Your front porch is a visitor’s first impression of your home, playing a huge role in the overall curb appeal of your property and gateway to your interior aesthetic. However, far too often, porches are left as an afterthought, still sporting the original concrete slab they were built with and lending nothing to the style. Whether you’re in the process of ripping out and replacing a damaged concrete slab, or looking to elevate the vibe by covering the structurally-sound yet run-of-the-mill existing concrete (with the help of a professional), one of the easiest, most attractive decisions you can make for your new porch flooring is composite decking.
Compared to a bland, basic, concrete porch slab, composite decking that mimics the look of real wood adds significantly more personality, warmth, and texture. Available in many different colors that have a natural, stained, or painted wooden look, the aesthetic versatility of pre-finished composite flooring means you can easily tailor the look of your porch to reflect your personal taste and home’s style without the hassle of finishing after installation. Especially as technology is improving and the imitation wood is becoming more convincing, composite allows you the warm and welcoming visual appeal of wood instead of the functional yet drab concrete slab.
And, believe it or not, with all of this bolstered upscale style, composite decking also offers a wonderfully simple maintenance routine to make your porch as enjoyable and reliable as it is pretty. But this comes at a cost, so let’s dive into all of the details on how the upkeep, lifespan, and price of beautiful composite decking compares to concrete or real wood for your porch or patio.
Style, durability, and maintenance factors often outweigh composite porch flooring costs
Aside from composite flooring’s aesthetic benefits, the other major advantage is maintenance. While concrete has a similarly-long lifespan as composite– both of which can last 30 to 50 years with proper care– it requires sealing every two to three years to maintain its condition. And, though beautiful, real wood planks rated for outdoor use, such as cedar or pressure-treated lumber, also require periodic restaining, resealing, and spot replacements to make it to the upper end of their average lifespan of 10 to 40 years.
However, composite decking is a very low-maintenance product that only requires regular seasonal cleanings to last decades or more. Additionally, because the material’s made from a combination of plastic and wood fibers (sometimes partially or completely recycled) that are heated and pressed into durable, long-lasting deck material, they’re very resistant to moisture, decay, mold, and insects that plague other porous materials. Just be aware that some composite gets hotter to the touch than others, so do proper research on the final product.
But with all this added longevity, functionality, and visual interest comes a higher upfront cost, with composite decking costing an average of $15 to $32 per square foot for material and professional installation. Compared to the average square-footage price of $15 to $25 for installing pressure-treated wood decking (and a bit more for cedar) or $6 to $18 to pour a concrete slab, composite porches, especially those made with high-quality, name-brand products, will hit the wallet harder. However, when the overall lifespan, lack of maintenance, and elevated style are taken into account, many homeowners feel that the investment is more cost-effective and significantly more visually satisfying over time.