Alternatives to Wood Decking

Recently someone asked about alternatives to wood decking materials, preferably something “eco-friendly” happily there are many wood alternatives today for decking.

Innovative materials made from recycled materials prove to be both beautiful and durable. Many do not rot, splinter or crack and are available in many colors and textures and are produced by more than 60 manufacturers.

Making the switch to synthetic decking is not as difficult as you might think. While people love the look of wood, no one likes the upkeep involved. The hardest part about switching to synthetic decking is the price. Often 2 to five times as expensive as pressure treated wood, sticker shock can cause the customer to balk. But when you add in the simplicity of care, the upfront cost difference is negligible. With so many manufacturers to chose from the choices are becoming more beautiful too. Often you really cannot tell the difference upon first glace from its real wood counterpart.

You can choose between wood-plastic composites and wood-free plastics. The most popular are the wood-plastic composites, which have dominated the market. They did have issues in the beginning with mold but with better compounding methods this problem has been greatly lessoned if not totally eliminated. Wood-free decking materials aren’t as popular because the material is heavy but they are highly durable. With recycling technologies increasing we are going to see a lot more wood-free materials used in building.

These products are considered eco-friendly because they use recycled materials that otherwise would be filling our landfills. Check with your manufacturer about how much of their materials are recycled. Shoot for as close to 100% as possible. Your builder or architect can show you samples of various materials and give you the best recommendation on product selection.