Too Hot to Walk On: Toronto Deck Builder Decksforlife Explains Why Some Decks Reach 60°C in July and How to Build One That Stays Barefoot Friendly

On a hot July afternoon, two decks sitting side by side in the same backyard can differ by 15 degrees or more underfoot. The color of the board decides that, not the logo on the box,” says Decksforlife. Pictured: a light-toned composite deck with shade coverage built by Decksforlife in the Greater Toronto Area, designed to stay comfortable for bare feet through the summer.

With the Greater Toronto Area in the middle of another stretch of 30-degree afternoons, one complaint keeps coming up in backyards from Scarborough to Mississauga: the deck is too hot to walk on. According to Toronto deck builder Decksforlife‚ which has operated in the greater Toronto area (GTA) since 2019‚ the problem is real‚ measurable‚ and almost always preventable at the design stage․

A black deck board can reach above 55 °C on a sunny day with air temperatures around 30 °C․ Most people cannot stand on hot black deck board barefoot for more than a second or two․ Homeowners sometimes believe that deck boards have a default tendency of getting hot‚ and that composite decking in general has a reputation of running hot․

“The single biggest factor is color, not category,” said a Decksforlife spokesperson. “A dark brown or charcoal board will absorb heat whether it is wood, composite, or PVC. A light grey or sand-toned board in the same sun stays dramatically cooler. People spend weeks comparing brands and about five minutes picking a color, and the color decision is the one their feet will remember every July.”

The company points to manufacturer testing that backs this up. In side-by-side trials run by Trex, newer capped composite boards measured up to 35 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than older-generation composite, with color and sun exposure driving most of the difference. Board technology has also moved forward. Two more colors introduced to Trex’s offerings in January 2026‚ Pebble Beach and Golden Hour‚ employ heat-dissipating technology to block infrared rays to keep the top surface cooler during the hottest months in Toronto․

Beyond board selection, Decksforlife builds heat management directly into deck design. The company recommends four approaches for GTA homeowners planning a new build or replacing an aging deck this season.

Choose a lighter color for any deck with full southern or western exposure. Light grey, weathered driftwood, and sand tones consistently run coolest underfoot. Dark colors can still work beautifully on shaded lots or north-facing yards.

Avoid putting planning for shade off until the hardscape is in․ A pergola‚ shade sail or privacy screen can turn the hottest corner of a deck into the most popular seat in the yard when the sun is low․ Another unique feature of Decksforlife is that their pergolas and aluminum privacy screens are built right into the frame of the deck‚ so the shade is integrated rather than added later․

Leave room for airflow. Proper joist spacing and ventilation gaps under the boards let heat escape instead of building up in the structure below the surface.

Test samples in real sun. Before committing to a color, homeowners should leave board samples in the backyard on a hot afternoon and touch them at 3 p.m. Decksforlife provides physical samples during its free design consultations for exactly this reason, alongside a free photo-realistic 3D model that shows how each color will look on the finished deck.

“We have rebuilt decks that were only a few years old because the family simply stopped using them in summer,” the spokesperson added. “That is a lot of money for a space nobody touches in July and August. Ten minutes of planning around heat solves it for the life of the deck.”

Decksforlife builds custom decks in composite, PVC, pressure treated wood, cedar, and IPE across Toronto, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Mississauga, Aurora, Newmarket, Ajax, Pickering, and surrounding communities. Every project includes free 3D design, permit handling, and a 2-year labor warranty, with all work performed by the company’s own crews rather than subcontractors.

About Decksforlife

Decksforlife is a Toronto-based deck builder and Canadian deck contractor providing services in the Greater Toronto Area‚ Ontario‚ Canada․ Established in 2019‚ the company has been recognized as a TimberTech and Fiberon certified installer‚ and was awarded the HomeStars Best of the Best five years in a row from 2021 to 2025․ Decksforlife is also fully insured with liability and WSIB worker’s insurance․ Decksforlife includes a free 3D deck design with every project and backs all its work up with a 2-year labor warranty․

Media Contact
Company Name: Decksforlife
Contact Person: Iaroslav Streapan
Email: Send Email
Phone: (647) 701-3206
Address:3150 Dufferin Street Suite 1007
City: North York
State: ON
Country: Canada
Website: https://decksforlife.ca/