Composite vs wood decking for a Capital Region deck
Pressure-treated, cedar, composite and PVC compared for Saratoga County weather, with the upkeep, snow and framing questions that decide it.
For most Capital Region homeowners, composite vs wood comes down to two things: how much upkeep you'll actually do, and how long you plan to stay in the house. Pressure-treated wood costs less to put down, but it needs a cleaning and a coat of stain every few years to stay sound and look decent. Composite and PVC boards cost more up front, never need stain, and hold their color much longer. They still need washing, though, and they sit on the same wood frame as any other deck.
Four boards cover almost everything
Pressure-treated lumber is southern yellow pine treated against rot and insects. It's the most common deck board in Saratoga County, and it's the framing under every other board here.
Cedar resists rot on its own, weighs less, and looks handsome when it's kept up. It's softer than treated pine, so chair legs and dropped tools dent it.
Capped composite is a core of wood fiber and plastic wrapped in a harder plastic shell. The cap is the part that fights stains and fading. The uncapped composites sold in the early 2000s had real trouble with mold and fading, and the capped boards mostly fixed that.
PVC, sometimes called cellular vinyl, has no wood fiber in it at all. It's lighter than composite and shrugs off moisture, but it grows and shrinks more as the temperature swings.
What a Capital Region winter does to each one
The boards get wet in November, freeze, thaw on a sunny afternoon, freeze again that night, and keep doing it until April. Snow sits on the floor for weeks.
Wood soaks up water, and that freeze-thaw cycle is what opens checks and cracks along the grain, raises splinters and works fasteners loose. Stain or a water repellent slows it down, which is why keeping to a finish schedule is so important on a wood deck. Our post on how often to stain a deck in upstate New York has the timing and a quick water test.
Capped composite and PVC take on very little water at the surface, so freezing doesn't split them the way it splits wood. They do move with temperature. The installer gaps the ends and sides of each board to the manufacturer's chart for the temperature on install day. A board laid tight in July can show a visible gap at the butt joint by January, and if it was installed to the chart, that's normal.
Shovel either one with a plastic shovel, pushed along the length of the boards. A metal blade scratches the cap on composite and gouges soft wood. Ice melt is product by product. Composite makers publish which deicers they allow, so read the instructions for your exact board before you spread anything on it.
Upkeep, year after year
This is where the two really part ways.
| Pressure-treated or cedar | Capped composite or PVC | |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Once or twice a year | Once or twice a year |
| Stain or sealer | Every two to three years for most decks | Not needed |
| Board replacement | Boards split or cup over time | Rare when installed to spec |
| Color over time | Grays without finish | Some early lightening, then stable |
Wood suits people who like a weekend project and don't mind the routine of washing, waiting for it to dry, and recoating. Skip a couple of rounds and the boards go gray, splinter and start to cup. Let it go long enough and you're reading our list of signs your deck needs to be replaced.
Composite isn't maintenance-free, whatever the brochure says. Pollen, leaves and tree shade leave a film that grows mildew on any surface. Plan on a spring wash with a soft brush and a cleaner the manufacturer approves.
Heat and looks
Composite and PVC get hotter than wood in full sun, and dark colors get hotter than light ones. On a south-facing deck in July, bare feet notice. Lighter shades and the product lines built to run cooler help a lot.
Wood looks and feels like wood. Composite grain and color have come a long way, and capped boards come in plenty of shades now. On a period home, painted wood rails over composite decking is a sensible compromise. Two decks on our site show both routes: one has composite decking and stairs with a black aluminum rail over a stamped concrete patio, and the other is wood with sage-painted rails and black balusters.
The frame decides how long it lasts
The structure under any deck board is almost always pressure-treated lumber, and it sets the deck's lifespan.
Joist spacing comes first. Composite and PVC makers set a maximum spacing, and it's often tighter when boards run on a diagonal. Wood decking has span limits too. Lay new composite on an old frame spaced for thicker wood boards and the floor will feel bouncy underfoot.
If you're resurfacing, the ledger where the deck bolts to the house and the footings in the ground need a hard look first. Our post on deck ledger board inspection shows what to check.
New boards don't change the code. Guards are required where the walking surface is more than 30 inches above grade, at least 36 inches high on a residential deck, with openings a 4-inch sphere can't pass through. Stairs with four or more risers need a handrail.
Swapping wood boards for composite is a simple job only when the frame is sound and was built to carry them. Otherwise you're adding joists, or rebuilding.
Picking one
Start with how long you'll be in the house. Five years or less, and wood's lower first cost often wins. Stay longer and the stain cycles add up in weekends and materials.
Then look at the sun. Full sun favors a lighter composite. Heavy shade under trees means more cleaning for any board and slow drying for wood.
Be honest about the upkeep. If you know the restaining won't happen on schedule, buy composite.
And look at the house. A historic place in a village center and a newer house in a Malta or Clifton Park subdivision can point different ways. Timing plays in too, since materials and schedules shift through the year; see the best time to build a deck in the Capital Region.
Frequently asked questions
Does composite decking hold up to snow and ice in upstate New York?
Capped composite handles freeze-thaw well because it takes on very little water, so it doesn't split and check like wood. Clear it with a plastic shovel along the length of the boards, and only use ice melt the manufacturer lists as safe for that product.
Can you put composite boards on an existing wood deck frame?
Sometimes. The footings and ledger have to be sound, there can't be rot, and the joist spacing has to meet the composite maker's requirements. Plenty of older frames were spaced for thicker wood boards and need extra joists, or a rebuild, first.
Does composite get too hot to walk on?
It runs warmer than wood in direct summer sun, and dark colors run warmest. A lighter color, a cooler-running product line and a bit of shade make a real difference on decks facing south or west.
Pressure-treated wood isn't a bad choice, by the way. It lasts well when it's cleaned and stained on schedule; it just asks more of you than composite does. We build decks in both, starting at the footings and finishing with the stairs, guards and rails, and you can see some of them on our decks, stairs and railings page.
