01
The board and how it is held
Hidden fasteners keep the surface clean and let the board move as it expands. Face screws are faster and cheaper, and they are what you notice first on a deck that has aged badly.
Composite Decking
Composite decking, on a frame that outlasts it.
Low-maintenance composite decking for Chesapeake and Hampton Roads, built over pressure-treated framing and flashed properly where it meets the house.
How we approach it
Composite is a system, not just a board
The board is the part you see. What decides whether a composite deck still looks right in ten years is the framing under it and the fasteners holding it down.
02
Choose the grain, not the brochure
Composite ranges from flat monochrome to deeply varied. Seen at full deck scale the difference is large, so we look at samples outdoors in daylight rather than under showroom lighting.
03
The frame decides the lifespan
Joist spacing has to suit the board, and the joist tops get protective tape so trapped water cannot rot the frame under a deck that will outlast it.
04
Finished, and after rain
Composite does not need sealing or staining. It needs washing. That is the whole maintenance story, which is most of why people choose it.
What we build
The surface is the easy half
Composite solves maintenance. What decides whether a deck is still solid in twenty years is everything underneath it.
No sanding, staining, or sealing
Composite holds its colour and asks for a wash rather than a weekend. In coastal Virginia humidity that is the difference between a deck you use and a deck you maintain.
The frame decides the life
Composite boards comfortably outlive a poorly built frame. Joist spacing, footings, and the flashing where the deck meets the house are the real work, and they are where we spend the attention.
Colour affects comfort
Darker boards run hotter in direct summer sun than lighter ones. If the deck faces south and children go barefoot, that is worth deciding in the showroom rather than in July.
Railings as part of the design
Rail systems change the look of a deck more than the decking does, because they sit at eye level. They are chosen against the architecture rather than from whatever matches the boards.
Think about the evenings
An open deck stops working at dusk
In Hampton Roads the insects decide when an open deck stops being usable. If you want the hours after sunset, a screened porch is worth weighing before the frame goes down. See decks and porches for the whole picture.
Good to know
Composite decking, answered
Composite or natural wood?
Composite does not need sanding, staining, or sealing, and it holds its colour. Natural wood is warmer underfoot and cheaper to buy, and it asks for maintenance every couple of years. In coastal Virginia humidity, composite is the lower-effort answer by some margin.
Does composite decking get hot?
In direct summer sun, yes, more than wood. Lighter boards run cooler than dark ones, and it is worth weighing if the deck faces south and children go barefoot. We would rather raise it now than have you discover it in July.
What is underneath the boards?
Pressure-treated framing, and it is the part that decides how long the deck lasts. Composite boards outlive a poorly built frame easily, so joist spacing, flashing at the house, and footings get the attention they deserve.
How long does composite last?
Considerably longer than wood, and the better grades carry long warranties. What ends most decks is the structure or the connection to the house rather than the surface, which is why we treat those as the real work.
Can composite go over my existing frame?
Sometimes, if the framing is sound and spaced correctly for the boards. We will open it up and tell you honestly. Putting a long-lived surface on a frame near the end of its life is not value.
Chesapeake Showroom
Visit us in person.
See the materials, meet the team, and talk through your project at our Chesapeake showroom, serving Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and the wider Hampton Roads region.
Hours
- Mon – Fri
- 9 AM – 6 PM
- Saturday
- 10 AM – 5 PM
- Sunday
- By Appointment
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