A natural wood deck looks great. But if you live in an area that gets lots of rain and you do not have time to maintain it, you should consider an alternative material. One of the most talked about alternatives is is a composite decking material.
Composite decking is becoming very popular and there are a lot of different products available. Before you purchase something, I recommend you talk to your builder and visit a few building centers to see what is available.
Your builder will have his favorite material and he will be able to give you lots of information on that product. He should also be able to give you references for projects he has worked on.
Your local building centers should also carry composite material and they might even have a demonstration area where you can see the different products installed. This can be very helpful as you decide what material you want to install. They can also provide good information on the products they carry.
Removing The Old Wood Deck Boards
Once you’ve decided on the building material you will need to remove your old deck and get started on your new deck. If the wood decking is screwed in and in good shape you should be able to remove the screws and then pull up the boards.
If the boards are nailed in and hard to remove you will want to purchase or rent a deckboard removal tool. This tool can really reduce the time it takes to remove your old deck and make a tough job fun. The video at the bottom of this article shows the deckboard removal tool in action.
Installing The New Decking Composite Material
As you remove your old boards you will be able to determine the integrity of the wood joist and beams. If the wood is looking rotten or unsafe you will want to replace them before you put down your new deck. But hopefully it is fine and you can start putting down your new boards.
One nice thing about the composite boards is that they are the same width as standard wood decking and you can easily replace the composite boards. You can screw the boards into the decking but a better option is to use under deck fasting system. I like this kind of system because it is easy to install and there are no screws to pop up or be seen
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