Choosing a deck material is the single biggest decision you'll make before breaking ground. Material alone is 30–50% of the total build, and it dictates the next 20–40 years of maintenance. This guide covers the five categories most homeowners actually choose between — pressure-treated pine, cedar/redwood, composite, PVC, and tropical hardwoods — with honest trade-offs on price, lifespan, and upkeep.
PT pine is the default American deck material. It's cheap, widely available, and workable with basic tools. Modern PT lumber uses copper-based preservatives (MCA or ACQ), which are much less corrosive to fasteners than the old CCA treatment.
Cedar (Western red or Northern white) and redwood have natural tannins that resist rot and insects. The look is warmer and more premium than PT, and they stay dimensionally stable better than PT. The catch: cedar is soft and dents easily, and supply has tightened since major wildfires hit redwood groves.
Composite is a blend of recycled wood fiber and polyethylene or polypropylene, capped on three or four sides with a hard polymer shell. The cap is what matters — early uncapped composites (mid-2000s) failed from mold and fading. Modern capped composites (2015+) are a different product and carry 25–30 year warranties.
Price tiers: entry-level lines (Trex Enhance, TimberTech Terrain) run about $4–5 per linear foot; mid-range (Trex Transcend, TimberTech Vintage) run $5–7; premium (TimberTech AZEK) crosses into PVC territory at $7–9.
PVC decking (brands like TimberTech AZEK, Deckorators Voyage) contains no wood at all — it's entirely polymer. That means zero moisture absorption, zero rot, and the best performance near pools, coasts, and humid climates. The trade-off is price and a slightly more plastic appearance, though modern PVC has come a long way on grain texture.
Ipe (pronounced "ee-pay") is the gold standard for high-end decks. It's dense enough to sink in water, Class A fire-rated without treatment, and lasts 40+ years with no maintenance beyond optional oil to preserve the rich brown color. The catch is price, sourcing (FSC-certified stock is worth the premium), and the specialty tools needed to drill and fasten it.
For a 300 sqft deck, here's what you actually spend over a decade including maintenance:
At year 10 the composite deck still looks new; the PT deck has been restained four times and may need 5–10% of boards replaced. By year 20, the economics tilt heavily toward composite or PVC.
Pick PT if the deck is a budget-driven project, you're selling the home within 5–7 years, or you genuinely enjoy the yearly staining ritual.
Pick cedar if you want a natural-wood look and feel, plan to seal regularly, and value dimensional stability.
Pick composite if you want a 25-year set-and-forget deck at a reasonable premium. This is the right answer for most homeowners.
Pick PVC if the deck is near a pool, on a coast, or you specifically want zero-maintenance waterproof performance.
Pick Ipe if this is a forever home, the budget supports it, and you want a deck that outlasts the mortgage.