IIServices · The Trade
Decks, framed for salt air.
A deck on the Cape lives in sun, rain and salt, so it is built as much for weather as for the view. The material you stand on is the first and biggest choice, and it decides cost, upkeep and how it feels underfoot.
Most deck questions come down to the boards: what lasts, what needs work, and what is safe when it is wet. Here is the honest comparison.
Decking materials
Listed roughly from most premium to most economical. There is no wrong answer, only the right one for your budget and how much upkeep you want.
- Mahogany and ipe
- Dense tropical hardwoods, beautiful and extremely durable. The premium choice, they hold up for decades but cost more and need periodic oiling to keep their color.
- Western red cedar
- A classic, lighter wood with natural rot resistance and a warm look. Costs less than mahogany, needs sealing, and weathers gray if left alone.
- Pressure treated pine
- The economical framing and decking standard. Strong and inexpensive, it should be stained or painted and maintained to look its best.
- Composite and PVC
- Boards of wood fiber and plastic, or all PVC. The low maintenance choice: no rot, no splinters, no yearly sealing, in many colors. Costs more up front, less over time.
Grip, and staying safe when wet
- Slip resistance
- Textured and grooved composite boards, and wire brushed hardwood, keep their grip when wet. A smooth, freshly sealed board can be slick, which matters on stairs and near a pool or the water.
- Pitch and drainage
- A deck is built with a slight pitch and gaps between boards so water sheds and does not sit. Standing water is what makes a surface dangerous and a board rot.
What is under the boards
- Pressure treated framing
- The structure is always pressure treated, sized and spanned for the load and the salt air, whatever the deck boards are.
- Flashing and ventilation
- Flashed where the deck meets the house and left to breathe underneath, so the ledger and the framing do not trap moisture and rot.
- Fasteners and rail
- Stainless or coated fasteners that will not bleed or fail in salt air, and rail details built to code and worth the view.
How to choose
Decide how much upkeep you want, then match the board to it. If you never want to think about it, composite; if you love real wood and will oil it, mahogany or cedar; if budget leads, treated pine done well. We will frame any of them to outlast the boards.
How it is quoted
A site visit and a written proposal with the material named by grade, the framing spec, and the price. The number we quote is the number we hold.
Put it in writing.
A site visit and a written proposal cost nothing. Scope, materials, schedule and price, in a document you can hold us to.