"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below." Americans are focused on outdoor living like never before. In fact, according to a recent Houzz ...

(BPT) - When you’re designing and building a dream outdoor living space, you have more options than ever. But how do you know which material is best for your home? The good news is that you don’t need ...

If you’re planning on building a deck this year, you’re bound to encounter some pretty harsh realities. Inflation, coupled with an unprecedented lumber shortage, has caused decking prices to skyrocket ...

Whether you’ve decided this is the year you’ll add a deck to your home, or you’re still pondering the project, as soon as you say the words: “I want to build a deck,” you’ll start hearing and reading ...

So, what will it be – real wood or composite decking material? Those are the two main choices around here. Composite will last longer than wood, and it requires much less maintenance – no need to ...

Pretty much any deck will look great when it’s brand new, but a deck built with subpar materials will start showing its age in a year or two. Fast-forward a decade, and a wooden deck that was ...

Timothy has written about personal finance, including detailed home renovation and repair cost guides, since 2017. His work covers everything from plumbing and roofing to solar and pest control. Find ...

Wood decks are rapidly being replaced by plastic, aluminum and other man-made decking materials prized for their easy maintenance. Builders are making decks into showpieces, with multiple levels, ...

Geraldine has over a decade of experience writing within the home improvement sector. Additionally, she has unique first-hand renovation experience as the previous owner of a house-flipping business.

We expose samples made from aluminum, composites, and wood to extreme conditions to see which type of decking holds up best ...