Composite & PVC Decks in Casco, Maine

Composite and PVC decking fit the way many people use a house in Casco. For a seasonal cottage, boards that do not need yearly staining mean the deck is ready when the camp opens in June. Around the lakes, shade and moisture make wood decks slippery with mildew, and capped composite and PVC boards resist that growth far better, though pollen and pine needles still need an occasional rinse. Railings, stair treads and fascia can be finished in matching material for a uniform look.

Winter is still a factor. Snow sits on a Casco deck for months, and repeated freezing and thawing work on every fastener. Composite moves more with temperature than wood, so spacing and fastening need to follow the manufacturer's cold-weather guidance, and a plastic shovel is kinder to the surface than steel. The framing underneath, usually pressure-treated lumber, needs to be sound and set on footings below frost, since a composite surface is only as good as its structure. On lake lots, the town's shoreland rules apply to a new deck regardless of the decking material, so plan for that review.

Census estimates count about 2,970 housing units in Casco, with a median year built of 1988, noticeably newer than Raymond's 1976. Only about 5 percent predate 1940 and around 18 percent predate 1960, while roughly 31 percent have gone up since 2000. About 76 percent are single-family detached homes, a lower share than in neighboring Raymond, and about 90 percent of occupied homes are owned by the people living in them. Seasonal use is large: roughly 1,210 units, about four in ten, are held for seasonal or recreational occupancy, from shoreline cottages to second homes. The town also runs a short-term rental registration ordinance, since many lake houses are rented by the week. The older layer is small but real, including a Federal-style house from about 1795 in South Casco.

Casco's Code Enforcement Department, which the town calls its building department, works from the town office at 635 Meadow Road and meets by appointment. Since April 7, 2025 the town enforces the 2021 I-codes under Maine's uniform building code. The building permit application asks whether a lot is in shoreland, water body, wetland or resource protection zoning, wants a plot plan with roadside and lakeside setbacks, and records lot coverage. Permits are valid for one year. Work in the shoreland zone, within 250 feet of a great pond, uses a separate Shoreland Project Permit Application with photos before and after construction.

Casco is inland, so the weather that wears on houses here is snow, cold and the wind off big water, not salt. Published normals from the National Weather Service office in nearby Gray show about 84 inches of snow a year for 1991-2020, well above the roughly 69 inches at the Portland Jetport. Deep cold and midwinter thaws alternate from December into March. Cottages on the north shore of Sebago Lake face miles of open water to the south, and Sebago rarely freezes over completely, so that exposure lasts through the winter. Houses on Pleasant Lake, Thomas Pond and the smaller ponds sit among tall pines, where shade and needle litter keep roofs and decks damp.

Composite and PVC decking do not need staining, do not splinter, and resist rot, which is why they have become the default for new decks in Maine. Composite boards blend wood fiber and plastic under a protective cap; PVC boards are all synthetic and lighter. The North Deering farmhouse on this site got a rebuilt deck with AZEK composite decking. The framing underneath is still wood, so it is built to last as long as the boards on top.

• Layout, size and board color are chosen with the owner at the estimate visit.
• Footings and framing are built to code, with joist spacing that suits the board manufacturer's span rules.
• Joist tape or flashing protects the tops of joists and the ledger.
• Boards go down with hidden fasteners or color-matched screws and the expansion gaps the product requires.
• Matching railings, stair treads, fascia and landings finish the deck.

• You are done staining and sealing a wood deck every year or two
• The deck is in shade or near water where wood stays damp
• You want a deck that stays barefoot-friendly with no splinters

• Composite versus PVC, and the product line
• Deck size, height and shape
• Railing system and stairs
• Hidden-fastener versus face-screw installation
• Footing and framing conditions

Every job is priced from a free on-site visit. Typical ranges for the trade are on our deck building page, and the details of this service are on the composite and PVC decks overview.

Back to the Casco exterior services overview, or see every town on our Cumberland County service areas page.