There is nothing like a beautiful dock on your Florida home; it not only boosts your property’s value but also lets you enjoy your waterfront to the fullest. While wood is often the first material that comes to mind for docks and decks, Florida homeowners may want to explore other options better suited to the local climate
When it comes to Florida’s intense sun, heavy rain, and relentless humidity, Trex decking holds up in ways wood simply can’t. Here’s why:
Related Blog: What to Expect When Building a Dock or Seawall
1. Avoid Ongoing Maintenance
Wood may start out looking great, but the life expectancy of a dock made out of wood is short.
The yearlong Florida sunshine, combined with the rain and humidity, brings the lifespan of a wooden deck to roughly 15 years. That means, if you intend to own your waterfront home for a long time, you’ll end up replacing the dock multiple times.
Regularly painting, staining, or seasonally sealing a deck can increase a dock's lifespan by roughly 50%, but all of this takes time and money every year. The average cost for staining a deck can run between $2 to $4 per square foot for labor and materials, with an average cost of $800 to over a thousand dollars depending upon the size of the deck.
With Trex decking, you can avoid the damages that come from Florida weather’s wear and tear and you won’t need to continually stain and seal the boards in order to keep them in working order.
2. Safety Concerns With Wooden Boards
So, what happens if you aren’t up to date on the maintenance we discussed in the previous section?
Decks that are left untreated or not properly maintained will show signs of wear and damage in many forms, such as:
Algae and Mold: A dock with forms of mold and algae will become slippery and dangerous to walk on and can rot the wood which may cause the entire thing to become unstable.
Splinters: Boards that rot or receive damage from the sun or weather can split which exposes sharp edges which can be dangerous to you and anyone who uses your dock.
Rot and Weak Spots: Water damage and constant sun exposure cause untreated boards to rot, warp, or crack. Soft, rotten boards can collapse underfoot, creating tripping or falling risks.
3. Appearance Issues Over Time
Florida may be known as the sunshine state, but that's bad news for your deck as those powerful UV rays will cause a chemical effect to occur in your wooden deck faster than other materials. Not even a good paint job will protect your deck from fading over time.
4. Insects
Wood is a naturally occurring substance in nature and will be attractive to a variety of insects who will seek to make it their home. Carpenter ants, acrobat ants, carpenter bees, lyctid powderpost beetles, wasps, and termites will all be drawn to your wooden deck. These bugs will not only be unpleasant for the people trying to enjoy your deck, but they will also consume the wood and burrow into it, creating a tunnel system to lay their eggs. If given enough time, these tunnels will become dangerous to the structural integrity of your deck.
Trex decking is resistant to termites and insects, eliminating any worry that insects will invade and destroy your dock.
5. Harmful to the Environment
Deforestation is a serious concern in the modern world. With going green being all the rage, cutting down a few trees to build yourself a deck may feel selfish, especially with so little return on your investment. Keep the trees in mother nature where you can enjoy them along with everyone else and build yourself a guilt-free deck made of a long-lasting material that can stand up to anything the Florida weather throws at it.
Trex decking is a long-lasting, attractive alternative to wood. It's guaranteed for 25 years and will look and feel great with basic cleanings or occasional power washing.
Contact Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift for more information about Trex decking or for a free consultation. You could soon be relaxing on your beautiful new Trex deck!
