Using pressure-treated pine decking in the Dallas area makes a lot of sense. The more time you can spend outside rather than inside the better it is for your health. The weather in Dallas and the surrounding cities gives you a lot of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. You can have a cookout for the family, entertain your friends or roll out the big screen and cheer the Rangers, Mavericks or Cowboys to victory.
Whether you want a deck surrounding your outdoor pool, a standard patio deck or some other type of deck, you have a few decisions to make. The first thing you have to decide is what type of decking material you’re going to use. For a lot of people in and around Dallas, pressure-treated pine is the easy decision.
Here are a few reasons why.
Pressure-treated pine really is a budget-friendly decking material. Even people who don’t think they can afford a deck are usually pleasantly surprised at the friendly cost. You can build a quality pressure-treated pine deck for just 1/2 to 1/3 the price of some other decking materials.
Price alone is not the only reason to choose pressure-treated pine.
No two pieces of natural wood look exactly alike. That’s not to say that your deck materials won’t match. We just bring up this fact because a lot of people don’t like the plastic or unnatural appearance of composite products and other decking materials.
Pressure-treated pine looks like real wood because it is real wood. It also smells and feels like authentic wood made by mother nature. There’s just something about a natural wood deck that feels “right”, and this is why a lot of people choose pressure-treated pine over composite decking.
Pine is perfect for building a deck that matches the look of your home. Composite decking materials are only offered in a limited number of colors, but you can paint or stain your pressure-treated deck any color you like. And hey, if you decide on a different color or stain later, that’s possible with natural wood, but not composites.
Pressure-treated pine takes paint and stain very efficiently. This means you can always find just the perfect color and hue to match your home.
Have your deck builder use quality pressure-treated wood and you can get more than 10 or even 15 years out of your deck. All it requires is regular maintenance and you can fully expect to get a lot of wonderful memories out of a quality pressure-treated deck.
Cedar has a rich history of use in the decking industry. Cedar is a beautiful wood that’s long-lasting. It’s versatile in that it takes stains very well. You can alternately decide to put a clear seal on cedar and capture the natural beauty of this elegant wood.
For homeowners thinking about building an outdoor deck in the Dallas area, Cedar is a good fit. Humid, wet and hot are words often used to describe Dallas summers. You need to keep this in mind if you’re thinking about which decking material you are going to use. With those considerations in mind, cedar is perfectly suited for relaxing on your deck at the end of a long day.
Let’s take a look at cedar as your decking material of choice. We’ll compare it to composites and pressure-treated pine, two other popular choices.
Cedar is a very popular choice as a decking material and is also found inside many homes. Probably the #1 reason cedar shows up in a bunch of decks, pergolas and outdoor entertainment centers is because it is downright gorgeous.
It effectively puts you in touch with mother nature, because it smells, looks and feels like natural wood.
Don’t get us wrong here. Composites are a great choice if you want a deck that lasts a long time and requires minimal maintenance. However, if you want a natural look and a hardy deck, it is tough to beat the rich and beautiful red colors, tones and hues of real cedar wood.
You want durability for your Dallas deck. You can get 20 years from a cedar deck, and longer with proper maintenance. We talked about the wet and humid conditions you can experience during the summers here. Cedar just doesn’t care, because it is naturally resistant to moisture absorption, rot and decay. This means it tends to last longer and need less maintenance than pressure-treated pine and some other natural wood choices.
By the way, cedar is also naturally resistant to insect infestation. You won’t have termites, wasps and other burrowing bugs eating into your deck.
You can’t beat pressure treated pine if you’re looking for the cheapest possible decking material. However, the amount of time, money and elbow grease you are going to spend maintaining a pressure-treated deck over time are a lot greater than if you choose cedar instead.
The money up front for building a cedar deck is going to be greater than a pressure-treated deck. But the long-term money over time can be less, and your deck will last longer with minimal maintenance. Comparing the price of a cedar deck to popular composite materials means a much more attractive initial investment.