composit decks

[drjfjr]

I am thinking of building a deck with composit materials. My 24 year old deck has served us well but I need to replace it. If any of you or your neighbors have a composit deck would you or they do it again? I am more interested in fading, scratching and longevity or general items that you do or do not like. Please include the brand if you would.

Thanks

 

[weekend rider]

Yep my inlaws have one , composite deck. It has been in for appox. 6 years. The decking was purchased from Home Depot the brand they carry.

So far the deck has held up very good to the weather rainand sun. The decking will change colors as it weathers and get the U v"s from the sun light. , which is normal. It is maintenance free always looks good andyou can bring it back to life with a power washer for spring clean up.

Remember it needs to be screwed down and not nailed and the heads sunk into the the decking.

The cost is going to be 25-35% more but maintenance free.

As of todays times I would do a little research and you will find that there are many more choice than what he had to chose from, when he purchased his.

I would never put a wood deck down nothing but work and maintenance and splinters.

Here is some info hope it helps.. good luck

 

[jwilly]

I was gung ho about doing a composite deck until I priced the materials! After I picked my ass up off the floor I told the guy to hook me up with some pressure treated wood! Here's my thing about the composite decking, the frame of the deck is still pressure treated wood. Does it really matter if the deck boards last 109 years when they are screwed to a piece of wood that is going to last 20-25 years. I'm jus sayin??

Here's a picture of my deck completed:

 

[jestal]

I am thinking of building a deck with composit materials. My 24 year old deck has served us well but I need to replace it. If any of you or your neighbors have a composit deck would you or they do it again? I am more interested in fading, scratching and longevity or general items that you do or do not like. Please include the brand if you would.Thanks

A couple of us in the neighbothood have been agonizing over this very topic.....

Several decks in the neighorhood topped with the composite trex(?) material. This is the stuff that is an extruded solid 5/4 "board" that looks like a mixture of plastic bits and sawdust. Lots of complaints about the lack of dimensional stability. It sags and seems to move around a bit due to expansion and contraction. It also weathers to light gray color that is not particularily attractive but the stuff cannot be stained or sealed to look like new again. Also dissatisfaction with the material puckering up around the scew heads or fasteners. Even the special scews designed for it that imbed themselves below the surface are highly visible due to the material the head displaces pushing up.

One neighbor's deck is topped with a harder plastic board that is actually a C channel the size of a 2x6. This stuff is secured at each joist with plastic clips that screw directly to the joist snd grip the board on the sides. This stuff was very pricey but has excellent appearance and has not weathered at all in 5 years. The railings, steps, etc are all of the stuff as the same company offers all the accessory parts in the same plastic. It realy does look excellent and appears to have infinite life. Downers are cost, the stuff is deathly slippery when wet. My personal reason why I would never use this stuff is that the deck is very noisy. Wqlking on it causes a litany of creaks and pops and chirps as the plastic moves against other plastic parts. Just plain annoying. You can hear the deck popping and making noise when the sun goes behind a cloud as it cools momentarily.

Whatever you choose I would definitely try to find a deck in your area that has the particular stuff you are considering and look it and walk on it

When I went thru this decision I considered the logic that the joists and stuff underneath is still pressure treated wood so I used cedar 2x6 for the floor and cedar for the railings. It has held up quite well for 14 years but does require some maintenance.

Here's how it looked at the end of last summer after a week of pressure washing and two coats of Penefin stain.

 

[Fencer]

Here's my thing about the composite decking, the frame of the deck is still pressure treated wood. Does it really matter if the deck boards last 109 years when they are screwed to a piece of wood that is going to last 20-25 years. I'm jus sayin??

Hit the head of the nail right there buddy :good:

Also, the maint free thing is not entirely true.

These boards will mildew and grow algea on them depending on your environment. You will have to wash them from time to time and they can be slick (same as wood) when wet.

Personally, till they make a framework outa the same stuff, it aint worth it.

Think of it like this.

You have a beautifully washed and polished car, a show winner, with one flaw. Its got no engine.

IMHO

One more thing most of you don't know, but since I work with this stuff daily...

Your new deck will not last as long as your old deck. Prior to 2004, most wood (pine) was treated with CCA. EPA changed that to a more consumer friendly material most is ACQ or something else I can't remember right now.

The CCA came from treating plant with a "lifetime" warranty agains rot and decay and it would last on average 20-30 years before needing to be replaced. the new stuff has a 10-15 year warranty so you do the math.

If you want to spend the money on something that will last a while and have no chemicals, use cedar or cyprus woods.

 

[stormrider]

I have had three Cedar decks to the tune of a combined 25 years. They are beautiful but the maintanence is a pain in the ass. The same as my old BMW. (hence getting rid of it)

I did about 8 months of research and walked on about 75 decks made of different materials. After all was said and done I replaced my with a product called Procell.

Yes I do have to clean it once a year, mix a little bleach with water and brush the deck off. I will take that over the cedar anyday.

Yes the boards do have a little flex to them, but that all depends on the joist spacing

For me it works great

ymmv

 

[El Toro Joe]

I have the Trex brand decking and a paver patio, both about 9 years old. They have not needed any repairs or stain/sealer...more time for riding

 

[worldbound4now]

Holy Sh!t Jestal and Jwilly, you guys have an awesome outdoor functional space. I'm jealous.

 

[drjfjr]

Yes the boards do have a little flex to them, but that all depends on the joist spacing
For me it works great

ymmv

I am looking at Azek who bought out Procell as well as others. What joist spacing and size do you have? I was looking at standard 16" but also have a material list and design for 12 inch. They do not have a railing system with thier decks what railings did you use?

 

[SLK50]

Finally a subject I can talk about! The company I work for wholesales building materials. It has purchased about $550,000.00 worth of composite deck materials already this year ( over 60 SKU's )

Some random thoughts based on the posts above:

Don't screw THRU composite decking. Use any number of blind fastening systems. Some products are designed for this already. You'll be much happier with the results.

Use stainless steel or hot dipped galvanized fasteners with ACQ treated lumber. Regular steel corrodes rapidly when in contact with ACQ.

Structural framing lumber is not exposed to the weather nearly as much as the decking, easily outlasting it. Don't assume it will need replacement also. This would be a good time to "re-treat" it.

If your in a similar demographic as me, then a 25 year life expectancy for a deck is OK with me.

Don't use Trex unless you plan to rent the house or sell it in the next 60 days. Timbertech, Procell,

Nexwood, et al, lot's of good choices, talk to your local retailer.

If your concerned about it being slippery, choose something textured. Again, lot's of choices.

The "noisy" material mentioned is fiberglass, a little different than the other composites. The fiberglass-to-fiberglass conections are prone to sqeaks. Composite-to-wood connections are not.

Finally, each spring use some type of bleaching deck wash. It removes mold and mildew ( which causes stains ) and makes your deck look like new again.

Considering the look, feel and longevity of composite I would never use wood again. The time saving alone is worth the extra expense. No more splinters in my kid's feet is a bonus.

 

[vectervp1]

Holy Sh!t Jestal and Jwilly, you guys have an awesome outdoor functional space. I'm jealous.

No kidding! Your freaking decks are bigger than my entire back yard!!

 

[SLK50]

Holy Sh!t Jestal and Jwilly, you guys have an awesome outdoor functional space. I'm jealous.

No kidding! Your freaking decks are bigger than my entire back yard!!

If you've got money, you don't need a big deck!

 

[HaulinAshe]

JWilly gave up a new FJR for that deck! His neighbors complain about the gravitational field it produces!



Composite material decking showed up around here a couple years ago. So far, the biggest complaint I've heard is the lack of structural stability. When it's 100+F in the direct afternoon sun, the stuff goes a bit "limp". Seems the same size deck in wood requires less sub-structure?

 

[Fencer]

Structural framing lumber is not exposed to the weather nearly as much as the decking, easily outlasting it. Don't assume it will need replacement also. This would be a good time to "re-treat" it.

And how does one "re-treat" lumber? The preservative is pressure cooked into the wood so it is permeated throughout.

You can paint it, stain it, but not treat it.

I have a problem with easily outlasting. This is very determanant on environmental conditions of your area and the mantanence it receives.

The structural lumber is a larger diameter/thickness than the deck boards hence a longer time to decay to the same point(e.g. if something is an inch thick and it decays 1/16 an in a year, its life expectancy is 16 years, how long would the 4 inch piece last?)

Most folks move every 3-5 years and a lot more in 15 years. How long do you plan to be there?

And as I told one of my customers who asked about building a composite fence. for the price diff you could build another new one in 15 years and still save money.

That sheet is expensive.

 

[jmdaniel]

Had a former co-worker ask me today what I thought about him building a Trex fence. He got a quote for $47/linear foot, FOR JUST THE MATERIALS! I told him he evidently has more money than sense, if he is even thinking about it....

 

[jwilly]

Holy Sh!t Jestal and Jwilly, you guys have an awesome outdoor functional space. I'm jealous.

No kidding! Your freaking decks are bigger than my entire back yard!!

If you've got money, you don't need a big deck!

Now you tell me, A'hole!!



Fencer: Put down the bottle and go to bed. Your babbling about cooking wood! Sheesshh

 

[stormrider]

Yes the boards do have a little flex to them, but that all depends on the joist spacing
For me it works great

ymmv

I am looking at Azek who bought out Procell as well as others. What joist spacing and size do you have? I was looking at standard 16" but also have a material list and design for 12 inch. They do not have a railing system with thier decks what railings did you use?

Mine is 16 on center and there is a little flex in the boards. Not annoying but noticable. I am 180 and notice it, my wife is 118 and does not

My deck is 22 inches of the ground so code does not require a railing system, but the builder who put it on had the same material for the railing systen albeit expensive.

As others have said it can be a little slick when wet. My German Shorthair notices that

It is screwed down for a couple of reasons, the builder said it would be fine and if I ever have to replace it I can get to the screws. The screws are color matched and you hardly see them

I have the grey boards and really like the color

 

[drjfjr]

2x6 or 2x8 joist? My wife likes the gray look deck as well. Still pricing and will probrably make a decision next week.

 

[SLK50]

2x6 or 2x8 joist?

Wholly dependent on the clear span between supports.

A good rule of thumb is one inch of depth for each foot of span.

Most of the flex in a deck can be attributed to deflection of the joists.

Don't be cheap here; difficult to remedy after installation.