Painted decks - worth the cost saving compared to composite?

dilby

Hi all -
I'm looking to get a patio built and need to keep overheads down. Had my heart set on composite decking but am shocked to see how much it is! Does anyone have any
experience with painted decks? I have a deck now that is stained and I just find the upkeep a pain and get the impression it can be a turn off when selling (but perhaps im mistaken). I was in B&Q yesterday and they had Valspar decking paint advertised with a 10 year guarantee and wondered if that was maybe a viable alternative? 
Thanks so much!

Homer_home

Mickey666 said:

The problem with most decks is that they are cosntructed from fast-grown softwood that is, frankly, cr@ppy quality.  But of course, many people want to pay as little as possible yet still expect cheap tat to last forever, or buy a magic paint-on solution.  Well good luck with that.

We should all be familiar with the Common Law of Business Balance, ie you get what you pay for.  Or, in more detail:

"There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person's lawful prey. It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better."

That was a cracking answer to the ops question - not (more of a rant)

Op - painting is ok , however like any outdoor paint it will fade and need recoating from time to time plus foot traffic will not help either