Decking Materials: Get the Best Bang for Your Decking Dollar

Select the Right Decking: Getting the Best Bang for Your Decking Budget

If deck pricing is important to you, you should review your options and make sure you are getting the best bang for buck in your decking budget.  Many people who try to skimp on the cost of their decking material are unhappy soon after their deck is complete. After your deck is built, your decking material will be the most visible portion of your deck. Nobody sees your deck framing and fasteners, just your decking itself.  You can’t skimp on your deck framing – this may cause safety issues.  So, in order to meet their overall deck budget, many people try to save money by selecting low priced decking material.

Here are some options to stretch for your decking dollar:

1. Consider how long you want your deck to last.

If a long lasting deck is your goal, many of the high density hardwood decking materials are the longest lasting decking products available. In the long run, they are the lowest cost decking materials on a per year basis. High density decking materials such as; Ipe decking, Cumaru decking, Garapa decking and Machiche decking may have slightly higher up-front costs, but are actually the lowest cost long term decking solution.

2. If your decking budget simply isn’t high enough for the decking material you really want to use:

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  Can you scale back the size of your deck at all without sacrificing your goal for your deck?

• Could you put off building the deck until you can budget the decking material you really want?

• Are there other financing options available to you that would allow you to use the decking material you really want?

3. Are there less costly decking material sizes that you could consider without sacrificing the quality and look of your deck?  

For example, if your heart was set on an Ipe deck, could you substitute 1x6 Ipe decking instead of 5/4x6 Ipe decking?  The cost of the decking would be less, but the quality of the decking material and your deck project is not affected.  As another example, if you wanted a Cumaru deck, would you consider using 1x4 Cumaru decking instead of 5/4x6 Cumaru decking? The savings on the decking material is there, but again, the overall look and quality of your deck does not suffer.

4. Are there alternative decking materials that you might consider to fit your budget?  For example, would you consider Cumaru decking or Garapa hardwood decking if ipe decking was not in your budget?  You would still have the benefits of a long lasting, high density hardwood deck, but at a lower up-front cost for your deck project.

Whatever your final decision is for your decking material, keep in mind that the decking material you choose is typically only about 25% of the cost of your entire deck project.  If you choose the right decking material, you will have a beautiful long lasting deck that will meet your needs for years to come.

For a terrific guidebook about choosing the right decking material, please download, “The Ultimate Guide to Selecting the Right Decking Material”. This fact-filled FREE Decking Guide is available at no charge to you. Please download your FREE Decking Guide today by clicking the button below.

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