Plastic wood and natural wood stairs: Which is the better choice?

The main component of the wood-plastic stairs is 40% PVC plastic and 60% other components (including stone powder and additives), with prices ranging from 769.000 - 799.000 VND/㎡ (December 12). This type has the advantages of being waterproof, termite-proof, fast to construct and 2024 - 3 times cheaper than natural wood, with a durability of 5 - 15 years.

Natural wooden stairs are made from wood types such as Pine, Oak, and Rosewood with prices ranging from 2 to 4 million VND/㎡ depending on the type. Although it has a high durability of up to 30 years and outstanding aesthetics, this material is easily affected by environmental conditions, requiring high construction techniques and careful preservation during use.

Choosing the right type of stairs for a project requires considering many factors such as design trends, budget, environmental conditions and aesthetic requirements.

Dr. Tran Quoc Ai - Construction materials expert at the Central University of Construction: "Fake wood plastic stairs have outstanding moisture resistance. Although they can only simulate 70 - 80% of the natural beauty of real wood, they have met the basic aesthetic needs of 85% of users."

What are wood plastic stairs?

Wooden imitation plastic stairs The main ingredient is 40% PVC plastic and 60% other ingredients (stone powder + additives). The set of imitation wood plastic stairs usually includes treads, risers and risers Monochromatic color creates a seamless look for the project.

Advantages of wood grain plastic stairs

Plastic wood-like stairs are now used to replace real wooden stairs with many outstanding advantages such as:

• Waterproof, termite-proof: The main ingredient is plastic, combined with modern production technology with a 0.3mm thick coating, helping to protect stairs from mold and termites, especially suitable for Vietnam's hot and humid climate.
• Reasonable price: About 3 - 5 times cheaper than natural wood, only from 769.000 - 799.000 VND/m² (December 12), suitable for the budget of many families.
• Fast construction, limited fine dust: Construction time is only 1/3 compared to natural wood, less dust, fine dust, saving time and effort.
• Safety for the user: Modern rough surface helps prevent slipping effectively. In particular, it meets E1 standards for Formaldehyde concentration.
• Scratch-resistant, impact-resistant, heat-resistant: The internal honeycomb structure creates multiple support points, distributing the impact force more evenly, helping the stairs withstand large loads of up to 200kg/m², with little deformation. In addition, the product also meets AC3, AC4 scratch resistance standards, ensuring the durability of the project from 15 to 20 years.

Disadvantages of wood-plastic stairs

Although highly aesthetic with realistic and sharp wood grain, the imitation wood plastic stairs still cannot compare with the natural beauty and luxury of real wood. In addition, the average life of wood grain plastic stairs ranges from 15 to 20 years, still lower than that of natural wood stairs.

What are natural wood stairs?

Natural wooden stairs are made from wood types such as Pine, Oak, Rosewood, etc. with unique and authentic wood grain. Each type of wood has its own characteristics in terms of hardness, bearing capacity and color.

Advantages of natural wooden stairs

Because it is made from real wood, the material has many superior features of wood such as:

• High aesthetics, unique wood grain, creating a luxurious, cozy and close to nature beauty.
• High durability can be up to 30 years if used and preserved properly. Especially hard woods, have good resistance to force and abrasion, ensuring long life.
• Can be polished periodically (recommended every 3-5 years) to renew, increase the aesthetic and economic value of the project over time.

Disadvantages of natural wooden stairs

Due to the high cost of raw materials and the processing requires high technology, natural wooden stairs are 3 to 5 times more expensive than plastic stairs. The price of pine stairs is about 2.000.000 VND/m², Russian oak is about 2.800.000 VND/m², Laotian rosewood is about 4.000.000 VND/m², updated in December 12.

The construction and installation process is also more complicated, requiring high skills of workers and longer completion time. In addition, natural wood is easily affected by environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity, requiring preservation measures to prevent termites, limit warping and shrinkage during use.

Comparison of plastic wood and natural wood stairs

When comparing plastic wood and natural wood stairs, it can be seen that each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Below is a summary table of important criteria that Customers can refer to:

How to choose the right stairs

Choosing the right stairs should be based on many factors such as:

• Personal trends and preferences: The style of the staircase must be consistent with the overall architecture and interior of the house. Modern style emphasizes simplicity and neutral colors such as white, gray, and light brown. Meanwhile, classical and neoclassical styles favor warm colors such as golden brown, reddish brown, dark brown, and elaborate patterns.
• Investment budget: The budget for the staircase is a key factor in deciding the material and style. You can choose materials that suit your budget from low to high. For example, the cost of natural wood stairs can be 3-5 times higher than that of imitation wood plastic stairs.
• Environmental conditions of use: The climate and humidity of the living area directly affect the durability of the stairs. In places with high humidity above 70%, the use of natural wood can easily lead to mold, warping, and termites. Instead, wood-like plastic with good moisture resistance will be a safer and more durable choice.
• Requirements for aesthetics and longevity: Materials and construction methods will directly affect the aesthetics and longevity of the project. For example, properly treated natural wood can last up to 30 years, while imitation wood plastic usually has an average lifespan of about 15 - 20 years.

Related question

Is it easy or difficult to install fake wood plastic stairs?

Construction of imitation wood plastic stairs is quite easy and quick.. Plastic panels have standard sizes, easy to cut and assemble. The product surface is finished, no need to sand or paint. The average construction time is only 1/3 compared to natural wood steps, specifically including the following steps:

• Prepare premises and materials
• Measure and cut materials
• Attach plastic stair treads
• Plastic stair tread cover
• Plastic stair tread cladding
• Apply glue to the edge.

>>> How to build stairs quickly and beautifully.

What are industrial wooden stairs?

Industrial wooden stairs is a staircase that uses industrial wood to cover parts such as the stair tread, stair posts and handrails. The materials used here are industrial wood types such as MDF, HDF, MFC produced by crushing natural wood, mixing with glue and pressing into panels.

Using industrial wood helps stairs increase aesthetics, reproducing 70-80% of the beauty of real wood. At the same time, it is 20-30% more cost-effective than natural wood while still ensuring a stable structure, moisture resistance, and quick construction.

How to preserve wooden stairs to always be durable and beautiful?

Below are some suggestions for preserving beautiful and durable stairs that users should pay attention to:

Avoid direct sunlight or rain, avoid placing heavy, sharp or abrasive objects on the product surface, avoid using chemical detergents or strong cleaning solutions for cleaning, limit wearing shoes with hard soles or high heels, perform periodic maintenance every 3-6 months to increase product life.

Plastic wood stairs are an economical choice, easy to construct, suitable for projects with limited budgets. Meanwhile, natural wood stairs bring luxurious beauty, superior durability but higher cost. Customers should consider many factors such as personal preferences, budget, conditions of use, etc. to have the right choice for their project.