Tools · Comparison

Composite vs wood — 10-year total

Build cost plus 10 years of maintenance, for any two materials. The cheapest option to install is rarely the cheapest option to own — this tool puts a real number on that gap.

10-year material comparison

Build cost + 10 years of maintenance, side by side. The cheaper upfront option is usually not the cheaper 10-year option.

Deck size

16 ft × 12 ft = 192 sq ft

Length16 ft

Width12 ft

Material A

Material B

Option A

Lower 10-yr total

Pressure-treated lumber

Build cost$5,750 – $8,650
10-year maintenance$1,150 – $2,700
10-year total$6,900 – $11,350

Annual cleaning + sealant every 1–2 years.

Option B

Composite (Trex-tier)

Build cost$10,550 – $16,300
10-year maintenance$200 – $500
10-year total$10,750 – $16,800

Wash twice a year; no refinishing required.

Over 10 years on this 192 sq ft deck, Pressure-treated lumber comes in roughly $4,650 cheaper than Composite (Trex-tier) when you add maintenance to the build cost. before HST.

Maintenance numbers assume homeowner-DIY cleaning and sealing. Hiring a contractor to strip and refinish a wood deck typically runs $1,500–3,500 per cycle and would shift wood totals higher.

Why a 10-year window

Ten years is roughly the point where the build-cost gap between cheap wood and premium composite gets fully amortized by the maintenance gap. Pressure-treated lumber is the cheapest deck to build but the most expensive deck to maintain — annual cleaning, sealant every year or two, and board replacements on the cuts that catch the worst weather. Composite is the inverse: substantially more expensive upfront, basically zero maintenance for the first decade.

At a 1-year horizon, pressure-treated always wins. At 25 years, composite or PVC almost always wins. Ten years is the decision-relevant horizon for most homeowners — long enough that maintenance matters, short enough that you might still be the person paying for it.

Maintenance assumptions

The per-square-foot maintenance numbers assume homeowner DIY — you cleaning and resealing the deck yourself with off-the-shelf cleaner and stain. If you plan to hire a contractor to strip and refinish a wood deck, expect $1,500–3,500 per cycle (two cycles on PT, three on cedar over 10 years), which shifts the comparison meaningfully toward composite or PVC.

Pressure-treated. $0.60–$1.40/sq ft/year. Wash once a year, reseal every 1–2 years.
Western red cedar. $0.80–$1.80/sq ft/year. Stain or oil every 2–3 years; cedar boards weather grey faster than PT and the refinishing window is tighter.
Composite (Trex-tier). $0.10–$0.25/sq ft/year. Wash twice a year; no refinishing.
PVC (Azek-tier). $0.05–$0.20/sq ft/year. Wash twice a year; capped surface is the most stable of the four.

What this tool doesn’t price

Replacement after Year 10. A well-maintained PT deck typically goes 15–20 years before major board replacement; composite is usually warrantied for 25+ years against rot. If your horizon is longer than 10 years, the composite case strengthens.
Resale value.Composite and PVC decks measurably help GTA resale appraisals; PT does not penalize resale but rarely adds. Real-estate effects vary by neighbourhood and aren’t in the model.
Insurance. Some carriers price PVC and composite slightly differently for wildfire-adjacent rural properties; not a factor for most GTA addresses.
Aesthetic preference. Cedar weathers to a silver patina that some homeowners specifically want. PVC has the most uniform look but reads as plastic up close.

The honest summary

For most GTA homeowners planning to stay in the house 10+ years, composite usually wins on 10-year total even though it loses on sticker price. For homeowners planning to sell in 3–5 years, PT usually wins on net cost even though composite would help appraisal. Cedar is rarely the cheapest option in either direction — it’s a look-and-feel choice. PVC is the highest-quality finish in the four-material set and the most expensive in every horizon under 30 years.