Trex vs a Wood Deck: What Ten Years Actually Costs
What this comes down to
- A composite deck is still a wood deck underneath. The boards are covered by a warranty, the frame is not.
- Most old wood decks are framed for wood boards. Composite usually needs joists no more than 16 inches apart.
- A stained wood deck needs a fresh coat every two to six years. The finish and the boards decide which.
- Composite only wins on cost if its extra price is smaller than ten years of staining it replaces.
- Composite board warranties are prorated after year ten. They never pay for the labor to swap boards.
- People replace wood decking for weathering far more often than for rot. That is the problem composite solves.
You are probably choosing between two quotes right now. One is for new wood boards and one is for composite, and the composite number is higher. The real question is whether that gap pays for itself.
This guide puts both options side by side over ten years in DuPage County. It covers the upkeep, the frame underneath and what the warranty actually promises. It ends with what nobody can price until the old boards come up.
Does a composite deck actually save money over ten years?
Only if the extra cost up front is smaller than the staining it replaces. That is the whole sum. Composite is not cheaper to build, so it has to win the money back through years without upkeep.
Here is the wood side, worked through. A 300 square foot deck stained at a starting price of $2.50 a square foot costs $750 a coat. Three or four coats in ten years comes to $2,250 to $3,000.
So hold the two quotes side by side. If composite costs less than about $3,000 more on a deck that size, it pays back inside ten years. If it costs a lot more, you are paying for the look and the free weekends.
Both are fair reasons to buy it. Just know which one you are paying for. On a small deck that you like staining, wood usually wins. On a big deck in full sun, the sums tilt the other way.
How often does a wood deck really need restaining?
Every two to six years with a semitransparent stain, and more often with lighter finishes. The USDA Forest Products Laboratory lists finish life by surface, decking included.
Its figures for decking are blunt. New smooth boards hold a semitransparent stain for two to three years. Weathered or rough sawn boards hold it for three to six. Clear water repellents last only one to two.
The Laboratory also says to skip solid color stain on a deck. It lacks abrasion resistance and tends to fail by peeling. Peeling is what turns a quick recoat into a full strip and sand.
One line from that chapter explains the whole market. People often replace decking because of weathering, not decay. Gray, checked and splintered boards get torn up while they are still structurally sound.
Is a composite deck still a wood deck underneath?
Yes, and this is the part most quotes skip. The joists, beams and posts under composite boards are pressure treated lumber. That is exactly what sits under wood boards. Composite changes the surface, not the structure.
Trex says as much in its own written limited warranty. It excludes any movement or settling of the supporting structure. The boards are covered and the frame is your problem.
That matters because the frame still gets wet. Rain runs through the board gaps onto the joist tops, whatever the boards are made of. Taping the joist tops is still worth doing, just as it is when protecting wood deck framing.
Can composite go on my old deck frame?
Often, but check the joist spacing first. Many older wood decks were framed for thick wood boards that can span farther than composite can. Swapping the surface alone can leave the new boards bouncy.
The manufacturer's guidance on how to space joists is 16 inches on center for standard installs. Boards laid on a diagonal need 12 inches. Stair treads usually need 12 inches or less.
If the existing joists sit 24 inches apart, that guidance says to add one joist between each pair. That turns 24 inches into 12. It is a common fix, and it is a line on the quote you should expect to see.
The frame also has to be sound enough to outlast the boards. Putting a 25 year surface on a frame with ten years left in it wastes most of the warranty. That is the case where repair or replace comes first.
What does a composite warranty actually cover?
The boards, on a sliding scale, and not the labor. The Trex warranty runs 25, 35 or 50 years depending on the product line. It covers splitting, rot, termites, fading and food stains on the walking surface.
From year eleven onward the payout is prorated. On a 25 year product it falls to 20 percent by year twenty. A valid claim pays for replacement boards or a refund. It never pays for tearing out and relaying them.
A few exclusions are worth knowing before winter. A metal shovel or a sharp tool that damages the surface voids it. So does painting or staining the boards. Stains from dirt, grease and oil are not covered either.
None of this makes composite a bad buy. It makes the warranty a promise about the board surface, and nothing more. The frame, the labor and the snow shovel all stay with you.
Does composite need any maintenance at all?
Less, not none. You will not stain it, and you should not. But mold and mildew can grow on any outdoor surface. The warranty expects spills and mildew cleaned with soap and water within a week.
Composite boards also have to meet a real standard. The International Residential Code requires composite deck boards to comply with ASTM D7032. That standard is how a board's rated span and load get established.
In practice that means the board you choose sets the joist spacing, not the other way round. Two composite lines from different makers can carry different span ratings. The label and the install guide settle it.
What does each option start at?
These are starting prices in DuPage County, not quotes. Composite boards are quoted per line and color. The spread between product lines is wider than the gap between wood and the cheapest composite.
| The work | Starting price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Deck board replacement over a sound frame | From $10 per sq ft | Board species, deck size, stairs |
| Typical 200 sq ft re-deck | From $1,995 | Railings kept or replaced, access |
| Deck staining and sealing | From $2.50 per sq ft | Stripping old finish, railings, stairs |
| Joist replacement | From $175 per joist | Span, hangers, what the ledger needs |
| New pressure treated deck | From $24 per sq ft | Height, footings, stairs, shape |
| Composite boards over a sound frame | Quoted per product line | Line, color, fasteners, added joists |
What cannot be judged until the boards come up?
The tops of the joists, first of all. That is where water sits under a deck surface. It is the one face nobody can see from above or below. Soft joist tops turn a re-deck into a structural rot repair.
The ledger connection is the second. Where the deck meets the house is the most important joint on it. Its fasteners and flashing are hidden under the first row of boards and behind the rim.
And the real joist spacing only shows once the boards are off. Older decks were sometimes framed unevenly, with one bay wider than the rest. That single wide bay is enough to need an added joist.
Trex vs wood deck questions
Is Trex worth the extra cost over a wood deck?
It is when the extra cost is smaller than the staining it replaces over the years you plan to stay. On a 300 square foot deck, ten years of staining at starting prices runs about $2,250 to $3,000. A bigger premium buys looks and free time rather than savings.
How does Perfect Work decide if an old frame can take composite boards?
Perfect Work Remodeling & Repairs lifts a few boards before quoting. The joist tops get probed for soft wood and the spacing gets measured bay by bay. The ledger connection is checked too. If the frame is sound, added joists are quoted as a line of their own.
Can I put composite decking over my existing joists?
Often, if the joists are sound and no more than 16 inches apart. Frames built at 24 inches usually need a new joist added between each pair. Diagonal boards need 12 inch spacing. The board's own label and install guide set the final number.
Can I shovel snow off a composite deck?
Yes, with a plastic shovel. The Trex warranty says never to use a metal shovel or a sharp edged tool on the surface. Damage from one voids the coverage. Push along the boards rather than across them, and leave the last thin layer to melt.
What does a Perfect Work composite deck quote include?
A quote from Perfect Work Remodeling & Repairs lists the board line, the color and the fasteners. Any added joists, joist tape and ledger work appear as separate lines. Nothing is folded into a square foot price. Railings are priced on their own, since many people keep them.
How long does a wood deck last compared to composite?
The boards are the difference, not the frame. Wood boards are usually replaced for weathering in the second decade. Composite boards carry warranties of 25 years or more. The treated frame under either one lasts as long as it is kept dry.
Picking the surface you will actually live with
Wood is cheaper to build and asks for a weekend every few years. Composite costs more up front and mostly asks for a hose. Neither changes the frame, so the frame decides first and the surface second.
Perfect Work Remodeling & Repairs lifts boards and measures the frame before pricing either option. Both quotes come back side by side, all deck work on one sheet. If the frame needs work first, the quote says so and what replacement costs is priced beside it.
Call Perfect Work at 630-297-7888 · Book a deck check