available in many colors and sizes.

Pros & Cons of Composite Decking

Traditional Composite decking, such as Trex, is a mixture of wood dust and plastic. It is extruded in a machine with lots of heat allowing the wood, plastic, coloring, and UV protectant to melt and mold together. This technology was first introduced to the decking industry in the 1990s. Today there are dozens of different brands of it available. The color selection has expanded considerably,  but the technology has not changed much.

In this second part of our five part series on the pros and cons of different types of decking, we will look at the more traditional wood deck boards.

Wood Decking

There are two species of wood traditionally used by deck builders. Cedar has been a staple of deck builders for a long time due to it’s high acid content and natural weather resistance.  On the East Coast, Pressure Treated Pine is the #1 type of wood used for decks.

Finding the right decking for your new deck can be a bit overwhelming. Hardwood or Pressure Treated wood? Composite or Vinyl? And if you decide to go with something man-made, there are dozens of options and hundreds of opinions out there. Decking can be be put into 5 simple categories, Hardwood, Traditional Wood, Vinyl, Composite, or Vinyl-Capped Composite. So this post is the first in a 5-part series that I will share with you over the next few months. Hopefully I can shed some light on the pros and cons of each type of decking.

Hardwood Decking                                                                                                                   

There are 3 common species of hardwood decking, Ipe, Cumuru, and Mahogany. Ipe and Cumuru are Brazilian wood species but are readily available here, Mahogany is an American species.

Low-voltage deck lights are becoming popular for some very good reasons. They provide a nice gentle glow to your deck and they also can also provide additional safety for steps and pathways. In Pennsylvania, for example, it is required by code that any outdoor steps are illuminated. If you don't have an outdoor light in your house near the deck steps, you may be required to install riser lights on your new deck steps.

Decks R Us custom deck benches are made to fit, whether you want a small 4-foot long bench to fit in a corner, or a 30-foot curved bench. We'll make it.

As I sit inside today looking out at the frozen world around me, sipping on my cup of coffee I can’t help but get a little excited.