DMR Contracting - Basements, Decks, Porches, Gazebos for Southeast Michigan

Materials

At DMR Contracting, we use only the best materials for your home. Let's take a look at the materials you may choose in the creating of your new custom deck.

Presure-treated ~ Cedar ~ Trex ~ Eon

Pressure-treated

Pressure-treated lumber is wood that has been immersed in a liquid preservative and placed in a pressure chamber. The chamber forces the chemical into the wood fibers. The pressurized approach makes sure that the chemical makes it to the core of each piece of wood -- it is much more effective than simply soaking the wood in the chemical. The most common chemical used to treat lumber is called chromated copper arsenate, or CCA. Copper and arsenic are both toxic to different types of organisms that attack wood. The chromium helps to bond the copper to the wood to prevent leaching. CCA binds to wood fibers very well and allows wood to last decades even when it is in contact with the ground.

Cedar

Not only is Western Red Cedar one of the few woods with its own preservative oils, its freedom from pitch and resin makes it an excellent base for protective coatings. And cedar has other natural qualities that make it the best choice for decking. It is the most stable of British Columbia's softwoods, so Western Red Cedar decks stay flat and straight and resist checking.

Nothing, in our opinion, nothing looks as good as a new cedar deck. The only problem, is that the deck is not new forever. Left untreated, cedar will fade to a dull gray color in a matter of a few months in direct sunlight, quite a difference from the golden brown people normally associate with cedar. So, when choosing cedar for a deck, the customer should anticipate annual cleaning and restaining of the decking surface. The cedar railing will need to be cleaned and restained every 3 to 4 years.

Caution must be used when moving patio furniture or grills because cedar will dent and scratch if you're not careful.

Trex®

Unlike wood surfaces, Trex requires no stains or sealants for protection and will not rot or deteriorate due to harsh weather. Trex decking provides the design freedom to give you the deck of your dreams–like adding another outdoor room to the house. It’s available in five color options to suit any home style. Trex decking gives you peace of mind, because it is splinter-free and contains no toxic chemicals or preservatives. Resistance to moisture and insects makes Trex decking the perfect choice for pools, hot tubs and spas. Splashes from the pool are not a problem--Trex has excellent traction, even when wet.

Styles

Origins
Accents
Brasilia

Colors

Natural
Winchester
Maderia
Woodland Brown
Saddle

Like most composites, however, Trex will fade in direct sunlight. While all of the 5 Trex colors will fade to some extent, the darker colors (Maderia & Woodland Brown) and called 'color fast' because it doesn't wash out as much. The Natural color fades the most, not unlike the color of untreated cedar.

Trex is also more porus than other composites, which may make it harder to get stains and dirt out. We also would not recommend using the Trex railing system at this time. They are devloping a more thought out rail, but the current rail does not meet our standards. If you want the Trex decking and a maintenance free railing, we would suggest using the Monarch railing. The white and earthtone colors of Monarch compliment all 5 of the Trex colors.

Eon®

Eon is a complete alternative decking system composed of plastic, dramatically reducing the need for wood. As the only 100% plastic product with a wood grain finish, eon is in a class of its own, truly the most premium product on the market. The eon decking system includes deck boards, cladding, a unique T-clip fastening system and eon’s fast and easy to install railing system. A lifetime of beauty starts with eon.

Since Eon is a pure plastic, it has different characteristics than most other composites (wood and plastic) on the market today. Eon will not fade in the sunlight. The color you see is the color you will see in 10 years. However, Eon is not as dimensionally stable as most composites. Eon will expand and contract a great deal more than other products, which can cause problems if this is not taken into account when installing.

DMR Contracting, Inc.