The short answer first
Pressure treated wood costs less at the start. Composite costs less work over time.
That is the core trade. Most other points flow from it. If you love the feel of real wood and do not mind coating it, wood is a sound choice. If you want to wash a deck and be done, composite earns its higher price.
Neither board saves a bad frame. Both sit on framing that must be sized, spaced and flashed right. Choose the surface after you know the frame plan.
Our composite decking service page covers board types in more detail. This post compares the two surfaces head to head.
What each board is
Pressure treated wood starts as a softwood board, most often pine. It is treated under pressure so chemicals soak into the fibre. The treatment slows rot and insect damage. The board is still wood. It absorbs water, moves with seasons and needs a surface coat.
Composite boards are made in a factory from wood fibre and plastic. Many have a plastic cap. The board holds a set colour. It does not need stain. It still expands with heat, and it is heavier than pine.
Both boards come in set lengths. Both need the right screws or clips. Both fail early if water is trapped against them with no air flow.
First cost and cost over ten years
Wood wins on first cost by a wide margin. Boards cost less per foot. Fixings are standard. Most builders can fit wood fast.
Composite boards cost more per foot, and hidden clips add parts. The gap narrows when you add ten years of wood care. Wood needs cleaner, stain or sealer and the labour to apply them every few years. It may need more board swaps in shade.
Do a simple sum for your deck size. Price the build in both surfaces. Add wood coating work at the cycle your yard needs. Add your own time if you plan to coat it yourself, at a rate that is honest. Then compare. The right answer changes with deck size, sun and how long you plan to stay.
If you will move in three years, wood often wins. If this is a long term home and you hate upkeep, composite often wins.
Care through the year
A wood deck asks for a spring check. Clear leaves from gaps. Wash the surface. Look for lifted screws and soft spots. Coat when water stops beading on the boards.
A composite deck asks for a wash. Soap, water and a soft brush clear pollen and film. In shade, wash more often, because film and moss grow on any damp surface. You do not sand it. You do not stain it.
That care gap is the main reason owners switch during a deck replacement. They have coated wood for years and want a change. Other owners switch back to wood because they miss how wood feels and smells after rain. Both reasons are valid.
Heat, feel and look
Wood feels familiar underfoot. It can splinter as it ages if care lapses. Grain varies from board to board, which many people like.
Composite can get hot in full sun, in particular in dark colours. It does not splinter. Its grain is a repeat pattern, which some people notice and others never do.
Colour choice works in opposite ways. Wood can be stained a new tone at the next coat. Composite colour is fixed for the life of the board. If you tire of colours fast, wood gives you an exit. If you want one colour that stays close to day one, capped composite gives you that.
Ask to see aged samples, not new ones. A provider may have offcuts from a deck built years ago. Five year old boards tell the truth that a brochure cannot.
Shade, water and site fit
Site can decide this choice for you.
In deep shade where boards stay damp, wood needs more care and rots sooner at board ends. Composite handles damp surface conditions better, though the wood frame below still needs air flow and joist protection.
In hard sun, wood fades and cracks if coating lapses. Composite holds colour better in capped ranges, but heat underfoot can limit barefoot use at midday. A light colour or a shade plan fixes much of that.
Near ground level with poor air flow, both surfaces suffer if the frame sits in damp air. Raise the deck if you can, or improve drainage and vents. No board choice beats a wet, sealed under deck space.
Repairs and changes
Wood is easy to change. A damaged board comes out in minutes. A new step or a cut for a new post is simple. If you think you may extend the deck later, wood is forgiving.
Composite changes need more planning. New boards must match the range and, if possible, the colour batch. Stairs and diagonal patterns need tighter joist spacing for many composite boards. If you plan a diagonal layout, confirm spacing before the frame is built.
Rails follow the same logic. Wood rails match a wood deck and need coating. Metal rails pair well with both surfaces and cut upkeep.
Environmental notes without slogans
Wood is a natural material that uses treatment chemicals. Composite uses plastic and wood fibre and is hard to recycle in many places, though some makers run take back schemes. Old boards of both types most often go to waste at replacement.
The longest lasting deck is the greenest claim either side can make with a straight face. A deck that is cared for and kept for its full life uses fewer boards than a deck rebuilt early. Pick the surface you will actually maintain.
A simple way to decide
Answer four questions on paper.
How long will you stay in this home. How many hours a year will you spend on deck care without resenting it. Is the deck in sun, shade or a mix. Do you want to be able to change colour later.
If your answers point in two directions, price both and look at aged samples. Then choose. There is no wrong board here. There is only a board that fits your site and habits, or one that fights them.
DeckNear can connect you to a local provider who fits both surfaces. Start from your city page, linked from our home page, for local weather points that affect this choice.
Frequently asked questions
Which decking lasts longer, composite or pressure treated wood?
A capped composite board usually keeps its colour and surface longer with less work. Pressure treated wood can last a long time too, but only if it is cleaned and coated on a steady cycle and bad boards are swapped early. In both cases the frame below matters as much as the surface board you walk on.
Can I mix wood and composite on one deck?
Yes. A common mix is a wood frame with composite surface boards and metal rails. Some owners use wood for a picture frame border and composite for the main field, but the border and field must suit the same fixing method and joist spacing. Ask the provider to draw the layout, because mixed boards change cut and gap details.
Which board is easier to repair after damage?
A wood board is simple to cut and swap with common tools, and a new board is cheap. A composite board swap costs more per board and the colour may not match a faded deck exactly. Hidden clip systems also need the right removal method. For a deck that takes hard knocks, easy board swaps are a real point for wood.
Does composite decking add more resale appeal than wood?
Buyers often like the look of a clean composite deck with no coating work due. A wood deck in good shape also shows well. A neglected deck of either type hurts a sale view. The board name alone does not set house value. Condition, safety and how the deck fits the yard matter more on the day.
Common questions
Which decking lasts longer, composite or pressure treated wood?
A capped composite board usually keeps its colour and surface longer with less work. Pressure treated wood can last a long time too, but only if it is cleaned and coated on a steady cycle and bad boards are swapped early. In both cases the frame below matters as much as the surface board you walk on.
Can I mix wood and composite on one deck?
Yes. A common mix is a wood frame with composite surface boards and metal rails. Some owners use wood for a picture frame border and composite for the main field, but the border and field must suit the same fixing method and joist spacing. Ask the provider to draw the layout, because mixed boards change cut and gap details.
Which board is easier to repair after damage?
A wood board is simple to cut and swap with common tools, and a new board is cheap. A composite board swap costs more per board and the colour may not match a faded deck exactly. Hidden clip systems also need the right removal method. For a deck that takes hard knocks, easy board swaps are a real point for wood.
Does composite decking add more resale appeal than wood?
Buyers often like the look of a clean composite deck with no coating work due. A wood deck in good shape also shows well. A neglected deck of either type hurts a sale view. The board name alone does not set house value. Condition, safety and how the deck fits the yard matter more on the day.