Question on composite decking

Re: Question on composite decking

John McGaw

I have composite only on a tiny deck outside the master bedroom but it has been there for at least 12 years. Maintenance has included pressure washing when it seemed to need it. No visible wear or deterioration so far although I probably don't want to know what is happening to the treated 1X8 structure that is supporting the composite.

Re: Question on composite decking

Joseph Mulherin

20yrs on each installation....seems good for me. Just do as Ralph and John say about the installation and periodic maintenance.

Re: Question on composite decking

Jay Lombardo

Replaced cedar decking (worst idea I ever had) and doubled the size of deck with composite about 4 years ago. Absolutely worth the money. No fading or wear at all. Pricing is all over the place but try to stay away from the cheap hollow stuff. I also highly recommend a fastening system called Camo. It was about a third the price of the manufacturers invisible fasteners and face screwing on composite looks terrible in my opinion. If you do decide to go with treated wood the Camo system works on wood as well.

just my 2 cents

How old are you?

CJ in MPLS

Composite decking has matured and I think you'll find stuff that you like, even if it is a bit more expensive.

I ask about your age as the 40 year time frame you cite suggests you are at an age where the multi-decade useful life of your deck is probably not a huge concern. If another 40 year period puts you into extreme old age, let someone else worry about it and get the cheaper treated lumber. Or mdf, depending.

Re: Question on composite decking

Bruce, a MN Galoot

We replaced 18-year-old cedar with composite last summer. The cedar was absolutely shot and needed to go. The composite cost more than twice as much and took longer to put down, but it looks great. The only problem is that it's very slippery with snow on it, as our son's dog learned last Christmas. That being said, I'd do it again. Bear in mind that it's very heavy and, to my surprise, not particularly straight. You'll need a board jack. We got the solid core stuff, not ribbed on the backside, nor hollow on the inside.

Re: Question on composite decking

Bill Howatt

My Trex decks have been down about 12-14 years now. Pressure washed once or twice a year. It was a dark brown but that has lightened a bit but other than that it is like the day it was put down. This deck replaced a cedar deck which had rotted out in about 14 years and even the good boards were cracked and bad looking.

I would never consider anything but composite for decking. Unlike Bruce, I haven't found the deck to be any worse in winter than wood. I clear it with a plastic snow-shovel and that does not mark it at all. It does get hot in the direct summer sun but that is a non-issue for us.

It is heavy and lacks strength. A 20 ft 5/4 x 5.5" deck board placed on your shoulder and mid-point on a hot day will have both ends touching the ground. I didn't find the Trex not to be straight such that I needed a board jack to pull it in.

I mounted it on 16" centers and used under-deck fasteners on the deck I could and used stainless trim-head screws where I couldn't. With Trex you don't drill a pilot hole and just hammer the composite that pops up during screwing back down over the slightly sunk screw head. Doesn't show on most days but the screw head areas are a little darker when the deck is wet. Note that this for the Trex of this vintage, things may or may not be different for the newer stuff.

As was said in previous posts there is a lot of different composites on the market now.

Bill

Re: Question on composite decking

Keith Newton

Barry, I think you and I are about the same age, so I'll share my thoughts. Both HD and Lowes carry a premium grade of 5/4" x 6" which is treated for ground contact. It is mostly knot free, and if I choose all of the boards myself, I even avoid the heartwood, so all of the face side is treated. It really isn't that much more expensive, especially if you consider this probably adds at least another ten years onto the life over the lower grade which has steep endgrain of heartwood around the knots. That is where the decay shows up first, I figure any deck I build at this age of my life has a pretty good chance of outlasting me. Beyond that, I'm not going to worry about it.

Re: Question on composite decking

Joe Bradshaw

Barry, I built a new deck across the back of my house eight years ago. I used pressure treated lumber. I figure that it will outlast me. I'm 70+ now. YMMV.

Joe

Congaree National Park

John Foster

Some years ago my wife and I visited Congaree National Park in South Carolina. There I saw what I think is the best possible endorsement of composite decking. The park has an extensive boardwalk system coursing through swampy terrain that is shaded by trees. The older wood sections of the boardwalk are slimy and slippery due to mosses and molds growing on the wood. The newer composite decking parts of the boardwalk are clean and not slippery, because there is nothing organic for anything to grow on.

Thanks, what I am concerned about...

Barry Irby

Is the entire first generation failed. Trex. It degraded badly and quickly in sunlight and crumbled like charred wood. I am wondering if they "got it right" later, or if the stuff is just degrading more slowly. I am 68 and would like to put something down that will last longer than I will. If I am getting something on the order of twenty years out of treated wood, that should be enough. OTOH, I don't want to deal with it at 88 should I live so long.

I have the Home Depot version on the front porch and it is slippery. Sone after I put it down I about turned myself into a wish bone walking out. Put down a rubber mat with anti skid backing.

Re: Thanks, what I am concerned about...

Bruce, a MN Galoot

The composite stuff now is substantially better than the old stuff. When I said it was slippery, I was referring to very cold decking, maybe 0F, with several inches of snow on top. It's not at all slippery under normal conditions.

Thermally modified wood

DizD

is advertised as an alternative to tropical hardwoods and treated. I have seen samples from a local supplier, but have not seen any installed. Several companies have websites with this material - don't know what availability is like or if it is still in production.

Re: Thermally modified wood

John Veerkamp

I rebuilt a 11X20 screened porch with thermally treated wood 8 years ago. I used it for the posts and rails and t&g floor. Stained and coated with satin outside poly. Still looks great with no signs of deterioration. It is somewhat brittle so fasteners thru the tongues need to be predrilled. Be careful about splinters when cutting and handling. I'd use it again if the need arises.

Re: Question on composite decking

Craig Smith

I am in a similar position, 20 year old cedar decking is in rough shape. So far the thread mostly refers to the general term 'composite decking', the only brand name so far is Trex. What brands of composite decking have people had good success with and what brands have shown less success?

Thanks.

timbertech

Azek

Nat Robison

I resurfaced my deck last year with Azek (solid all the way through, no grooves on the bottom, wood grain on the surface). I forget the name or line that it's from.

It's been great so far. What I bought was discontinued at the time probably due to no longer offering that color. All of it was straight, no persuasion needed. Cleans up with a scrub brush and Simple Green.

Fiberon