So I have a wooden back deck that is slowly rotting out from under me. Its fairly big at 400 sq ft. The 1st contractor out said he doesn't do wood as there is no guarantee on wood and that he only did Trex like decks. I said sure go ahead and quote it but quote a mid range alternative to Trex. He did and the quote came back at 24K. I am not totally against going this way but wanted to ask the Pit what some of your experiences are with replacing decks. I figure to be in the house another 20-25 years barring unexpected consequences. Will a wooden deck if taken care of last this long? If I had to sell is either going to get me my money back?
Some thoughts for you.
Trex and all the composites get much hotter than wood in the sun. I mean uncomfortable to walk on in bare feet hot. OTOH, no splinter risk from composite.
Trex is about 3x the cost of premium PT pine.
Manufacturers of composite decking recommend their own fancy, expensive fasteners, instead of nails or screws.
For longer life, use screws, not nails. Wood tends to shrink as it ages and dries, loosening the nails. rarely does it shrink enough to loosen screws. If screws do get loose, a quick turn with a screwdriver will tighten things up again.
And pay the premium for stainless steel screws. You can thank me in five years for not having rust spots on the deck.
Wood can last a long time. BUT you have to do continual maintenance on it. That means cleaning and restaining/resealing the wood every few years. How long between depends upon the sun exposure your deck gets.
Pressure washing, particularly with higher pressure (3000 Psi) systems can destroy decks. Water at that pressure can actually remove wood fibers from your boards, just like sanding would. Better to use the cheaper, lower pressure washers, use a wide angle nozzle and keep the nozzle up high.
How old is the support structure for the deck? What kind of shape is it in? The condition of the underneath support stuff may be a big factor in getting another 20+ years of life out of the deck.
Pay particular attention to the posts holding up the deck where they meet the ground. Are they directly in the ground, encased in concrete in the ground or on plinths on concrete footers? Posts tend to rot near the air/ground interface because molds and fungi get what they need - oxygen from the air and water from the ground. If your posts are in concrete in the ground, don't let dirt, weeds etc. collect on top of the concrete. keep that area clear.