ABOUT DECK PATIOS

There are three main types of wood deck patios: Natural Wood Deck Patios, Alternative Wood Deck Patios, and Deck Patio Tiles.

Western Red Cedar is a popular material for Natural Wood Deck Patios. The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association has a comprehensive website, with advisory articles on designing, installing, and maintaining Western Red Cedar deck patios. It also has a listing of certified retailers throughout the USA.

Alternative Wood Deck Patios are made from recycled materials. These include waste wood and recycled plastic including plastic grocery bags. The recycled material is highly durable and weatherproof and resembles natural wood in color and texture. However it does not have the full authentic character of natural wood.

Deck Patio Tiles are available in natural wood and in alternative wood, and are designed to interlock. They are an economic way of creating a wood patio deck where there is already a firm surface to which they can be applied. They may be laid on concrete, asphalt, tiles, or even on bare ground.

SPONSORED LINKS

LEADING USA DECK PATIO MANUFACTURERS

The following leading deck patio manufacturers have comprehensive websites, with information on all aspects of deck patios, including online catalogs, colors and materials for deck patios, and care and maintenance of deck patios.

Handy Deck: Deck Patios. HandyDeck Systems, based in Silver Spring, Maryland, manufactures interlocking wood decking tiles for use on patios. There are four product ranges: SwiftDeck wood patio tiles with integral plastic base; Loop & Pin design wood patio tiles with integral plastic base; I-connect tiles with separate mounting legs; and Solid Wood Patio Tiles with no plastic base. Of these the first and last type are the easiest to install. Handy Deck products aim to provide the benefits of a solid hardwood patio deck at lower cost. They can be laid on concrete, brick, asphalt, or even on bare ground.

Patio Productions: Deck Patio Furniture. Patio Productions is an online supplier of patio furniture. Its patio furniture range includes: All Weather Wicker Furniture, Cast Aluminum Furniture, and Teak Furniture. The All Weather Wicker Furniture range includes Wicker Sofa Sets, Wicker Dining Sets, Lounges & Day Beds, Wicker Bar Sets, and an Outdoor Modular Sofa. The range is made using aluminum frames and synthetic polyethylene wicker. This avoids fading, warping, chipping, and other problems of natural wicker furniture.

Trex: Deck Patios. Trex Company, based in Winchester, Virginia and founded in 1996, is a leading manufacturer of alternative wood decking. The decking is made by recycling waste wood, reclaimed pallet wrap, and plastic grocery bags. It claims to recycle about 50% of the recycled grocery bags available on the market. Trex Decking is available in five product ranges, all carefully designed to resemble natural wood in color and texture. Because Trex contains natural wood fiber, slight fading will occur with exposure to sunlight and moisture. Trex reaches its fully weathered color after 12 to 16 weeks.

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association: Deck Patios. The decking website of the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association contains sections on: Western Red Cedar deck designs; Building wooden decks and patios; Decking Pictures; Deck Railings; and Deck Stain. There is a Deck Designer feature enabling the customer to select and modify deck shape and size in various grades, add stairs, railings, and additional levels. It produces a specification print-out which a how-to checklist, a materials list, and details of the three nearest Western Red Cedar suppliers.

USEFUL LINKS RELEVANT TO DECK PATIOS

Deck Industry Association

National Hardwood Lumber Association

North American Deck & Railing Association

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT DIRECTORIES

We recommend the following professional construction directories, which include standard specifications, manufacturers' specs, and CAD details: 4Specs at www.4specs.com, Arcat at www.arcat.com, Arcom at www.arcomnet.com, Reed at www.reedfirstsource.com, Sweets at www.sweets.construction.com.

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Other recommended portals: Archbone, Building Design, Homeone Australia, Lighting Directory, Sapling, Stone Network.

Publisher: Abacus Construction Index is a professionally edited directory of recommended construction websites, published by Extonet Ltd which also publishes a directory of the world's best websites. It is financed only by Google advertisements; no payment is received from included websites.