Adding a wood deck to your home is a smart choice. You are sure to enjoy the beautiful Southern California weather while entertaining friends and family at home, but it’s also a feature that recoups about 80 percent of your investment. When you build a wood deck, however, it’s important to take into consideration what kind of wood you’ll use. Deciding on the right deck wood choice in San Marcos, CA often comes down to the look you’re striving for, but keep in mind that hardwood decks almost always outperform those made of softwood.
Hardwood vs. softwood decks
Hardwoods come from slow-growing, broad-leaved trees. They’re typically tougher, longer-lasting and more weather-resistant, but they’re also more expensive. Softwoods grow faster and usually come from evergreens and conifers. Softwoods can be a good deck choice as well, but will require much more maintenance to preserve their strength and appearance.
Here’s an overview of some popular wood choices for decks:
- Redwood (softwood): Redwood is a beautiful deck choice, but it comes with two caveats—you’ll need to seal it regularly, and it’s not the most environmentally-friendly choice, since supplies of old redwood (the more stable choice) are running low. Builders love it because it resists warping.
- Cedar (softwood): Cedar naturally resists rot and insects, but may be too soft for decking. It also has a tendency to splinter, making it a better choice for railing.
- Pine (softwood): Pine can be pressure treated so that it’s sturdy and strong. This makes it an environmentally friendly choice (remember, softwoods usually gros faster than hardwoods), and when it’s treated, it becomes insect and rot resistant.
- Pressure-treated wood or lumber: This is softwood that’s treated to be sturdier, as well as insect and rot resistant. However, the cheaper options can be prone to warping.
- Mahogany (hardwood): Mahogany is extremely expensive, costing up to three times the amount of other wood choices. Some environmentalists are concerned that imported mahogany isn’t logged legally.
- Teak (hardwood): Teak is a beautiful alternative to mahogany, and is grown on plantations in Mexico and South America. It’s durable and makes for a beautiful, strong deck.
- Ipe (hardwood/tropical). Finally, ipe is not the most environmentally-friendly choice, but it’s a durable and cost-effective hardwood that’s naturally mildew and termite resistant. In fact, you might have seen it if you’ve ever walked the boardwalks at Coney Island or Atlantic City. However, it’s so hard that builders can have a difficult time working with it.
Explore your deck wood choices in San Marcos, CA
Selecting the right kind of wood is an important part of the building or remodeling process, which is why Bespoke Remodelling, Inc. is happy to guide you through the process of finding the ideal wood for your project. Our home construction and remodeling company focuses on luxury homes, offering you individualized service from design to completion. We work with both individual residential and commercial developer clients to create opulent homes that are completely customized for your needs. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you build your dream home.