Composite deck installation in Sparks, NV

Low maintenance, not maintenance-free. It does not need sanding, staining or sealing, which is the work most people are trying to escape. It does need washing — pollen, dust, barbecue grease and the fine grit that blows across the Meadows all sit on the surface, and capped boards can develop mould in permanently damp shaded corners if never cleaned.

Soap, water and a brush a couple of times a year is the realistic commitment.

Dark boards in full afternoon sun do get hot enough to be uncomfortable barefoot. It is the single most common complaint, and it is entirely predictable at the design stage.

Three things change it: choosing a lighter colour, building shade into the design, and being realistic about which part of the deck people actually stand on in August. If the deck is west-facing and you have children running on it barefoot, we will steer you towards a light board or towards wood.

Only if the frame is sound and the joist spacing matches what the board requires. Many older decks here were framed at 16-inch centres, and a number of composite products want closer than that — closer still for a diagonal pattern. Laying a board over spacing it was not designed for produces flex between joists and, eventually, a wavy surface.

We measure the actual spacing and check it against the specific board rather than assuming.

Modern capped boards fade far less than the uncapped generation did, but nothing holds its exact colour permanently under high-altitude UV. Expect some softening of tone over years rather than the dramatic greying that untreated timber does in a season or two.

Worth knowing if you may extend the deck later: new boards from the same line will not match weathered ones exactly.

Different rather than better. PVC boards contain no wood flour, so they are lighter, run slightly cooler than an equivalent-colour composite and are the most resistant to moisture and staining. Capped composite generally looks and sounds more like timber underfoot and costs less.

For a deck near a pool, or a permanently shaded and damp corner, PVC has a real advantage. Elsewhere it is largely preference and budget.

Yes, and it is a good-looking combination that people often arrive at for cost reasons. The one thing to be aware of is that the timber railing keeps a maintenance cycle you were trying to leave behind — and it will be the most visible part of the deck when it starts to grey.

Composite or metal infill with timber posts is a common middle ground. Our railing page covers the options.