Composite decking??? worth it

[Bigkrank]

Had 4 decks, last one out of TimberTech Earthwood Evolutions, be sitting down when you price it. Could not find a reputable contractor around here who would install Trex when I built it. Said too many issues and recommended this. It is an encapsulated decking, seems good so far. All stainless hidden fastening system.

Joists 12" centers, no more than 8' span anywhere so those costs add up also.

 

[Woody65]

Forgot to state in my original post. Build a composite deck frame 12" on center for the joists. Otherwise you will see a sag over time. The composite has no tensil strength and is heavier per board foot compared to dimensional lumber. PT decks can be built the standard 16" on center.

 

[grsthegreat]

Here in north idaho lake country, most new floating docks are using the plastic composites. Ive walked on them when there wet and i have never slipped. There being haled as lasting longer than any wood products.

only time will tell i guess.

Ive been on some of the older styled trex decks in the snow, and their slippery as a politician. The newer ones arnt as bad, but still slippery in snow. The wife keeps bugging me to replace both my 45' x 6' decks with the composites due to the yearly maint nightmare the existing ceder decks are. the cost keeps me from doing it

 

[bucktaker]

Replaced our treated wood deck with Trex 8 to 10 years ago. We love it. Sweep off mud with a broom and shovel off the snow. Other than that, have not done a thing to it. It is south facing and gets sunlight all day long. It is the "saddle" color - a light brown. It did fade some, which I expected. Used some gray Trex as an outline on a higher deck and it is still the same color as the day I installed it - but it probably needs a good washing. No splinters, no staining necessary.

I did predrill and used the screws with 2 thread types. They were steel square drive. Still not crazy about square drive screws. Seem to strip too easily, especially stainless.
Smells good cutting it with a saw for some reason. Easy to use a jigsaw on also.




It is not structural at all, so all joists, etc. will have to be treated SFP lumber.

If you are going to put it on a dock, it is heavy and will sink if you drop it in the water. Used some of the leftovers to put a couple benches on our dock. A couple pieces are still at the bottom of the pond. For a dock, for bare feet, it would be nice. It does get a bit hot if you use a darker color, but no splinters or end checking to worry about.
Weight would be the only issue depending on your dock configuration.

Good luck with whatever you decide to use.

is this the TREX saddle product you used?
Shop Trex 1 x 6 x 12 Accents Saddle Composite Decking at Lowes.com

This is the other composite in my price reach.
Shop ChoiceDek 1 x 5-1/2 x 12 Foundations Beach House Gray Composite Decking at Lowes.com

building the dock with plenty of reserve floatation......16 OC with double joists at planned decking joints
All the commercial dock builders are using composite...for example a similar sized dock comercially built is 30k.....a local dock builder will build it out of PT wood for 20k I will have 10k in it for PT and 13k if I go composite.

The lake house has a lot of excisting 2x PT decking already 3 12x72 decks so I have a lot of upkeep comign up as we just bought it in May 13.

 

[bucktaker]

There are too many choices out there of composite decking material to be able to give you a recommendation because I just don't know enough about all of them. What I do know is they don't have the structural strength of wood and they need additional support. I've seen some high traffic areas start to sag with joist on 16 inch centers, even though that is what was required. If you go with a composite, be sure to overbuild with your joists closer then you would with wood, and know what the manufacturer recommends.

I really don't like 5/4 treated boards for decking. I use them often enough, but prefer 2x8's a lot more. 2x6's are better then 5/4 because they don't shrink as much or age as quickly, but they tend to curl up at the edges. 2x8's stay flat and tend to be straighter and truer at the store. I like to use 4 screws per joist on 2x8's, which also helps with strength and keeping them flat. I only use screws. There is no such thing as a nail that will remain inside the wood over time. Some of them will always work their way out. If I can, I like to wait a month or more after installing my decking, then go over it with a large, upright, orbital floor sander that I rent from Home Depot. Then stain.

Eddie

Thanks

I can get 2x6's in a grade 1 board but not 2x8's I am just hesitant to us the composite as I can only afford the lower end products and I read so much negative reviews online for them. They are promoting the higher end pvc coated which are crazy price wise.

I like the idea of sanding with the floor sander.
Location is direct sun on the water so how much maintenace will a PT deck require? yearly PW and stain?

 

[txdon]

I was the unlucky one and got a defective batch of "weather best" decking. Pictured is mine after 3 years, it just started to turn to powder. I joined the class action lawsuit and my deck was replaced free - decking and labor, with Trek. Make sure you do all the warranty work right and put the receipts in a safe place. Inspectors came out and measured the spacing of the joist and the space in-between the decking - if I had not installed it exactly to the instructions they would not have had to replace it.

On the plus side I loved working with this material - better than wood - no splitting. This install was around a chlorinated pool in direct sunlight. The decking not exposed to sun had no damage. This material is great to walk on barefoot - no splinters but during the hottest days in direct sunlight it does get hot and there is a need to spray water on it or wear shoes.

 

[newbury]

<snip> I only use screws. There is no such thing as a nail that will remain inside the wood over time. Some of them will always work their way out.<snip>
Eddie

Did you ever use annular or ring-shank nails? I used them on my deck and the PT wood lasted about 30 years before a few boards cracked significantly. No loose nails. Then when I went to replace the deck I cut the shanks off between the joists and decking (I had full and easy access underneath w/ 8' headroom). Ten years later I'm still using the stuff I pulled off and the nails are still stuck in.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have used ring shank nails and like them for sheething on walls and roofs, but have found that they are only as good as the wood they are going into for outdoor decks. Once the treated wood dries out, some of those nails will become loose.

I'm not saying every nail on a deck will work it's way out, but I do feel that some will. The more movement the deck has, the higher in the air it is, or if it's over water, will cause a lot more nails to work their way out. While I don't doubt that there are some exceptions, I like to play the odds when doing jobs for clients and use the materials that I feel are the very best. I've never had a client complain about spending more on making it stronger. I tell them what I'm doing and why. They like to ask questions and learn why one was of building is better then another.

Something else to consider. Code in a lot of areas no longer allows you to use just a bolt to support a joist or beam. You have to have brackets or a solid support under them. I like to notch my posts and use multiple bolts on my beams. Then I rest my joists on top of my beams.

Eddie

 

[Fossil Farm]

Yes, the lowe's trex link is the stuff I used. Got it from Home Depot at the time, they are much closer to home for transport.

 

[Fossil Farm]

Here is a photo of the saddle (brown) and grey trex somewhat new and installed about 8 years ago. The "new" are a couple pieces I had left over and are in my barn. It does fade, but there still quite a bit of color.

 

[bucktaker]

Thanks FF
Looks good I dont mind the fade its uniform

To add more confusion I have found Lowes carries Style Selection brand which is a renamed major brand depends on color is whose product it is. Seems some lowes areas carries product made by timbertech rebranded capped composite and some carry Treks capped product.

Thinking about plunging into the deep end and going with a capped composite, hidden fasteners, 12"OC for the sun deck 16" OC for the walkways.

 

[tow653]

I highly recommend the hidden fasteners,makes for a nice clean look. Another tip if you like,rather than have butt ends staggered throughout the deck,place a transition board perpendicular,and have common lengths end and start at it.Did this with 20'ers,then transition board,16'ers,transition,another run of 16'ers.for a total length of 52'.Sure like the way it looks.Did have to use more lumber in framing but well worth it.

 

[NorTracNY]

I have wood for the porch and Trex for the deck. Trex was worth the extra cost. I hate the yearly maintainance the porch requires. I've tried several products, but they wear too quickly. If I wanted my porch to look as good as my deck, I'd have to paint/stain it twice a year. The Trex is a lot heavier, so you need more support underneath.

I also went with screws that snap off. They were about the same price as a normal deck screw, but took more time to put in. This left nearly no marks on the deck. I found that the hidden fastener systems were all a lot more money AND if you had to replace a board, you'd have to screw it down from the top anyways.

 

[bucktaker]

Called Trex and spoke to customer service about the product they sell at lowes and my application...seems they have all the answers for how to void a warranty. You must use the recommended screws, ok I get that i guess, told them I was building a floating dock well now they are concerned if the "platform moves" it will void the warranty.

 

[txdon]

Do not take shortcuts and make sure you do everything exactly to specification. The inspector that came to my house spent nearly four hours and took hundreds of photos. most included a measuring tape and level. He never smiled and would not tell me anything just left and said I would be notified. That is an eerie feeling. I'm glad this one time I read and followed the installation instructions to the letter.

I was ready to replace it myself after all the complaints on the internet from the people who were denied coverage because they were off on their measurements by just a little.

You can imagine my joy when this and a crew showed up one day - almost 6 months after I filed a claim. It took 4 guys 3 days to just replace the top decking. All my understructure was solid and spaced right with appropriate sized lumber. It does matter.

This was also a weight test for my newly laid paver drive and it also passed - no movement whatsoever!!!!!!

 

[oosik]

I had an aluminum dock (12 x 20) built ten years ago. Its been in my lake ever since. It has Trex decking and I've got no complaints with it at all. The only thing I've noticed is that in the heat of the summer the Trex does get hotter than wood under the sun. The only maintenance preformed on the deck is to occasionally wash off the goose poop. Have no idea what the price of the Trex is but I'm sure pleased with its performance.

 

[KubotainNH]

I have the Lowe's basic composite decking for my above ground pool deck. It's the solid decking type that you can use either side depending on the texture you want. It's all screwed down onto 12" on center joists. 16" oc would make for sagging of the decking. We've had it for a few years and I like it much better than the p/t stuff I have elsewhere. My main concern was swimmers getting slivers so went with the composite. I don't think it's any hotter than the p/t and it takes a beating from the salt water pool. Yeah it has some stains on it but nothing some cleaning shouldn't help. Not that I've done more than swept it off...lol. Every summer my wife asks if the p/t deck on our front porch can be replaced with the composite stuff. Did I mention that I dislike deck maintenance?

 

[bucktaker]

Wife and I made the decision last night..... After concerns raised by the Trex rep about usage on a dock and movement voiding any and all warranty. We will be using the pressure treated grade 1 2x6x16 as decking and scraping the idea of composite decking.

Really wanted it but in the end all the worries arent worth the benefits plus the added cost.

Thanks for the help

 

[Beltman60]

I think the Trex rep help make that decision for you

 

[EddieWalker]

I agree, that was a good conversation you had the Trex rep. While I don't think he tried to talk you out of it, his not being able to warrantee it sure does send a strong signal on how delicate those composite decks are. I'm not totally against them, but it sure is hard to justify the added expense when you don't know how long it will last or what it will look like in a decade. With the PT 2x6's, you can always go over it with a sander every decade and freshen it up as good as new!!!!

Buy the best screws you can. My preferred choice is the square drive ones, but the star drive work too. NEVER go with Phillips head screws if you can find anything else.

Eddie