Utah County is hard on decks. Summer sun at 4,500 feet is intense, winters bring heavy snow, and spring and fall swing above and below freezing day after day. Here’s how the two most common decking materials hold up.
Sun and UV
Unprotected wood grays and dries out within a season or two of Utah sun, and dry wood checks, cracks and splinters. Stain helps, but on a south- or west-facing deck it usually needs redoing every two to three years.
Capped composite and PVC boards have a protective shell that resists fading. Most carry 25 to 50 year fade and stain warranties.
Snow and freeze-thaw
Water that soaks into wood freezes and expands, opening up cracks and loosening fasteners. Composite absorbs very little water, so freeze-thaw does far less damage to the surface.
Either way, the framing underneath is still wood. We protect the tops of joists with joist tape so water can’t sit in screw holes and rot the frame from the top down.
Heat underfoot
Composite does get warmer than wood in direct sun, especially darker colors. If your deck faces west, choose a lighter color, consider a PVC line, or add a pergola.
Cost over 10 years
Wood costs less to build. Composite costs more up front but skips the recurring cost of sanding, staining and sealing, so over ten years the gap gets much smaller, and composite usually looks better at the end of it.