New composite decks
Treated timber frame built to code with correct footings and ledger detailing, finished with a capped composite surface. The frame is still wood — composite is a surface decision, not a structural one.
Deck Building
Composite Decking in Jacksonville & Northeast Florida
The surface that survives a Florida summer without an annual project.
In short
Composite decking is a manufactured board of wood fibre and polymer, usually with a protective cap layer. In Northeast Florida its advantages are specific — it does not splinter, it holds colour under intense UV, and it needs washing rather than the sanding and sealing cycle that treated wood demands in this climate.
Composite work we do
- New composite deck construction
- Composite resurfacing over sound frames
- Capped composite installation
- Composite railing systems
- Composite stairs and transitions
- Hidden fastener systems
- Mixed composite and timber builds
In detail
How we approach this work
Resurfacing an existing deck
Where the joists, ledger and posts are sound, pulling the old boards and laying composite gives you a new deck for a fraction of a full rebuild. We verify the frame properly first, because a resurface is only worth doing over structure with years left.
Hidden fastener systems
Clips that sit in a groove in the board edge, leaving an unbroken surface with no visible screw heads. They also allow correct expansion gaps, which matters more with composite than with timber.
Railings and stairs
Composite railing systems match the deck and remove the single highest-maintenance element of a timber deck. Stair treads in composite eliminate the splintering that makes wooden steps unpleasant in bare feet.
Colour and heat planning
We talk through board colour against the orientation of the space, because surface temperature in Florida sun is the factor most likely to determine whether the deck is used in summer.
What composite actually buys you here
The case for composite in Northeast Florida is not that it lasts longer than wood in the abstract. It is that it removes the maintenance cycle that this climate imposes on timber.
Treated pine in Florida sun and Florida humidity wants cleaning and resealing on a regular basis. Owners start out intending to do it. Within a few years most have stopped, and the deck greys, roughens and begins to splinter. The boards are still structurally fine — they are just unpleasant.
Capped composite does not require that cycle. It needs washing. That is the whole maintenance programme. For a lot of households, that single difference is what determines whether the outdoor space stays nice.
The frame is still timber
It is worth being clear about this, because the marketing often is not. A composite deck has a pressure-treated timber frame. The composite is the surface you walk on. Everything about footing depth, ledger attachment, flashing, post sizing and joist specification is the same engineering problem it would be under a wooden deck.
One difference does matter: joist spacing. Composite boards are generally less stiff than timber across a span, and most products specify tighter maximum joist spacing — often 16 inches on centre for perpendicular installation and considerably tighter for a diagonal layout. A frame built for 5/4 timber decking at wider spacing may need additional joists before composite goes down. We check this before quoting a resurface, not after.
Heat, and how to think about it
Every decking surface in Florida gets hot in full sun. The honest question is how hot, and for how many hours of the day.
The variables that actually move the number are colour (lighter is cooler, by a lot), orientation (west-facing afternoon exposure is the worst case), and shade (a roof, pergola or mature tree transforms the situation).
If the space will be in full afternoon sun and people will be barefoot, we will steer you toward the lighter end of the colour range, and we will say so even if you came in wanting the dark board. It is the most common source of regret on composite projects and it is entirely avoidable at specification time.
Expansion is a real detail
Composite expands and contracts with temperature more than timber does, and Northeast Florida delivers a wide annual range on an exposed deck surface. Boards need correct end gaps, correct fastener systems and correct installation temperature allowances. Hidden fastener clips handle this well and give a cleaner surface at the same time.
Get it wrong and the boards buckle in the first hot spell. It is not a subtle failure.
Before you decide
Questions worth answering first
Getting these right at the planning stage costs nothing. Getting them wrong is expensive to undo.
- Surface temperature
- Dark boards absorb more heat. In full afternoon sun a dark composite surface can become uncomfortable barefoot. Lighter tones and shaded orientations make a real, measurable difference.
- Expansion and gapping
- Composite moves with temperature more than timber does. Correct end gaps and fastener systems are not optional details — they are what stops boards buckling in August.
- Capped versus uncapped
- Uncapped composite is cheaper and stains and fades more. Capped products carry a polymer shell that resists both. In this climate the cap is generally worth the difference.
- Frame still matters
- Composite does not rescue a bad frame. Joist spacing requirements for composite are often tighter than for timber decking, and spacing that was fine under wood boards may not be acceptable under composite.
Answers
Composite Decking — common questions
Does composite decking get too hot in Florida?
It can, and colour matters more than brand. Any decking surface in full Florida afternoon sun gets hot — composite, timber or stone. Lighter colours stay meaningfully cooler than dark ones, and shade from a roof, pergola or tree changes the picture entirely. We will tell you honestly how a given colour is likely to behave in the orientation your deck will face, because this is the thing people most regret getting wrong.
How long does composite decking last?
Capped composite products are generally warranted for long periods against staining and fading, and the physical board life is longer still. The practical limit on the deck as a whole is usually the timber frame underneath, which is why frame specification and ventilation matter as much as the surface.
Is composite decking worth the extra cost?
It depends on your horizon and your appetite for maintenance. Treated wood in this climate wants cleaning and sealing on a regular cycle to stay good-looking, and most owners find that commitment harder to keep than they expected. Over ten or more years, composite typically costs less in total once the sealing, replacement boards and time are counted. Over three years it does not.
Can composite boards be laid over my existing deck frame?
If the frame is sound, yes — and it is good value. Two things need checking first: whether the joists, ledger and posts have real life left, and whether joist spacing meets the requirement for the composite product, which is often tighter than for timber decking. Where spacing is too wide, additional joists can usually be added.
Does composite decking get slippery?
Most capped composite products have reasonable traction, including wet. Where they get slippery is when organic growth builds up — a risk in shaded, damp areas, which this climate produces readily. Routine washing addresses it.
Can I use composite on a dock as well as a deck?
Yes, and many of our dock projects use a composite walking surface on a treated marine frame. It is particularly popular on terminal platforms where people stand and sit.
Next step
Request a composite decking estimate
We will come back with a clear scope and an honest view of what your site can support.
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