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Looking For New Decking Ideas?

By: Annie Deakin

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A few years ago there was only one choice if you wanted a deck. That only choice was to use two by six untreated lumber for decking. Unfortunately, untreated lumber just does not hold up to the weather, so builders began to make the switch to pressure treated lumber. While the boards were green, pressure treating them was not. Even so, as late as 1992, ninety-eight percent of decks were made of wood.

Our new trend toward having outdoor living space has increased the demand for decks that are long lasting. The number of choices for decking materials has also grown.

One of the choices is once again natural wood, but not just any wood. The popular decking material is tropical hardwoods. Even when untreated, these woods can have a twenty five year lifespan. While very beautiful they can also be very expensive and difficult to install. Some require that pilot holes be drilled for each decking screw.

Another popular wood is western red cedar. While resistant to rot and insects, this wood tends to be very soft and can easily be scratched or marred even by foot traffic.

While unheard of ten years ago, composite decking has become very popular. In fact, in 2008, one out of five decks were built using a composite. The materials are praised by owners. The popularity is continuing to rise and this year the demand for the material is expected to grow by twenty-five percent.

Some of the composites are made of recycled materials. One company used recycled shopping bags in producing their material. Even with the growth in popularity of this decking, the number of shopping bags used annually is not far more than can be recycled in the decking.

One new decking material that may grow quickly in popularity is wood that has been infused with glass. The process is much more earth friendly than the traditional process for pressure treating wood. In addition the product is expected to last for forty years in an exposed deck.

PVC is also quickly growing in popularity. Although it does not follow the current earth friendly trend, it is still growing in popularity. PVC can be recycled, but not in making new PVC decking. Instead the formula calls for virgin materials. The popularity is related to the fact that this is the most maintenance free decking material available. It is also resistant to scratches and foot traffic.

If you are going to be installing PVC decking, be sure that you replace all saw blades before you begin.

PVC does away with one big problem from composites, and that is the mold problem. The wood fibers hold enough water to encourage mold to grow on those decks. In order to keep it under control, owners must scrub those decks frequently.

Makers of the composite decks are now trying to overcome the mold problem. One way is by forming the materials so that the fibers are not exposed.

The number one quality that homeowners want in decks today is that they are maintenance free. Rather that spend the entire weekend cleaning and maintaining their deck, homeowners want to spend time enjoying the outdoor living space. They are willing to spend more for this privilege.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Annie is an expert furniture and interior design writer. Her current area of specialism is dressing table, duvet covers and kitchen furniture

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