When you are working on a bigger or smaller remodeling project for your home, you surely look for the best materials that provide quality and safety, but still fit your budget. When you are planning to build a porch or veranda, there are many things you need to plan, but choosing the right style and appropriate materials is your main task in this case. Depending on the current situation, you will either improve the way your porch looks, or you will have to build a whole new additional object, to provide the features you need from it.
Decking materials are usually made of wood, but there are many other choices to consider, especially if you plan a little DIY project for your home. As you can see on degoedkoopsteveranda.nl, you can even go for an aluminum construction, to give a modern look to your backyard or front porch. They are easy to maintain, and probably more affordable than hardwood. Also, when it’s cold, it provides enough insulation to enjoy outside with your morning coffee. Many bars and restaurants use this option as the most optimal one, and you can take their example as a good one for your home project.
So, if you are looking for a solution for your deck or veranda, you can consider it as a great one. But, many people still prefer the traditional ways, so here are a few more suggestions you can use when you plan it:
1. Pressed (pressure-treated) wood
The low price and all the other things that were previously done to make it a good material are the main reasons why people still choose this one. It’s also available everywhere, and even though it’s practically a leftover wooden trash, it’s specially treated to stop the development of mold over it, and rotting if used regularly. If you using it just for sitting and walking, probably this cheap solution will last long, for years. But, if you want to build a porch around a fountain, a garden that you usually water every day, or near a pool, you have to know that it will easily rot due to the moisture, but also release chemicals in the soil.
2. Cedar, redwood, and (tropical) hardwood
They are really great since they are beautiful, rich, resistant, lightweight, and nice looking. They are popular because of their softness, which makes them easy to work with and install over the yard. But, they are more expensive than the pressed wood, and so is their maintenance. You need to use wood scrub so you can remove the first signs of mold, but also polish them every few years, to renew the protective coat. Tropical hardwoods are also nice looking, but they are, as we said, hard, and you can’t really adjust their looks and appearance. The good thing with the tropical hardwood is its resistance to natural conditions, like rain or snow, but anyway, it also requires regular maintenance.
3. Plastic decks
Plastic is another popular and affordable solution, and you can choose a 100% pure plastic, or a combination of wood fibers and recycled plastic. The second one is known as composite decking. The good thing with these ones is that they won’t ever rot or get moldy. You can easily cut the pieces you don’t need and get a nice-looking porch or veranda. They can come in many colors, and you have enough space to be creative with this one. Keep in mind that their colors will fade away as time goes by, but with regular maintenance (which requires cleaning and removing the dirt), you can help this decking last for years. And the best thing is that even if it fades, the color renewing is not expensive at all.
4. Concrete
This is another option for you, since you are making it once, and there is no more space to rethink the whole thing or start it all over again. But, you can be creative with the concrete too. It’s also very affordable, and at the same time, it’s very durable and doesn’t require some special maintenance. But, if the temperatures are different every season, from heating in the summer and freezing in winter, its surface can easily crack, and the water with getting into the construction, “eating” it from the inside.
5. Stones
Another natural solution that may seem like a great option, and you can make exceptional combinations of colors and patterns, filling the gaps with concrete. It looks elegant, natural, organic, and of course, this one is pretty durable. But, since a lot of labor is invested in it, it’s not as an affordable option as it seems when you first think of it.
6. Grass
No need to say more – it’s green, organic, clean, natural, and cheap. You will only have to take care to mow it regularly, so you can keep the bugs away from you and your pets.
7. Aluminum
Since we mentioned it at the beginning, we will complete this list with it – the aluminum decks. You don’t have any risk of rust, mold, cracks, insects, peeling, or blistering. It’s easy to clean, and it’s much more durable than any other material we mentioned in this article. At the same time, it’s lightweight, and since it costs more to buy and install, it’s a lifetime solution, and it’s probably worth sacrificing that money, to get a convenient product.
Conclusion
As you can see, you have many options and choices. You only need to think about which style will fit the best of your house. No matter what you choose, you need to be ready for the time it will take until completely installed, and the money required for the investment and regular maintenance.
But, all these choices can fit different budgets, especially if you know what you are looking for. So, be smart, plan in advance, have some pictures in your head, and go for the decking you want. We are sure your yard will look exceptionally beautiful after the project is done.
