'Drip through decking' is where water drips through the planks to the ground wether it is wood or composite. On its way the water will saturate the deck framing joists, beams, posts and support blocking. Where there is 'standing water' or areas of darkness under your decking where 'airflow' may not easily evaporate the moisture which will increase the speed of wood rotting, especially around 'picture frame' support blocking, multiple joists laminated together (sistered) and areas that have been closed off without adequate 'through flow ventilation' like on some multilevel deck designs.

The joists will usually rot on the ends and on the top center surface first where water gets trapped between the deck planks and the joist so a visual inspection and probe inspection doesn't usually tell much. Minimaly sloped or level decks and decks that have been painted on the underside are more prone to this symptom. It is imperative that the tops of the joists are solid and undecayed when installing the composite decking hidden fastener screws which are of a small diameter and lenght, otherwise decking boards will come loose and cause sqeaking and weaken the lateral integrity of the structure.

Most conventional deck joists, beams and posts are made from Pressure Treated Lumber (PT) which consists of a mixture of Spruce, Pine and Fir conifer tree's (SPF) which are then treated with preservative by pushing it into the wood with high pressures. This coats the boards entire outer layer by about an 1/8" It just so happens that all trees use capillary action to transfer ground water all the way from their roots to their leaves kind of like a sponge. As soon as you cut into the wood you are exposing areas of the boards that have Not been protected.

It also so happens that Spruce, Hemlock and Pine out of all the construction lumber readily available to us will rot the fastest except for cedar which is not used for deck framing. The bottom line is All PT wood will eventually rot, some much sooner that others depending on what and how many preventative methods and building strategies have been applied. At a minumum wood cut sealer/perservative should be used on all cut wood that can not be stained or treated after the deck is assembled.

Then you could have us install some beautifull wood soffiting and lighting underneath to create a dry outdoor living space below for any existing suites or basement living needs. Note: This process involves raising the existing deck height by 2-3" and may conflict with any exsiting door heights. Also any existing staircases and railings would need to be replaced. Staircases are usually the first thing to fail on a deck and would Need to be changed anyways if you wanted them in a composite material.

Stairs can be the weakest link on a sundeck of any kind. More often than not they aren't built properly and stairs with closed risers tend to trap a lot of moisture causing accelerated rot where cross cuts have been made into the SPF wood stair stringers to make the steps. At a minimum it is essential these locations have preservative or end sealer applied so they don't soak up water and cause early deterioration which can be compounded with closed stair riser staircases that reduce the airflow and its drying effects.

The preservative end sealer is arguably a carcinogen and it is very runny and unpleasant to apply and that is one reason the process is often skipped by a lot of carpenters. It is also important to apply the preservative thoroughly but without spilling any of it on the ground where pets or children are in close proximity. Once covered these treated areas won't have physical access.

A staircase made of composite decking might be more expensive than you think as the building practices are very different than wood and you will need to cover 35% more surface area if you want closed stair treads. The horizontal tread material and installation as well as the vertical riser material and installation will be required. But they sure look great and have a long service life when they are built properly. All that's left is your personal touch of lighting fixture selection which is always very practical to have not just for appearance but for safety and security purposes too.

Sundeck Railings built from composite materials look fantastic and require a fair amount of time to put an accurate price together because of the various components that are involved in fabricating and assembling each style of PVC capped composite deck railing systems or PVC deck railing systems. The key with any sundeck railing system besides the final fit and finish is to make sure the supporting posts that hold the railing system together are well secured to the deck structure and that all municipal and provincial buiding code regulations have been adhered to for your safety.

It does take some time to hand build these composite railing system and like the decking, the cost per LF for materials is on the higher side when compared to other deck railing alternatives. However it won't be long before the railings actually pay for themselves if you factor in maintenance costs. They are easier to keep clean and look good all year long. If budget allows there really is nothing comparable in appearance that you may find looks better to compliment your new deck. For the brands we recommend, PVC capped composite and PVC sundeck railings range in price from $120-$175 per ft installed and are best suited for new deck builds or resurfacing installation projects.

Professional building supply centers such as Dicks Lumber, Standard building supplies or Home Depot will have full size manufacturer sample boards on display at their locations. Why you are there you could select a couple of take home samples that catch your eye to get the ball rolling and at the same time you could ask one of the employees what the cost per foot is if they aren't to busy with contractors when you are there. Alternatively or additionally we have every product sample available to us and a system of quoting that allows convenient and transparent product changes after you have decided to hire us.

Since we are a specialized composite decking installation contractor that is recognized & recommended by major composite decking manufacturer's you will be pleased to know that we purchase tens of thousands of board feet of composite decking a year and know how to find the best prices for our clients. We understand that everyone's budget and needs are different and before we start your project you can be rest assured our consultation process will find you the right product and the right color choices that will provide you with the remarkable results that you were looking for.

You certainly can If you are a home owner. With Trex, Azek or TimberTech composite or PVC decking you won't find anybody to do a better installation job. Of course the decking will only look as good as the deck framing itself especially when it comes to inlays, picture framing and stair building and we guarantee the quality work that we do.