| Traditionally, deck material has been wood. Depending | | | | resistant to decay, straight grained, easy to work |
| on what part of the country lived in, that might be | | | | and dimensionally stable. Western red cedar deck |
| redwood, western cedar or pressure-treated | | | | material has a red to brown color and is lighter in |
| southern pine. | | | | weight than Alaskan cedar or redwood. Yellow cedar |
| Other types of wood material are also becoming | | | | is stronger and heavier and has a clear, bright color. It |
| more available: Alaska yellow cedar and rain-forest | | | | is more difficult to stain because of its density. |
| hardwoods such as ipe and red meranti from | | | | Tropical hardwoods can make great deck materials. |
| Malaysia. | | | | Ipe, a related group of South American hardwoods, is |
| In addition, two new categories of deck material | | | | highly resistant to rot and insect damage. It makes |
| have appeared in recent years: composites made | | | | an extremely durable deck surface. Ipe is a premium |
| from natural wood fiber and recycled plastic and | | | | decking product in terms of price. However, it has |
| decking made from extruded vinyl. | | | | been exploited for years and is becoming an |
| A growing public sensitivity regarding hazardous | | | | endangered species. |
| chemicals has created the situation in which | | | | Meranti is a deck material from Malaysia, the |
| consumers have become increasingly receptive to | | | | Philippines and parts of Southeast Asia. It is also called |
| environmentally advanced products. In the past | | | | Philippine mahogany or lauan. It is rated as being a |
| southern pine was treated with chromated arsenate | | | | step below redwood, cedar and ipe. |
| (CCA). However, a new process has substituted | | | | Composite deck material made from recycled plastic |
| alkaline cooper quad (ACQ) as the preservative to | | | | and ground-up waste wood is too flexible to be used |
| create pressure-treated deck material. | | | | for structural or load-bearing framing. Instead it is |
| It continues to effectively fight rot, decay and insect | | | | used mainly as decking. Other than periodic cleaning, |
| attack. At the same time it's easy to use in any | | | | composite deck material does not need any |
| outdoor application and can be stained, painted or left | | | | maintenance. |
| to weather. Scraps of this wood can be disposed of | | | | Vinyl deck materials are extruded from solid polyvinyl |
| by regular trash collection. More importantly, it is one | | | | chloride (PVC). They are splinter free, inedible to |
| of the least expensive deck materials. | | | | insects, fungi and maintenance free and resistant to |
| Top grades of redwood are prized as deck material | | | | mildew and UV damage. |
| for their performance. Redwood is very stable and is | | | | In the end, the choice of which deck material will be |
| naturally resistant to both rot and insects. It is easy | | | | used comes down to a matter of money and |
| to work and holds finishes well. The application of a | | | | availability. The ideal deck would have its framework |
| protective finish every few years that contains | | | | and support posts made using pressure-treated |
| mildewcides, water repellents and UV protections is a | | | | wood. The deck surface, fascia, railing and step |
| wise choice. | | | | systems would be constructed using the best deck |
| Western red cedar and Alaska yellow cedar are both | | | | materials that the homeowner could afford to buy. |