When planning an outdoor living space there are a lot of options to consider.  One of the first choices that needs to be made is choosing between a patio vs. a deck.  If you go with the patio option you’re then presented with a diverse range of additional choices:  flagstone vs. paver stones; wet-set vs. dryset, linear vs. random shapes, to name a few.

But if you go with the deck option, the biggest choice you’ll be presented with is going with a natural wood vs. composite material.  And that is where I want to focus for this week’s post.

Personally, I tend to lean towards the natural wood for a variety of reasons.  But it would be unfair to force the wood option down my clients’ throats without first at least exploring the pro’s and con’s of each.  And there are some advantages to each.  Here's a break-down comparison:

Cost.  As far as upfront construction costs go, this one is a runaway in favor of wood.  Of course the final cost depends on the type of woods or composites being considered and any unique challenges that the site may hold.  But generally speaking composite materials tend to run about twice as much as pressure-treated wood, 50 percent more than red cedar or redwood, and more comparable compared to tropical woods like teak or ipe.  
 
Additionally, because of the flexible nature of the composite materials, tighter joist spans are required for the framing, which means more materials and labor just to get the framing built.  Thus, the final construction costs always end up costing more for composites, usually somewhere between 1.5 to 2 times as much

Appearance.  Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, so who am I to judge what looks better to you.  But in my opinion, a deck, or any outdoor living space for that matter, should reflect the natural surroundings.  And real wood is the real deal.  Ask yourself, if composite decking fits the natural surroundings better, than why do they imprint it with a faux wood grain.  And that faux wood grain never looks as good as the real deal.

But composites do offer a wide range of color options and textures, and you certainly won't have to keep up with painting.  And composites can offer a cleaner looking install, especially when they're new.

Maintenance.  This is the big point that composite salesmen like to harp on.  But truth be told, it’s not quite as straight-forward as they want you to believe. Yes, wood decks should be re-sealed or stained at least every few years to prolong their life.  And yes, wood is more susceptible to rotting or splitting. And no, composite decks do not need to be stained or sealed.  
 
But they will fade in terms of color, so in a few years those rich tones from the original install will look aged and dull.  Composites are also quite prone to mossy or algae build-up, which can add a greenish hue to the materials.  And that build-up can also be quite slippery and hazardous to walk on.  Composite decks should be power-washed at least once a year to help prevent this build-up.  And many of the composite materials are quite absorbent, meaning if you accidentally drop that plate of barbecue ribs, you’ll probably be reminded of it every time you look at that greasy stain that just won’t come out. We’ll call this one a push.

Design Flexibility. Again, somewhat of a push.  Both wood and composites can be cut or manipulated to achieve curved edges or other unique designs.  In my opinion however, where composites offer limited “customization” is when it comes to the railings.  Today’s composite manufacturers tend to sell their railings as “rail kits” that work fine if you want a standard style railing.  But if you’re looking for something unique or funky, your options are more limited.  A few years back many of the composite manufacturers also sold dimensional pieces of composite materials allowing you to custom build unique features. But for whatever reason, many of the manufacturers have moved away from that approach.

Durability. Composites last longer than wood, there’s no doubt.  But that doesn’t mean your deck will last longer.  The framing is still made of wood, so if its starts to go it really won’t matter what the decking is doing.  And just because the composites last longer, doesn’t mean they’ll look good doing so. The color may fade, the edges may warp, scuff marks or scratches can’t be sanded out.  So maybe a shorter lifespan could allow you to keep a fresher look moving forward.

 Environmental stewardship. A little history lesson is in order to discuss this one.  When composites were first introduced some twenty-plus years ago, they were, just as the name indicates, a composite of recycled wood pulp combined with plastics to help bind the materials together.  The plastic certainly wasn’t beneficial to the environment, however the use of recycled wood was a plus.  For a variety of reasons however, the composite formulas have been tweaked slightly over the years, and as a result most of today’s “composite” materials aren’t really composites at all, but rather 100 percent PVC.  PVC is not bio-degradable, not easily recycled, and can be harmful to our waterways and wildlife.  And even the few true composite materials that are still available are so heavily lopsided in favor of the PVC, that means that old deck will be one day be sitting in a landfill – for a long, long, long, long, long time.

Conversely, many of the tropical woods in particular – ipe for example – have not been able to achieve sustainable harvesting and regrowth.  So even though it’s a natural material, it still adds to rain forest de-forestization, and may not be eligible for environmental credits.

There are a few other items that need to be taken into consideration before making a choice.  As mentioned earlier, many of the composite manufacturers are constantly tweaking their recipes in search for better performance. And progress is certainly good, no doubt.  But many of these new formulas haven’t had the advantage of being field-tested over time to see how they’ll hold up.  
 
Additionally, as the manufacturers constantly upgrade their offerings, that means that many of the products that were offered just five or ten years ago are no longer available. And that means if you’re ever looking for individual replacement pieces or boards, you may run into difficulty.

 All of this, no doubt, is a lot to consider.  If you’re thinking about a new deck, you’ll need to prioritize what’s important to you, including cost, appearance, durability, longevity and performance to name a few. There are a huge variety of composite manufacturers out there, each with slightly different formulas and product offerings.  And likewise, there’s a wide range of lumber types to choose from, each also with a variety of pro’s and con’s.  But hopefully this list will at least provide a starting point to compare lumber vs. composites.

The arrival of April means our spring schedule has hit full stride, as we've already knocked out a number of projects, both large and small.

A few weeks ago I highlighted our first big project of the season with some pictures from a dryset flagstone walkway and stone stepper project.  I now want to share a composite deck project we just completed.

This project was actually a deck renovation.  We were able to maintain most of the original framing and structure while replacing the old 2x4 decking that had definitely seen better days.  Fortunately we were able to determine before we started that the original framing and joist structure was still in fine condition. 

We began by carefully removing the original decking, making sure we didn't damage the joists or any of the framing.  Old nails were carefully pulled, the old steps were removed in their entirety, and the railings were gently removed with prybars, making sure no additional damage to the structure was incurred.

Once the decking was removed in its entirety, we re-inspected the framing to make sure that there was no damage to the joists or anything we missed  during our initial inspection.  Everything checked out AOK, and we were good to go with the new decking.

We did have to make some amendments to the framing, due to the fact that the composite decking we were installing requires a tighter joist spacing than what was originally present.  The original joists were set at about 24" on center, a bit wider than I typically would set my joists for any material, but far too wide to accommodate composite materials.  The wide spacing did allow us the opportunity to install additional joists at the midpoint of every section to reduce the spacing to less than 12", more than close enough to accommodate the composite decking.

Once the framing amendments were complete, we began installing the decking.  For this project the client chose the Trex Accents line in Winchester Grey.  We used the Cortex Hidden Fastener system to adhere the decking to the framing structure, allowing for a smooth continuous deck surface with no visible fastener heads.

Once the decking was installed, it was on to the railings.  For this project we used TimberTech Radiance Rails with round balusters.

We also amended the deck's stairs, eliminating the two narrow sets of steps that originally connected the deck to the lower yard, and replaced them with a single continuous set of steps that wraps around the entire back edge of the deck. 

And since we never like to stray too far from our hardscaping roots, we also added on to the dryset brick patio, extending a brick landing along the full back edge of the newly built steps.

Resurfacing a deck can be a cost effective way to upgrade your deck without the complete cost of building a deck from scratch.  But not every deck is a worthy candidate for resurfacing.  In this case we were able to determine in advance that the existing framing was in viable condition, and that we would be able to amend the joist spacing as described above.

Depending on the condition of your deck, it may or may not be cost effective to resurface the deck or tear it down and start over.  But in this case, it was certainly an effective solution.

If you're thinking about an upgrade to your existing deck, let us know and we'll be happy to offer a free analysis.

One of the benefits of my job is that I get to meet a wide range of really interesting people.  Whether its clients or prospects, suppliers and vendors, designers, delivery personnel, or even other contractors and their crews.

And whether its on the job or unwinding over the weekend, when people hear what I do for a living I can almost see them salivating.  “Your yard must be gorgeous!!”

“Ahh, well, ummm, you see …”  I’m sure they just think I’m being humble.

But no.  Really, it’s a mess.  The shoemaker’s son has no shoes.  Or in this case, the hardscaper’s sons have no hardscaping.  At least not that is fully completed.

And its not that I wouldn’t WANT some of the features that we install.  To the contrary, I would absolutely LOVE some of the features that we install.

It’s really more of a time thing.  Anybody who works in the outdoor trades will tell you that we have a somewhat limited season.  Once you cross out the Holiday break and the winter break, we’re left with about nine, maybe even ten if we’re lucky, months to earn our keep.

And with a decent patio project taking roughly 2 to 3 weeks to complete, that’s about seven percent of our season. 
OK, so it’s not a huge portion, but its sizeable enough to put a decent dent in our income.

People hire us because they know we know what we’re doing and we do a good job. But they also hire us because they have their own lives and are just too busy to do it themselves.  Well guess what.  We’re a little busy too.  And if you think I’m going to pay somebody else to install my yard??? … Yeah, right.

As a result my yard is a hodge-podge of assorted projects in various states of completion.

The front yard has gotten better.  (That whole curb appeal thing – gotta keep the neighbors happy).  The original brick walkway was a mess and a constant source of irritation everytime I stepped foot on it.  It had to go.  But for reasons I won’t get into here in full detail, there was a small garden wall that needed to be built first.  And a front patio that needed to get installed in conjunction with the path. (If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, then a lot of knowledge and skill is downright AK-47 lethal).  As a result, a simple project turned into a bigger one.

Even with the increased project scope in the front yard, had we been doing this for a client we probably would have knocked it all out in about 2 weeks. At my house, start to finish? About 4 years.

And the backyard?  Well this is where it gets really funny.  First of all the back end of my driveway has become a staging area for materials.  I have two pallets that were placed there “temporarily” in about ’07.  Strictly flagstone.  I’ll pull off a few pieces here and there and just when one’s just about clear – boom!  A bunch of leftover pieces from a project get dumped back on to it.  I have a similar situation with paver stones in my garage.

But the pavers, ahh yes, the pavers.  This is my grandiose plan.

Because pavers come in a wide range of colors and styles and sizes, it’s nearly impossible to ever have enough leftovers of just one type for a client project. So I rarely draw from these piles like I do with the flagstones.

So I thought it would be kind of cool to put this potpourri of pavers to use. I’m never opposed to a little funk in my life – keeps things interesting.

So as a result in my backyard I currently have a patio that’s about a third of the way completed.  I’ve been doing it in small segments, so the section connecting the back door with the gate is done in its entirety, but the section furthest from the door is just an excavated hole in the ground.  Mud and all. My wife loves me for that one. But my five-year-old REALLY loves for me that one.  I mean what five-year-old wouldn’t want their own mudpit?

I was going to post a picture of my patio in its current state of un-finished-ocity.  But I thought better of it when I decided that potential clients didn’t really need to see my mess of a yard.  Not exactly sales material.

But once I’m done, probably in about ’14 or ’15 at its current pace, I’ll be sure to post the pics.  It will be nice.  But not yet. And with the spring slam in full effect right now, I can say quite confidently that nothing will be happening in my yard until at least summer, if then.

So anyway, that’s my personal landscaping status.  Not quite the award-winning specimen you had in mind, eh?

But as my wife says, it’s a good thing the projects aren’t completed because it means I’m busy.  Busy doing projects the proper way of course.  It's the clients who get the REALLY nice yards.

There's no doubt that adding a water feature to your landscape automatically triggers a bit of a "wow" factor from your friends and neighbors.

Additionally it can add a nice tranquill place to relax, and add a peaceful sound to help drown out any nearby ambient noise.

Oftentimes when I'm meeting with clients to discuss their landscaping plans, I'll mention the possibility of incorporating a water feature into the final design.  And as I say this I can see the look of skepticism in their eyes as they picture me with visions of dollar signs surrounding my head.

But the addition of a water feature to your landscape doesn't have to mean budget-busting expenses.  True, an in-ground koi pond with a stream cascading down a hillside can be a big ticket item.  (And one that we've love to install, quite frankly!)  But there are also plenty of ways to incorporate a water feature into your landscape at a very affordable level.

And even if your little slice of paradise is just a small urban courtyard, a fountain can add that "wow" factor and still leave room for a table, chairs and grill.

Landscape fountains can go as small as 18" in diameter, and some "wall" fountains don't even have to take up that much space.  And there's really no additional filter equipment or accessories needed.  And since they require very little water to achieve the desired effect, you don't even need a nearby water spigot, as long as you have a bucket that can be filled and access to any faucet.  All you really need is a nearby GFI outlet to plug in the pump, and you're good to go.

The pictures above are just a few examples of the many fountain styles out there, with hundreds of styles to choose from ranging from classic Versailles styles to rustic natural to contemporary.  And to give you an idea of cost, fountains such as the ones pictured above start at around $300 plus installation.  Certainly not budget-busting numbers.

And contrary to popular belief, fountains and water features don't have to be high maintenance intensive.  Once they're up and running, simply fill with water, and plug in.  Depending on the sun exposure and strength of the fountain, you may lose a bit of water over time due to evaporation and splash-out.  But that's a problem easily remedied with a simple fill-up.

And yes, for the larger ponds and water features, there are a number of additional filtration systems or purifiers that can be added to help maintain a healthy aquascape.  But for a simple fountain like the ones pictured, there's really not much to it.

If you think you might be interested in incorporating a water feature into your upcoming project, let us know.  We'll be happy to show you what's out there.