How a CR home editor dealt with material shortages and higher prices as he searched for the best decking material April 2022: Our finished deck, two years in the making. By Paul Hope In early 2020, my ...

If you’re planning on building a deck this year, you’re bound to encounter some pretty harsh realities. Inflation, coupled with an unprecedented lumber shortage, has caused decking prices to skyrocket ...

Pretty much any deck will look great when it’s brand new, but a deck built with subpar materials will start showing its age in a year or two. Fast-forward a decade, and a wooden deck that was ...

Q: Some 20 years ago, I had a “treated” wood deck built behind my home and was told by the builder that additional sealer or wood treatment was not necessary. In fact, the builder said, it could hurt ...

Stain wood when it hasn’t rained for three days and when the forecast calls for at least two days of dry weather (or two and ...

Composite decking is a great choice vs. wood for a variety of reasons. People choose wood plastic composite (WPC) or even plastic lumber (PL) over wood because they want the finished project to resist ...

CR tests composite decking for three years under severe conditions, evaluating planks from brands such as Azek, Fiberon, and ...

Timothy has written about personal finance, including detailed home renovation and repair cost guides, since 2017. His work covers everything from plumbing and roofing to solar and pest control. Find ...

Geraldine has over a decade of experience writing within the home improvement sector. Additionally, she has unique first-hand renovation experience as the previous owner of a house-flipping business.