And, the more expertise needed to give you the finish you are looking for, the more you will pay. Unlike a deck which can be elevated evenly over almost any terrain, you need to have a well-prepared site for your concrete. However, the location of your prospective patio including accessibility for a concrete truck and the current condition or grade of the earth on which you wish to pour, can cause your costs to vary dramatically. The biggest costs in adding a patio are site prep and labor. And, there are many more concrete finish options these days like stamps to look like flagstone or cobblestone and dyes that give your patio some color. However, it will not rot and requires nothing but a little mildew remover and pressure washing to keep it looking new. Yes, over time concrete might crack and settle in places. Though traditional concrete finishes like broom or exposed aggregate may not "pop" like a freshly stained wood deck, there are the benefits of longevity and easy maintenance. Because of the higher cost while the structure remains susceptible to rot and pest infestation, we're not completely sold on the value of composite decking. So it will eventually rot.Īn elevated deck, one high enough to walk under, might be a better candidate for composite deck boards than one that lies low to the ground because it is accessible enough to replace parts of the support structure when necessary without having to tear up all of the decking to get to it. However, what many don't consider is that the structure underneath the deck surface is still the same - wood. Composite boards eliminate the need to continually stain and reseal your deck surface. This might add about $15 per square foot to your project costs. ![]() ![]() You could consider composite decking instead of treated wood or cedar. With the price of wood skyrocketing these days, a contractor might charge upwards of $56 per square foot to build a new deck complete with pressure treated wood, railings, bench, planter box and a few steps to the ground. And, an outdoor deck looking shabby or, worse yet, dangerous will hurt your bottom line in the sale of your home. That being said, because of our climate here in Western Washington, outdoor decks create a fair amount of maintenance burden. Here in the Pacific Northwest the addition of an outdoor deck has always provided one of the highest rates of return on your home improvement investment at about 70%. Which is better for resale? Which is easier on the pocketbook? Wood Decks
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