Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Need help on decking material

I've tore down my old deck and am building a new 16 x 12 deck in its place. What I don't know is whether to use cedar or a composite type. I have priced out many popular brands from HD and Lowe's, along with other local yards.
Obviously, the composite boards would be better. The only thing is I plan on only staying in this house for another 2 years.
I am prepared to use a very high quality stain and sealant if I use cedar decking.

Anyone have an opinion on which to go with? The Trex will be at least $600 more than the cedar so even with the cost of a good stain/sealer over 2 years will not be enough for the composite to pay off.

If you only plan to be there 2 years, you could go with pressure treated lumber and omit the staining. It would cost less than cedar, if price is the most important.

There is no sense putting a lot of money into composite if you won't be there to enjoy it. Yes, it would add more value to the home, but probably not enough to justify the extra expenditure. There are also a few composites out there that likely cost less than Trex. There are so many brands out there, I won't even go into that. Just check availability in your area- there are plenty of brands of composite decking ranging from medium to high priced.

Thanks for the quick reply......

I did price out many different brands of composite and all of them have been more expensive than cedar. I have also read on other forums and they all say to never use PT lumber for a deck. This is why I was using cedar as my lowest price option.

Never use PT lumber for a deck? That would be a good question for you to pose on this forum if you want to find out how the deck experts here feel.

It's true that a PT deck will not be of the same quality as a cedar deck, due to the tendency for some PT wood to twist and warp as it dries. But personally, I would never come to the conclusion that you would "never use PT lumber for a deck."

CCallahan,

If I'm one of the members that you are saying "never use PT for decking", you are putting words in my mouth. What I have said from the beginning is that the PT available on the left coast is mud sill, NOT DECKING. On the right coast, PT is certainly a viable option for decking. The material available on the east coast is VERY different than what's available on the west coast, and vica versa. (Just TRY to buy a redwood board anyplace west of Nevada!!!)

Your staement about only staying in the house for 2 years certainly comes into the equatition. Composite costs more than wood. Will you be able to recoup the price difference? I don't know. I'm a contractor, not a realtor, and every market is different.

Hi all,
Saw this thread and was wondering if any of the professional contractors reading could post a rough cost estimate for decks they've built with these approximate dimensions. Wood or Composite your choice.
Also was wondering what the estimated cost for a straight, nothing fancy, stairway to a 6 foot high deck of this dimension would be.
Thanks, we're just starting to look at a deck project.
Gary

greynold99,

There are simply too many variables involved for anybody to give you even a "rough cost estimate" that would mean anything.

Where are you? Is frost an issue? Is snow load or wind load going to be an issue? Wood? What kind? Composite? What brands are available to you? What do you want to use for the railings?

The place to start is to determine a size and layout. That will tell you the square footage. Then go window shopping for the deck and railing to get a feel for what you want, the costs involved, and determine what brands of composites are available to you, what you like the appearance of, etc.

I live on the east coast and I will never use PTW again. There is nothing good about it except price. So if you want something nice with less maintenance, go with composit.