Built a deck with composite boards after my old wood one rotted in two years

I used Trex Transcend for the new one and it cost about $4,500 in materials. The old pressure-treated pine needed constant sealing and still warped like crazy in our Michigan weather. This composite stuff just hoses off and looks the same as the day I put it down. Anyone else made the switch and found it was worth the upfront cost?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_kelly301mo ago

Man, that "warps like crazy in Michigan weather" line hit home lol. I tried to save money with wood a few years back and it turned into a full time job. I was out there with a sander and sealer every spring like some kind of deck-themed superhero, but for a losing cause. Switched to composite and it's been stupid easy. I probably spent more on deck cleaner for the old one than I should have, but now I just spray it off. Totally worth the higher starting price to get my weekends back.

the_felix20d ago

Read an article from a home inspector in Grand Rapids. He said over half his deck repair calls are for wood decks under ten years old. The constant freeze-thaw cycles here just destroy them from the inside out. Composite might cost more up front but it's basically just sitting there while wood is actively rotting. Makes the math pretty simple when you see the failure rates.

the_kai1mo ago

Yeah the "deck-themed superhero" line is too real. I used to be the guy saying composite was a waste of money, that real wood just needed the right care. Then I spent three straight weekends replacing rotted boards on my own deck. Watching that new composite just sit there through rain and snow without a single crack or splinter totally flipped my view. The free time alone makes the cost make sense now.