Question 1

Treated wood in ground contact on an Ottawa deck?

Accepted Answer

For posts and components that go into the ground, the 2024 Ontario Building Code says to use preservative-treated wood or the dark heartwood of a naturally durable species. That is the Code's own wording, and it applies to any deck post or structural member in ground contact. Health Canada identifies the two treatments available for residential construction today as Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) and Copper Azole (CA-B).

Question 2

Composite deck maintenance for Ottawa winters?

Accepted Answer

For composite decking, follow the manufacturer's care guide: we found no neutral cleaning or upkeep interval that applies across products, and care requirements vary by brand and product line. That said, a few things are consistent across Ottawa winters and worth knowing before you plan your maintenance schedule. Snow and ice removal is the winter job to plan for. Check the manufacturer's guide for which shovels, scrapers and de-icing products it allows on your boards before the first snowfall.

Question 3

Cedar versus pressure-treated for a deck in Ottawa weather?

Accepted Answer

Pressure-treated starts lower on published Ottawa and Ontario builder prices: about about $25 to $65 per square foot installed, while cedar runs about $45 to $80 per square foot installed. Those are wide ranges, and quotes differ on what the rest of the deck involves. What the materials actually do differently The USDA Forest Products Laboratory notes that the service lives of naturally durable and preservative-treated woods are quite comparable in above-ground uses such as decking boards.

Question 4

Capped composite versus old composite boards in Ontario?

Accepted Answer

Capped composite (a wood-plastic core wrapped in a polymer shell) and older uncapped composite (wood fibre and plastic blended through, no shell) are both sold as composite decking, and what you can compare is what each manufacturer publishes. Manufacturers of capped composite lines publish 25- and 30-year limited product warranties alongside fade and stain warranties. We found no neutral source on uncapped boards' warranties or lifespan.

Question 5

Was my pre-2004 Ottawa deck built with CCA lumber?

Accepted Answer

If your Ottawa deck was built before 2004, Health Canada says it is likely to have been made from CCA-treated lumber, which stands for Chromated Copper Arsenate. There is no way to know for certain just by looking at it, but the pre-2004 date is the clearest indicator Health Canada gives. CCA is no longer available for residential construction projects in Canada. The treatments used today are Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) or Copper Azole (CA-B).

Question 6

Do composite warranties cover fading on Ottawa decks?

Accepted Answer

Composite decking manufacturers publish fade and stain warranties on their capped wood-plastic composite lines, including 25- and 30-year limited terms, and some cellular PVC lines carry a lifetime limited product warranty with a 50-year fade and stain warranty. These are manufacturer warranty terms, not lifespan guarantees, and the coverage, exclusions and claim process vary by product. A few things are worth understanding before you rely on a warranty for an Ottawa deck.

Materials & Boards