The Deck Journal / Materials
Composite vs. pressure-treated for lake-effect country
Jul 22, 2026 · 7 min read
The composite-vs-wood question is the first one we field on almost every design visit, and the honest answer is: it depends on how you weigh cost now against upkeep later.
Pressure-treated lumber runs $38–52 per square foot installed. It’s the budget workhorse, and it holds up fine structurally under our snow loads, but it needs re-staining every 2–3 years to survive freeze–thaw cycling without splintering or graying.
Composite runs $62–95 per square foot installed, about 30–40% more up front. In exchange, it doesn’t stain, doesn’t splinter, and shrugs off snow shovels. About 60% of our builds now go composite, mostly from repeat customers who did the math on a decade of restaining.
The honest recommendation: if you’re planning to stay in the house more than five years, composite usually wins on total cost. If you’re budget-constrained now or love the look of real wood, PT lumber with a disciplined staining schedule is a perfectly sound choice. We build both, and we’ll quote both so you can compare the real numbers side by side.
