BRINGING INSIDE COMFORT OUTSIDE
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE CHOOSING TO BLEND HOME’S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR TOGETHER
BY JIM TIMLICK
It used to be that a homeowner’s choices were rather limited when it came to building a deck. Y ou could choose between pres- sure-treated lumber or cedar for the material used to build that even though lumber prices have since returned to more normal levels. “With the inflated lumber prices,
that closed the gap with low-mainte- nance composite and PVC decking, which opened up people’s eyes. It kind of removed the stigma that composite wasn’t affordable for a lot of customers,” Gostick says, adding that a large portion of his company’s deck sales are now composite materials. A big part of the appeal of composite decking is that it offers a low-mainte- nance alternative to lumber. Unlike wood decks that need staining or painting every few years, a composite or PVC deck requires only a seasonal cleaning. It can also continue to look like new for a much longer period of time with most manufacturers providing a 25-year warranty and some even offering a limited 50-year warranty.
deck; and about the only choices you had in terms of choosing a shape were square or rectangular. Today, it’s a much different scenario. The sky is the limit when it comes to choosing the style of deck and materi- als that are best suited to your outdoor living space. Jeff Gostick, a building project coach with Olympic Building Centre, says a growing trend among homeowners look- ing to build a new deck or upgrade an existing one is the use of composite or PVC materials. Composite or PVC decking soared in popularity a few years ago when lumber prices temporarily skyrocketed and the price difference between the two narrowed. That trend has continued
124 SPRING 2026 PARADE of HOMES | homebuilders.mb.ca
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