Footings
- Below the 1.2 m frost line
- Sized to the load
- Set, not floated
Invisible in the finished deck. Decisive in year five.
Composite or pressure-treated? The ten-year view.
We build both. Pressure-treated costs meaningfully less on install day and needs cleaning and staining every two to three years. Composite costs more and needs washing. The honest question is not which is better — it is how long you are staying.
Based in
Whitchurch-Stouffville
Estimates
Free & on-site
Before we start
Written scope
On site
Same crew throughout
Side by side
What you are actually choosing between.
| Pressure-treated | Composite | |
|---|---|---|
| Install cost | Lower | Higher |
| Ongoing work | Clean and stain every 2–3 years | Wash |
| Surface life | Boards cup, split and grey | Holds shape and colour |
| Splinters | Yes, with age | No |
| Heat underfoot | Cooler | Warmer, especially dark colours |
| Fasteners | Visible screws, or hidden with extra work | Hidden clip systems standard |
| Repair | Swap a board, cheap and easy | Swap a board, board cost is higher |
| Frame | Pressure-treated | Pressure-treated — same either way |
| Best for | Shorter horizon, tighter budget | Staying put, no appetite for maintenance |
The part that does not change
Footings and framing are identical.
Composite is a surface, not a structure. Whichever you choose, the deck stands on pressure-treated framing and footings dug below the 1.2 m frost line — and that is where decks actually fail. A composite surface on shallow footings still racks after a hard winter.
Ledger
- Fastened to structure, not sheathing
- Flashed to shed water
- The most common failure point on any deck
Where decks separate from houses.
Framing
- Joist spacing to the span tables
- Composite often needs tighter spacing
- Blocking and bracing
Check the spacing your board manufacturer requires.
Questions
Composite vs wood, answered.
How long does pressure-treated actually last?
The structure — posts, beams, joists — lasts a long time when built and flashed properly. The walking surface is what wears: boards cup, split and grey, and need cleaning and staining every two to three years to stay presentable. Most pressure-treated decks are re-boarded long before the frame needs anything.
Does composite get hot?
Yes, more than wood, and darker boards more than lighter ones. On a south-facing deck with no shade it is a real consideration, and it is worth choosing a lighter colour for that reason alone.
Can I build the frame in wood and the surface in composite?
That is the standard build. Composite is a decking and railing product, not a structural one — the frame underneath is pressure-treated lumber either way. So the choice is only ever about the surface and the railings.
Which adds more to the house?
A well-built deck of either material adds more than a poorly built one of the other. If you are selling within a couple of years, a clean pressure-treated deck presents nearly as well for far less. If you are staying ten, composite stops being an expense and starts being the absence of a chore.
Related
Other things we build.
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