You still love your outdoor living space, but there’s no doubt it’s seen better days. Splintering, discolorations, and stains — when your deck was new, it was the crown jewel of your backyard, but now it’s an eyesore.
It would be best to do something about your unsightly deck; fortunately, you have options. You can build an updated outdoor living space or opt for re-decking or deck restoration.
Nowadays, tons of companies promote the service of re-decking, replacing the beat-up deck boards but leaving the rest of the deck the same. Re-decking is a way to get a seemingly brand-new deck for less time and less money. But is it really a good investment compared to building your dream new outdoor living space?
7 Reasons Why Building New is Better than Re-Decking
While re-decking looks excellent on paper, in practice, we’ve seen it let many homeowners down. Here are seven reasons why building a stunning new deck makes more sense than choosing deck restoration.
- Limited Design Options — When you build from the ground up, the sky is the limit. You have nearly unlimited creative possibilities, so you can create something new or fix something you disliked about your previous deck. Whether you want to build a covered porch, a two-story deck, or something equally exciting, the freedom to do what you want is yours. Deck designs have only gotten more ambitious and exciting, and your new project can be on the cutting edge. On the other hand, if you go with re-decking, you’ll have a state-of-the-art deck, circa 1999 — and it’ll show its age immediately.
- Fewer Savings than You Think — The prospect of saving money is the big reason that re-decking has such an appeal, but once again, it sounds better than it is. When you go with a deck restoration, you don’t have to pay for the frame, only the deck boards. Here’s the thing though: framing is the cheapest part of the deck. Deck restoration only saves the frame, which doesn’t provide you with enough savings to make it worthwhile. We compare re-decking to repairing a broken-down 1994 Dodge Dart because it has new tires.
- Holes in Your Warranty — At Keystone Custom Decks, we stand behind our work with an iron-clad warranty, and most reputable deck companies do the same. However, contractors can only stand behind their work, so if you choose re-decking, you’ll likely ONLY get a warranty to cover the new deck boards — not your foundation. If you build fresh, you get a full-coverage warranty.
- Old Structure Can’t Always Go Composite — When you keep a 15 to 20-year-old deck structure, you get 15 to 20 years of performance. Depending on joist placement, some older deck foundations can’t properly support low-maintenance, ultra-popular composite decking. So if you choose re-decking, you may end up stuck with outdated wood deck boards. Learn more about composite vs. wooden decks.
- No Outdoor Kitchens — Outdoor kitchens are one of the hottest additions to any outdoor living space. People love cooking gourmet meals in a full kitchen on their deck or porch. When you build a new area, you can center it around your custom outdoor kitchen. Unfortunately, re-decking a 15 or 20-year-old structure won’t give you the strength to incorporate a proper outdoor kitchen. Learn more about the hottest deck accessories.
- Your Deck May Not Meet Building Codes — Another result of placing a fresh set of boards on an antique frame, your restored deck may not meet building codes for your area. If there have been significant changes to the regulations in your area, your decade-old deck won’t be legal. This can prove to be expensive and inconvenient — we’ve seen it too many times to be able to recommend re-decking.
- It’ll Look Exactly the Same — This reason might not be quite as practical, but this is the main reason why re-decking tends to disappoint. Even though deck restoration is slightly cheaper, it’s still a significant investment. There’s nothing more disappointing than investing thousands of dollars and having the same outdated deck, just a little better. When you revolutionize your outdoor space with a brand-new showpiece deck, jaws will drop. Most of your guests probably won’t even notice when you go with re-decking.
Deck Installers in PA, DE, MD, NJ, & NY
Want to build a gorgeous new outdoor living space? We’re the team to trust. At Keystone Custom Decks, we specialize in building showpiece composite decks and outdoor living spaces that you and your family will cherish for years.
In addition to providing our potential customers with a free quote, we also build a complete 3D rendering of what your one-of-a-kind outdoor living space will look like — see more here.
Want to see some more of the services Keystone Custom Decks provides? Here are a few of them:
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