Can You Replace Wooden Decking Boards with Composite?

You love your wooden deck, but sometimes the maintenance and repairs that come with it make it seem like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Tearing down and replacing the whole deck with a brand new composite deck might be a good idea, but it also seems like a costly solution to your wooden decking woes. Thankfully, you might have another option. Let’s find out if you can replace wooden decking boards with composite ones.

Why Replace Your Wooden Boards with Composite?

Though wood may be attractive, composite decking offers a long list of benefits to homeowners throughout Maryland. For starters, composite decks will, on average, last a lot longer than their wooden counterparts. Depending on the type of composite, you can also enjoy scratch-resistance, moisture-resistance, slip-resistance, and even UV-resistance. Composite boards won’t warp or bend over time like wood due to their protection from moisture, making them durable and attractive for years to come.

Can You Replace Your Wooden Boards?

To answer this question, you need to take a look at your deck’s substructure. As long as you had your deck built by a licensed professional, your current substructure should be able to accommodate new composite boards. However, there are a few things that you need to look for to make sure. Your posts should be at least 4x4s to ensure structural fortitude.

You should also take a look at your deck’s joists to ensure that they’re at a right angle and spaced at 16 inches from their centerlines. Because composite boards tend to be heavier than their wooden counterparts, you should also make sure that the existing fasteners are tight and that they haven’t degraded.

Should You Replace the Wooden Boards?

Now that we’ve identified that you can replace the boards, the question is whether or not you should. Unless you are a highly trained and experienced building professional with a license, it isn’t advisable to take on such a project on your own. After all, your family will be spending time on this deck and if it isn’t safe, you will definitely wish you had called a professional.

North American Deck and Patio is Here to Help!

Whether you’re looking to replace your old deck with a new one, or you’re looking to start from scratch, we’re here to help. We have decades of experience in the deck-building industry and we’re ready to make your dreams come true. Contact the experts at North American Deck and Patio today to learn more!

“Jim at North American patio and deck's came up with the most ingenious way of utilizing our small very slanted very water drained environment and turned it into a virtual oasis. Making this deck the envy of all our ambitions and gem for the community.”

– C. Cross