Building a new deck, whether it's surrounding you pool, your patio, or your boat dock can be a challenge when it comes to cost and the consideration that must be given to life expectancy and future maintenance. That's where the cost of composite decking materials comes into play.

Composite decking is basically when wood products are mixed with plastic to develop the product. Different companies use different plastic such as milk jugs, grocery bags, and shrink-wrap to mix with wood filler for pretty much the same result, but when plastic is used it can affect the cost of composite decking.

Weathering Affects the Color of Materials

As homeowners who have had vinyl siding installed in the past learned, vinyl products tend to change colors as they age due to weather. Browns may lighten to a grey color while some grey tends to turn darker. The manufacturer or dealer will be able to tell you exactly how the color change will affect the one you choose.

One benefit to using composites with wood fillers is the safety aspect. Wood fibers tend to come to the surface when wet and reduces the chance of slipping. This added benefit should be considered in the long-term cost of composite decking, along with the lowered annual maintenance cost.

Another thing to consider is the way composite materials react differently from wood in areas where the freeze and thaw cycle is more frequent. Due to expansion and contraction, installation must make allowances. For example, a 10-foot-long wood board may expand only a quarter inch in extreme heat and shrink a quarter inch in the cold. Composite materials may expand and shrink up to a half inch or more.

On the Virginia Decking and Remodeling website, at www.vadeck.com, it offers a free calculator to estimate the cost of composite decking. It offers three different materials along with three different services to account for up to nine variables. This gives a homeowner the opportunity to fully understand how they can save money on the cost of composite decking while enjoying professional results.

The initial cost is not the only thing to consider when you're looking at the cost of composite decking. The annual maintenance cost is virtually eliminated saving time and money and the life of the product, while woods tend to decay over time and are subject to fungus attacks, neither has been a problem with composites.