The Top 10 Questions You Should Be Asking Before Choosing a Deck

Choosing a deck is exciting — it’s the part of a renovation where you can finally picture yourself with a coffee in hand, looking out over a space that actually works for how you live. But a deck is also one of those projects where the gap between “looks great in the showroom” and “still looks great in five years” comes down to a handful of details most people never think to ask about.

That’s why we teamed up with the experts at Eva-Last to break down the ten questions worth asking before you commit to a new deck. We’re talking about it all — the obvious concerns, and the ones that quietly make or break a project.

1. What colour will actually work with my home’s architecture?

Start with your home’s existing palette, not the board that caught your eye on Pinterest. Lighter, warmer tones like Savanna, Riverstone Cream or Himalyan Cedar tend to suit contemporary and coastal homes. However, deeper tones like Tiger Cove and Chestnet Cedar tend towards more traditional. Eva-Last’s Apex PLUS and Infinity ranges both use multi-tonal colour technology, so the board itself has enough natural variation to work with brick, render, stone, or cladding without looking flat or artificial.

2. How much maintenance will it actually need?

Timber decking needs sanding, oiling, and resealing — typically once or twice a year. This helps hold colour and ensure that it stays crack-free. Composite decking needs none of that. The occasional rinse with soap and water is generally all it takes to keep Eva-Last boards looking the way they did on day one.

3. Will it get uncomfortably hot underfoot?

A fair question in South African summers. Colour and material choice play a role here. Darker boards absorb more heat. Choosing a lighter tone in a pool or north-facing area will make a noticeable difference underfoot. PVC based boards are also known to be cooler underfoot than other composite, so if this is a primary driver, Apex PLUS is the way to go.

4. Can I use it around a pool or in consistently wet areas?

This is where timber usually loses the fight. Constant moisture causes swelling, splintering, and slip risk over time. Eva-Last’s composite ranges are engineered to resist moisture absorption. These come with slip-resistant surface finishes, making them a safer, longer-lasting choice for pool decks and water features. Apex PLUS has the highest slip resistance rating in the range, so this should be the board of choice if slip resistance is important.

5. What’s the realistic lifespan?

Softwood decking often needs replacing within 7–10 years, even with regular maintenance. Hardwood can last longer but at a higher cost and with ongoing upkeep. Composite decking from a reputable manufacturer is built for decades. Eva-Last’s ranges carry warranties of up to 30 years, which tells you a lot about how the manufacturer expects the product to perform over time.

6. What material options do I actually have in choosing a deck, and why composite?

Broadly: softwood (cheap, high-maintenance, shortest lifespan), hardwood like ipe or teak (beautiful, expensive, still needs upkeep), and composite (sometimes a higher upfront cost, lowest total cost of ownership). Composite decking exists specifically to solve the problems timber can’t. It doesn’t warp, splinter, rot, or need refinishing, while still delivering a convincing wood-look finish.

7. What’s happening with drainage underneath?

This one gets missed constantly. A deck built over poor drainage will trap moisture against the substructure, leading to problems you won’t see until they’re expensive to fix. Make sure your installer accounts for proper fall, ventilation, and water runoff beneath the deck.

8. What’s actually holding the deck up?

The substructure matters as much as the decking itself. A deck is only as good as the substructure frame built beneath it. Always check what joist spacing is specified for your chosen board. This can affect even the best composite decking performance and warranty validity. Choosing a reputable installer, will be the best decision you can make.

9. Has thermal movement been factored in?

All decking materials expand and contract with temperature, composite included. Installers need to leave the correct spacing between boards and around fixed structures to accommodate this movement. Skip this step and you’ll see boards lifting or unsightly gaps within a year or two — not a product failure, but an installation one.

10. What does the warranty actually cover?

A warranty is only as good as its fine print. Look past the number of years advertised and read their full warranty document. Who assesses claims and how, what’s excluded, and the depreciation over the length of the warranty. Eva-Last publishes clear, detailed warranty terms for both residential and commercial installations. Their webiste also has a straightforward claims process — the kind of transparency worth looking for from any decking brand before you commit.

Having answers to these ten questions before even choosing a supplier, will be what separates a deck that ages well from one that becomes a five-year renovation redo. If you’re weighing up your options, Eva-Last’s decking range comparison page is are worth a look. Here, composite decking is engineered specifically for South African conditions, backed by warranties that hold up to scrutiny.