"Is it too late for my summer deck project?"

“Wait, it’s almost July already? Where did the summer go?”

Chances are, you’ve had this thought in the last week or so. We’re almost to July as the summer, once again, continues to fly by. As with most things on your summer “To-Do” list, many of your home improvement projects are suddenly at-risk of being put off for yet another year.

One of the big home improvement jobs for many people is that outdoor living space. Building that new deck that you can hang out on as your friend come over to grill out and enjoy the summer night. It’s a dream that all-to-often stays a dream and continues to skirt around reality.

But we’re here to tell you: There’s still time! Whether you need to lock down someone to do it for you or you’re going to try to get your neighbor Steve to help you do it yourself, getting that deck before the snow flies is still doable.

If you’re like most people when it comes to a home improvement project, you want to do your research. And decking is no exception to all of those other projects: there are a lot of choices to make. What type of deck boards do I want? Composite? Treated? Cedar? What kind of railings do I want? What color? It never ends.

Fortunately for you, we at Nelson-Young can help you with some of those decisions. We won’t make them for you, but we can help lay out some of the differences for you in some of the different decking options. So here we go….

Let’s start with Azek. Azek is based out of Skokie, IL just north of Chicago, blocks from Northwestern’s campus. And they have turned into one of the most popular decking manufacturers in the country. Here are some benefits of choosing Azek:

• The deck boards stand up against tough Midwestern weathers

• They resist mold, mildew, moisture, stains, scratches, and color fading

• Because of their durability, the deck boards are low maintenance and won’t require frequent staining

• Boards are made with 100% polymer

• Azek offers 30-year limited fade and stain and a limited lifetime warranty

• Azek offers a wide variety of styles and colors available to choose from with an authentic wood look

But with benefits come drawbacks:

• More expensive than traditional wood

Next up, Deckorators. This is a relatively new product on the market and obviously new to us here at NYL. Here are some pros of going with Deckorators composite deck boards:

• Like all composite boards, these boards will stand up against weather, mold, mildew, stains, scratches and fading

• 25-year Structural, 25-year Stain & Fade and 25-year Limited Removal & Replacement

• Deckorators offers a wide variety of colors and options including more faded, acid-stained looks

• Deckorators also offers an easy-install waterproofing system that will keep the area underneath your deck dry

Again, there are some drawbacks to Deckorators composite boards:

• We don’t have a lot of experience or feedback with Deckorators as far as long-term durability goes

• More expensive than traditional wood although initially cheaper than Trex or Azek

Trex composite deck boards have been around a while. They’re headquartered in Winchester, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C. Here are some benefits of choosing Trex:

• Weather-resistant, mold, mildew, stain, scratch, and fade resistant

• 25-Year Limited Residential Warranty

• 25-Year Limited Residential Fade & Stain Warranty

• Dozens of color options and styles available

And of course, there are some drawbacks:

• More expensive than wood

• Although Trex deck boards are durable, oak flour is used in the material, not 100% polymer
  

By now, you probably already know some of the benefits and drawbacks to using traditional wood. Obviously wood is cheaper than these composite boards and has the most natural look. But wood also will require a lot of maintenance and staining which can drive the price up quickly over time. At Nelson-Young Lumber, we carry treated deck boards and cedar deck boards. Treated deck boards will withstand Midwestern weather, but will still require staining and other maintenance every few years. Cedar deck boards offer the classic wood look but require a lot of maintenance and can be costly in and of itself.

Hopefully this bit of information on what we have for decking was helpful. We just scratched the surface on what these different types of decking have to offer. If you want to reach out to us to learn more about the different options, styles, and colors available, please visit our website at https://www.nylumber.com/decking or call us one of our three yards.

The photos used in this post are exclusive property of Trex, Azek, and Deckorators and aren't to be used or distributed through other mediums.