Choosing the Best Material For Your Perfect Backyard Patio Deck

You want to build a deck on the back of your house, but you can't decide what material you want to use? This is a common problem especially with all the different types of woods and composites you can choose from these days.

First thing you need to decide is how much time do you want spend maintaining your deck because it doesn't matter how well built a deck is it will still need maintenance from time to time. Depending on what type of material you use will also determine how often.

Let's take a look at the choices we have first then you can decide on what you want to do. Wood is an option that a lot of people choose. It has been the number one deck building material for decades and is still used widely today because it's readily available for a reasonable price.

Some of the benefits of wood is that it will last for many years if it's taken care of properly. You need to purchase treated lumber and maintain it regularly by cleaning it with cleaning compounds and protecting it from the harsh weather with a sealer.

Your next choice is composite wood it is made of wood flour and a polymer. The best types are made from furniture quality maple wood flour and encapsulated in strong 100 percent virgin high-density polyethylene.

Using composite boards over wood has some unique advantages. For one it will not rot, splinter or crack like regular wood does. The polymer totally encapsulates the wood leaving it water resistant and free from mold and mildew attack.

Composite boards made of recycled plastic and wood have an advantage over 100% plastic also by being more ridged because of the reinforcement provided by the wood fibers.

If you still think that wood is a nicer material because you like the look of the wood grain then you should realize that composite boards come in 4 different wood colors and are shaped the same as regular boards and they show a wood grain.

You can saw, fit, router, and work with composite boards the same way as you do with regular wood with one real big added bonus. You don't have near the maintenance that comes with a 100% wood deck. One thing you should know is that after installing your composite deck you will notice some fading as it gets acclimatized to its new environment.

How to Choose the Right Kind of Patio Deck Furniture

When trying to choose patio deck furniture, there are several things that you need to think about before you hand over your credit card. Choosing the right kind of furniture can totally change the ambiance and style of your patio or deck area. Since this is the place you will likely go to have family events and relax, you want to make sure that you have just the right kind of décor to suit your style.

One factor you want to think about when it comes to patio deck furniture is how it will be functional for your space. While you want to use as much of your space as possible , you also do not want overpowering pieces of furniture taking over a small space. At the same time, you don't want furniture that is tiny sitting out in a large open space because that will look uncomfortable.

Speaking of comfort, you want to make sure that the kind of furniture you choose is comfortable for you and your guests. After all, no one wants to sit on the patio or deck for hours on hard metal or wood furniture that isn't comfortable.

Remember not to buy outdoor patio furniture just because of the way it looks. While it is important that you enjoy the look and style of furniture you choose, it is also vital to have functional and comfortable furniture. You might also want to consider the different kinds of materials that you can get furniture made in such as wood and metal. Aluminum is a very popular choice because it is very strong and durable plus it is lightweight and easy to move around.

Plastic patio deck furniture is also a popular choice for those who do not have high budgets to deal with. Another reason is because plastic can be made to look like all kinds of other materials including wood. You can clean it easily and he can stand up to the occasional rough weather elements.

Before choosing your patio deck furniture, make sure that you do take weather into consideration that some materials do not stand up in certain kinds of weather.

How to Stain a Patio Deck

Deck staining tips

If you decide you want to do some deck staining there are a few things that has to be done in the process.

1st of all you have to clean the deck off, usually this is done with a pressure washer. Care has to be taken not to use too much high pressure because this kind actually ruin the texture of the wood. Pressure washing and deck uses same motions as sweeping the deck (going from left to right or vice versa be careful not to start the pressure directly over the wood but starting at an angle and then coming into the wood directly going along the board and then exiting again going away from the wood) you do not want to start or stop with full pressure on the board. High-pressure water cuts wood and you are not trying to cut wood just clean it.

2nd when your whole deck is power washed and dried the next step is to sand the deck to remove any slivers and imperfections. This will also give you the opportunity to drive any nails or screws that are protruding from the deck boards.

3rd make sure that your wood is dry enough to accept stain the best way to ensure that your deck is dry enough for staining is to drop a drop of water see how quickly it absorbs and if it absorbs quickly without beading then the deck is ready for staining. There are different types of stains, generally translucent and opaque. The translucent stain is more difficult to apply because it's not apply correctly can be very blotchy. Whereas the opaque stain when totally covered creates a painted surface effect hiding the wood completely. The translucent stain requires a certain procedure to create the desired effect which should be smooth and even coloration of the Wood. Applying translucent stain requires a wet leading edge so that the next section of stain will blend in with the 1st. usually we stain 1 board at a time completely from end to end being careful not to touch the other board with the stain. This is usually done with a special staining brush. This brush holds a lot of stain within its bristles and lays down a nice smooth accurate layer of stain.

Special Note, if you are staining and railing included with your deck is important that you protect the deck from any stain droplets that would occur in the process of staining the fence or railing, because any drops that occur on the unstained boards underneath the railing will be very difficult to remove or blend out. I usually put painters drop cloth under the railing while I'm staining the railing pickets. Then when I'm finished staining the railing I move onto staining the deck.