Picture yourself in your back yard. Observing the natural beauty of Colorado while enveloped by tranquility and privacy. You are truly at peace.

However, during this moment of harmony you are struck with an epiphany: “My back yard would be so much better with a deck”. Something to lounge on, soak in the sun, and relieve the stress from that long work week, your epiphany is spot on.

Being an extension off your home, decks can provide extra space while still keeping you in your comfort zone. Decks not only add character and a uniqueness to your property, but they also add value – so think of decks as an investment, not just an aesthetic upgrade.

So which decking materials will you choose? Feel free to navigate around our site to get a good idea of all our product offerings. However, in this article we will be doing a Comparison Profile between our Fijian Mahogany hardwood and EverGrain composite by TAMKO:

Material and Origin

• Fijian Mahogany: Our Fijian Mahogany comes from sustainably harvested plantations in the South Pacific. This specie is a fantastic hardwood that provides an elegant and classic look that has yet to go out of style. The natural colors tend to become more rich and robust through time, going from a light orange brown to the deep, rich mahogany that we all know and love.
• EverGrain: Being composite, or manmade, these decking materials provide a look that mimics the look of natural wood, while requiring less maintenance. EverGrain composite decking materials utilize a combination of polyethylene and wood fibers that are compressed and molded together.

 

Lifespan

• Fijian Mahogany: Hardwoods like Mahogany can easily last 20 years, and maybe even more! Their unique density gives them the ability to last this long, but this also comes at a price. Hardwoods, or any natural wood for that matter, require regular upkeep to ensure its survival for all those years.
• EverGrain: EverGrain by TAMKO comes with a 20-year limited warranty. So even if it only lasts half that amount of time you’ll be covered – giving you peace of mind.

 

Maintenance and Durability

• Fijian Mahogany: As stated in the lifespan section, using natural-wood decking materials will require regular upkeep and maintenance to get the most years out of them. This involves:
  • Monthly to bi-monthly check-ins for splitting, cracking, and warping of your boards
  • Monthly to bi-monthly cleaning of debris and dirt (time frame with this is much more flexible)
  • Annual re-stains.

As for durability, hardwood decking materials such as this will withstand the wear and tear of patio furniture and pets much more effectively than softwoods. Fading can happen, but not if you are consistent with re-staining.

• EverGrain: Perhaps the most critical reason why composite decking materials are so popular, is that they require almost no maintenance other than the occasional sweep or wash. Decking materials like this then become ideal for homeowners who live a very busy lifestyle. Similar to Mahogany and other hardwoods, composite decking materials are not as susceptible to scratches or fading like softwoods, however this doesn’t rule out the possibility of it still occurring.

 

Cost

• Fijian Mahogany: Mahogany will cost more than traditional softwoods, but less than composites. But that’s just the initial cost. Something that isn’t always account for in the cost is the price of stains and other maintenance costs (like potentially replacing a few boards).
• EverGrain: While it’s commonly known that composite materials like EverGrain can be costly, you won’t have to pay for extra maintenance and care supplies.

This is just a small side-by-side analysis of two of our decking materials. Upon reading this guide, we hope that you are able to make a more informed decision on which decking materials you’ll buy. We will be doing more Comparison Profiles in the near future, so stay tuned!

There is a vast amount of information, so for a more in depth guide to all of our products download our free brochure, on the sidebar, now! With extra content that is exclusive and not available anywhere else on our site, you don’t want to miss out on this FREE opportunity.

 

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