How to Select Materials For Composite Decks in Silver Spring MD
January 22, 2015
Today’s composite decks in Silver Spring, MD are less likely to fade, stain, or harbor mold and mildew. There is an ever-expanding variety of natural colors, some with variegated tones that mimic exotic hardwood grain patterns, and such an assortment of colors and textures that deck builders coined the term “deck fashion.”
How do you select materials for composite decks in Silver Spring MD? There are many factors that enter the equation, but typically your choices are based on:
- your budget
- your home and landscape architectural style
- decking surface preferences
- fastener system selected
- site variables, and
- local building code and HOA requirements
Premium quality composite deck products are two to three times more expensive than pressure-treated (PT) wood but lasts two to three times longer with much less maintenance. At this time, PT wood is used in the structural foundation of most decks due to it’s combined affordability, durability, and strength.
Silver Spring, MD
A competent decks contractor in Falls Church, VA will be licensed and insured, and know local building codes to advise your materials selection before they design composite decks in Falls Church, VA. Your deck builder will also be familiar with the latest advances in deck construction and design techniques. Many deck contractors will also have specialty certifications designating them to represent, use, or install certain composite deck products. Why is this important? For example, since each composite deck system has specific installation and fastening requirements, the warranty will be void if the manufacturer’s installation instructions are not followed. It’s the little things that separate out the good deck contractors from those who really make the project enjoyable.
For anyone interested in the molecular level, synthetic materials used in constructing composite decks in Silver Spring MD, and all construction materials for that matter, are required by many local building authorities to have a valid Evaluation Service Report (ESR). These reports are issued by ICC-ES, a subsidiary of the International Code Council, a nonprofit code-compliance testing agency. They perform building-product evaluation services – technical evaluations of building products, components, methods, and materials.
For a complete list of composite decking ESRs
For a complete list of composite decking ESRs visit the CSI at http://www.icc-es.org/reports/index.cfm and search “Division 06 – Wood, Plastics and Composites.†ICC-ES evaluation reports prove that products and systems are building code-compliant. They show the results of tests such as abrasion resistance, moisture absorption, tensile strength, fastener spacing, allowable spans and stresses, and more.
Before you select materials for composite decks in Silver Spring MD, gather product information, consider architectural elements, and review your technical and financial requirements with your deck contractor for a positive experience with composite decks in Silver Spring MD.