Aluminum Decking vs Wood Decking

As a common outdoor building material, decks are often used for pontoons, patios, decks, commercial buildings and swimming pools. But as consumers can choose from different types of decks, which one is better is a question that has always bothered consumers. Today we will be comparing the differences between one of the aluminum decks and wood decks.

1. Waterproof performance

Aluminum decking is more water resistant than wood decking. Aluminum metal has excellent corrosion resistance and waterproof performance so that it can maintain its color and luster under long time seawater or wet environment, but wood decking is prone to water penetration into the interior of the deck when encountered with wet environment, resulting in rotting or damage. If not maintained for a long time, it will reduce the life span of wood decking. Therefore, aluminum is more suitable as a decking material than wood when comparing the waterproof ability. Aluminum decking is very resistant to seawater erosion when used as decking for ships and piers.

2. Cost

The average price of aluminum decking will be $10-$15 per square foot, depending on the color of the aluminum finish and the wall thickness. The average price of wood decking is $5-$12 per square foot. The price is lower than aluminum decking because wood is less expensive to work with than aluminum.However, this does not include maintenance costs. Wood decks will need to be replaced additionally in the later years of maintenance, compared to aluminum decks where the maintenance costs will gradually rise. Most aluminum decks do not need to be replaced or finished within five years.

3. Color Options

Aluminum deck boards are available in far more colors than wood decks. There is no doubt that aluminum decking can be powder coated, electrophoresed and anodized for a variety of exterior colors. Wood decking, on the other hand, can only choose the appearance from the type of wood, which is not good enough for some outdoor architectural designs. Aluminum decking’s wide range of color choices can make it meet the requirements of more modern architectural designs.

4. Installation

Installation of decks is often complicated. To make it structurally sound and secure requires specialized knowledge, but aluminum decking is very simple to install.

Here is a video about installing Hugh aluminum aluminum decking:

In contrast to the installation of wood decking, it reduces the installation of fittings and framing. It only requires DIY to fix the deck through screws.

In summary, deciding which material to use to build decking depends on a variety of factors, including cost, time cost, maintenance, and aesthetics. When it comes to building a deck, consider these factors and choose the best deck for your project.

Hugh Aluminum is an aluminum extrusion manufacturer based in China. We manufacture aluminum profile products including aluminum railing, aluminum ceilings, aluminum decking, aluminum fence, aluminum doors and windows and aluminum roofings. We offer large quantity of aluminum building materials and factory price.