Composite & PVC Decks in Freeport, Maine

Composite and PVC boards suit Freeport's shore and seasonal homes, some 280 of which are held for occasional use, because they skip the yearly washing, sanding and staining that wood needs. Capped composite boards resist salt, sun and moisture far better than the early products that stained and faded, and PVC boards take on almost no water, which helps on a deck near the Harraseeket that catches fog and spray. Hidden fasteners leave a clean surface for bare feet.

Shade is the other factor. A deck under oaks and pines on a wooded lot stays damp longer, and mildew grows on any surface that does not dry, composite included, so board color, spacing and airflow underneath all matter. Darker boards get hot in full sun, while lighter ones stay cooler on a south-facing deck. Composite still sits on a wood frame, so the structure below needs the same care as a wood deck: joist spacing matched to the board, ground-contact lumber for posts and beams, and flashing tape on joist tops. Freeze-thaw moves boards, so gapping to the maker's spec prevents buckling. Composite railings, fascia and stair treads can match the surface.

Census estimates (ACS 2020-2024) put Freeport at roughly 4,250 housing units with a median year built of 1984, young for a town incorporated in 1789: about 17 percent of homes predate 1940 and about a quarter predate 1960; another 18 or 19 percent went up between 1960 and 1979, and roughly 30 percent were built in 2000 or later, leaving about a quarter from the 1980s and 1990s. Around 72 percent are single-family detached houses, close to 78 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, and some 280 units are held for seasonal use. The oldest stock is Federal and Greek Revival: the c. 1790 Mitchell-Soule-Davis cape and the c. 1830 brick Harrington House survive on Main Street, and saltbox farmhouses such as the Pettengill House and the Capt. Greenfield Pote House stand near Mast Landing and on Wolfe's Neck. Newer neighborhoods fill in between Route 1, I-295 and the river.

Building permits come from the Codes Enforcement office at Freeport Town Hall, 30 Main Street. A permit is required for any structural work or change of use, alterations may need one too, and the town asks owners to check with the codes officer first; a complete residential application is usually approved within a week. The residential checklist asks deck applicants for pier locations, framing, fastening, guards, handrails and stairs, and asks for a window and door schedule with U-factors. Downtown renovations fall under the Design Review Ordinance and the Project Review Board, and land within 250 feet of tidal water or a coastal wetland is in the state shoreland zone.

Freeport sits at the northeastern corner of Casco Bay, and the Harraseeket River carries the tide inland past South Freeport, Porter's Landing and Mast Landing. Houses on Wolfe's Neck, in South Freeport and along the river take salt air, fog and northeast wind off the bay in nor'easters, while homes west of I-295 sit in more sheltered, wooded country. Snow is a real load here: Portland International Jetport, the nearest long-record weather station, averages about 69 inches a season under the 1991-2020 normals, most of it from December through March. Winters swing above and below freezing again and again, so water that gets behind trim, into siding joints or under shingles freezes, expands and works deeper with each cycle. Ice dams form on poorly insulated older roofs.

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 Freeport exterior services overview, or see every town on our Cumberland County service areas page.