What are good options for decking in San Francisco?

Exteriors Decks
1

I plan to use PT lumber for the posts and the stringers and am considering redwood for the decking and stairs. To maximize longevity per cost, should I cosider other materials?

Thanks,

Alex

2

Trex or timbertex

3

To maximize longevity per cost, your best bet is painted, deck-grade redwood. Opaque paint is the most durable and most easily maintained deck finish, and it will do a good job of protecting deck-grade redwood. It’s a suitable finish for a purely functional set of exit stairs and landings in the back yard of a building in San Francisco. The other alternatives have some pros and cons:

The higher grades of modern deck finishes - Trex Transcends, Fiberon Horizon, etc. - offer great value if you want years of splinter-free play and barefoot enjoyment for children and friends, with very little or no maintenance. But they cost more initially, and they require more closely spaced framing.

The original, uncapped types of composite decks are less expensive but may deterioriate more rapidly.

Old-growth redwood (many growth rings per inch) and the tropical hardwoods - ipé, for example - are considerably more expensive initially, and will last for many years, perhaps long enough to match the cost per year of other decking. But if you want them to retain any of their original beauty, you must spend money and time maintaining them every year.

Stained or unfinished deck-grade redwood isn’t a great choice for longevity, because modern decking-grade redwood has very little decay resistance. But paint it brown every couple of years and it should last a long time.

Make your decking choice before you have the framing done. Different decking surfaces require different framing, because of both strength and thickness issues.

1 Like
4

I have found the best product to use is IPE. I have installed many decks located near the Ocean and IPE installed with stainless screws have held up over the years. Additionally, the client can periodically maintenance the deck to keep that beautiful mahogany look or leave it and it will turn to a silver patina. IPE has an A fire rating and will last for years to come.

5

Ipe is the best for lifetime quality. The composite industry is still very much evolving and can not immitate the quality of these truly superior species such Mahagony, Cypress, Cedar, and the aforementioned Ipe. Treated yellow pine will last a lifetime outdoors if maintained properly. Nothing is truly maintenance free.

Thanks,

Michael Wilson

6

If it’s your home or a remodel/flip/spec home, go IPE or Redwood.
If it’s a rental use PT.

7

Pressure treated lumber is a good choice for all structural framing (not only the posts and as required per proximity). Now, the best is also the most expensive.

  1. Ironwood / Ipe - is very expensive but will out live us all.
  2. Cedar - much cheaper then Ipe but requires maintenance.
  3. Redwood - much cheaper then Ipe but requires maintenance.
  4. Trex - wood composite - more expensive then redwood and cheaper the Ipe - no maintenance.