Wood and Composite Decking Review: Pros and Cons

Is Wood and Composite Decking Right for You?

By
Lisa Hallett Taylor
photo of writer Lisa Hallett Taylor
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Lisa Hallett Taylor is an expert in architecture and landscape design who has written more than 1,000 articles about pool, patio, garden, and home improvement over 12 years. She has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Design and is certified in fine and decorative arts appraisal.
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Updated on 05/11/22
Reviewed by
Johnathan Brewer
Johnathan Brewer
Reviewed by Johnathan Brewer
Johnathan Brewer is a home improvement expert with over two decades of professional experience as a licensed general contractor specializing in kitchen and bath. He has been featured on HGTV’s “Super Scapes,” “Curb Appeal the Block,” “Elbow Room,” DIY Network's “House Crashers,” "This Old House," and OWN Network's Emmy award winning show, “Home Made Simple.” Jonathan is also a member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.
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Fact checked by
Sarah Scott
SS
Fact checked by Sarah Scott
Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.
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Wooden deck with outdoor seating on top next to manicured lawn

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

Wood or composite decking—or something else? Like any major home purchase, decking materials vary in looks, durability, and cost. Start your research by becoming familiar with different types of authentic and synthetic decking. Also, you might want to use certain types of lumber or decking for structural parts of your deck project, and other decking timber for surfaces and railings—the parts on which you will walk and actually see.

1:56

Click Play to Learn the Pros and Cons of Wood and Composite Decking

Learn about the materials most widely used to construct a residential deck, from railings to floorboards, including the pros and cons of each type.

  • 01 of 05

    Natural Wooden Planks

    A sturdy wooden deck

    strathroy/Getty Images

    Wood is the original and traditional material used for decks, and many professionals prefer it for its value-adding capabilities. Wood does require maintenance, but it has a more classic look and feel than other materials. The Atlantic City Boardwalk—the first oceanside wood boardwalk in the United States—was made of wood and wood continues to be a popular choice for most residential homeowners' deck projects. Some hardwoods can be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

    Tip

    Many softer woods (pine, fir, and spruce, for example) are susceptible to rot. Over time, even cedar and redwood can rot unless well maintained.

    Hardwood floors have a natural warmth and feel, and some types of woods (mainly softwoods) can be an inexpensive decking material. Some types, include ipe, can be expensive, though, and wood must be maintained and well cared for to prevent splitting, cracking, and discoloration.

    Pros

    • Authentic and natural

    • Some types are inexpensive

    Cons

    • Can be expensive

    • Requires regular maintenance

  • 02 of 05

    Wood-Polymer Composite

    Blue planks of plastic and wood composite material

    Perry Mastrovito/Getty Images

    Also known as composite, wood alternatives, or synthetic decking, wood-polymer composite has become a popular decking material for residential use.

    Tip

    Composite decking in darker shades can get very hot when exposed to the sun, which might make walking on it barefoot slightly painful.

    Composite decking is an environmentally friendly lumber alternative that combines plastic and wood fiber.

    Pros

    • Weather-resistant

    • Stain-resistant

    • Won't splinter or rot

    • Low-maintenance

    • Variety of colors

    Cons

    • Can look fake

    • Can be slippery

    • Not resistant to mold and mildew

    • Shows signs of age and decay

    • Can sag and bend more than wood

  • 03 of 05

    Pressure-Treated Wood

    New Zealand Villa Home Exterior
    LazingBee / Getty Images

    Less durable woods, like Southern pine and Western fir, are treated with preservatives. This makes them more resistant to the elements, rot, and insects.

    Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is a wood preservative containing chromium, copper, and arsenic. Starting in the 1940s, CCA was used to make pressure-treated lumber. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified CCA as a restricted-use product. Since 2003, the pressure-treated wood industry discontinued the use of CCA for residential use. Arsenic-free alternatives include alkaline copper quatenary (ACQ), borates and copper azole.

    Pros

    • Inexpensive

    • Durable and resistant to the elements, rot, and insects

    Cons

    • Unnatural color

    • Warps or bends easily

    • Contains chemical preservatives

  • 04 of 05

    Plastic

    Plastic decking colors
    American Plastic Lumber, Inc.

    High-density plastic lumber (PL) is made from recycled polyethylene (HDPE) plastic. That means your old milk, water, and juice containers and detergent and shampoo bottles may be recycled into the plastic lumber that is used to construct your deck.

    Pros

    • Weather-resistant

    • Doesn't need to be stained

    • Easy to clean

    Cons

    • May expand or contract in extreme heat and cold resulting in cracking

    • Colors and textures don't always resemble wood

    Continue to 5 of 5 below.
  • 05 of 05

    Aluminum

    An uninstalled aluminum decking plank

    Amazon

    There are lots of good reasons why aluminum is a near-perfect decking material: it's weather resistant and won't rot or decay. Have you ever heard of termites drilling their collective way through an aluminum structure? It doesn't burn, either. It's too bad aluminum is so expensive. Looks-wise, you really won't mistake aluminum for a plank of teak or redwood.

    Pros

    • Durable

    • Slip-resistant

    • Fireproof

    • Recyclable

    Cons

    • Expensive

    • Lacks the traditional appearance of wood

    • Gets hot in the sun

Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Couturier, Marie et al. Enhanced degradation of softwood versus hardwood by the white-rot fungus Pycnoporus coccineus. Biotechnology for biofuels, vol. 8, no. 216, 2015. doi:10.1186/s13068-015-0407-8

  2. Overview of Wood Preservative Chemicals. United States Environmental Protection Agency.

  3. Chromated Arsenicals (CCA). United States Environmental Protection Agency.