Take a look at 10 of the more popular flooring ideas for your porch. Pressure-treated pine is durable, weather-resistant, inexpensive, and long-lasting. When installing it, you need to consider that it can warp and shrink. Also, since this kind of wood is treated with an additive (usually copper), it corrodes metal fasteners not made out of galvanized or stainless steel. Also, it would be best if you didn’t burn it because of its additives, and its sawdust is not healthy when it becomes particulate in the air. After the initial installation, the new pine should be allowed to dry out for three to six months. Then a quality deck sealing agent needs to be applied to protect its surface from water and UV rays. You can also get the materials pre-treated with a sealant, a stain coat, or both. On average, pressure-treated pine porch flooring will cost $10 to $16 per square foot, not including the porch frame. This material can add up to $15 per square foot in value to the home in the first year after it is installed. Use grade 1 (better quality) for railings and stairs and grade 2 (standard quality) for the floorboards to save money. Pressure-treated pine can last up to 15 to 40 years, depending on the climate. However, over time it will darken and crack from rain and wear. Under typical applications, a redwood porch floor should be able to last one to two decades or longer, with no preventative maintenance. Unfortunately, they can be pretty expensive, at $18 to $22 per square foot, not including the understructure of the porch. Redwood is available in standard 5/4-inch x 6-inch boards and all standard 2-inch sizes. However, you usually have to special order these materials. It is more readily available than redwood, and it is just as expensive, averaging $17 to $23 per square foot for just the flooring materials and installation. These materials can be as inexpensive at $8 to $10 per square foot, though high-end options can go as high as $20. While installation is easy, the dust from vinyl is not biodegradable and can be toxic, so it has to be collected when these materials are cut to size and then disposed of properly. Another drawback is that exposure to constant sunlight can cause these floors to fade over time, and barefoot under direct sunlight, this flooring can get scorching hot. Outdoor vinyl flooring lasts only about 20 years, although some thicker plank floors may be guaranteed for 25 years. Composites are great for interior and exterior porches, but they can be expensive, averaging $18 to $22 per square foot. They tend to last a long time; however, there can be some fading with age, and cheaper products will look more like plastic than wood. The sawdust is also not biodegradable, requiring you to collect it when shaping planks. In some limited cases, local zoning boards won’t allow this material to be used for environmental reasons.
The best thing about pavers is that they are designed to last a lifetime. If one or two develop a crack, you can easily replace each one. Paver manufacturers often offer a lifetime guarantee for their products. Of the various paver options, bricks are usually more affordable, averaging about $8 per square foot, but going up in cost if you choose unusual sizes, rare colors, or odd shapes.
