Picking a deck material in Orlando — pressure-treated, cedar, or composite?

Most deck quotes get won or lost on one decision — what the boards are made of. Here is the read we give every customer in Orlando, in the order they ask.

Pressure-treated southern yellow pine

The cheapest option. Soaked with a copper-based preservative so termites and rot stay off it. In our climate a well-built PT deck lasts 12 to 18 years before the boards start cupping or splintering enough to call it. You will need to re-seal every 2 to 3 years to keep the look.

• Cost: roughly $30-$45 / sq ft installed.
• Look: light green when fresh, weathers gray within 6 months unless you stain.
• Best for: rental properties, secondary patios, tight budgets where 12 to 15 years is fine.

Western red cedar

Naturally rot-resistant from the tannins in the wood itself — no chemical bath required. Cedar smells like a cedar closet for the first six months. Same lifespan as PT in Florida if you keep up with the oil, but the surface stays softer underfoot and looks warmer.

• Cost: $45-$70 / sq ft installed. Roughly 1.5x the PT bill.
• Look: warm reddish-brown, weathers to silver-gray.
• Best for: pool decks where bare feet matter, primary entertaining areas, anywhere the look is the point.

Composite — Trex, TimberTech, Azek

A wood-plastic blend (or pure PVC in the case of Azek). Zero rot, zero termites, zero re-staining. Looks like wood at three feet, like plastic at six inches. In Florida the killer feature is the 25 to 50 year warranty — the manufacturer is betting their R&D against your sun.

• Cost: $55-$90 / sq ft installed. About 2x the PT bill.
• Look: whatever you pick; the color is the color, forever.
• Best for: primary residences, anyone who wants to never touch the deck again, dock surfaces that take a beating from sun and water.

What we usually recommend

In Orlando our default suggestion for a primary deck is capped composite — Trex Transcend or TimberTech AZEK Vintage. The first-year cost stings, but five years later when your neighbor is restaining their PT pine for the third time you will be hosing yours off with a garden sprayer.

If the budget will not stretch, we go to pressure-treated and tell you straight that re-seal is on the calendar every 2 years. We will not sell cedar for a backyard pad your dog drags across — it scratches. We will sell cedar all day for a pool deck.

Quick decision matrix

If you want it cheap and you accept the maintenance, pick PT. If you want it warm to walk on and look custom, pick cedar. If you want to stop thinking about it, pick composite. Every quote we send lists all three so you can pick eyes-open.

Got a project in mind? Send us the rough square footage and a photo of the space — we will come back with material options and a real range, usually within one business day.