NSR: Composite or Wood for my deck?

**frozenwater** · 05-16-2006, 03:31 PM

So, I'm building a deck - and was set on composite boards (think trax) for the decking as I really hate to stain things. However I have seen recently that composite scratches easily and can form "valleys" in between the braces due to the nature of plastic not being weight bearing.

Any advice out there?

**powstash** · 05-16-2006, 03:40 PM

Froz - I put trex on my deck last fall and after one winter of shoveling and foot traffic it's still looking good. I did take a small chunk out of one of the deck planks (don't use a shovel with a metal edge - dumbass move on my part) but I'm pretty stoked. I used Fir for the frame with preasure treated lumber for contact portions that touch the concrete and house and then used redwood for the railings which I treated with a clear treatment from Behr. Trex is more expensive for sure, but I never have to stain or paint that sukka which has me stoked. Now if I could just get the yard finished....

**Below Zero** · 05-16-2006, 03:45 PM

Composite products still have a span rating. So make sure your structural members are place accordingly. I have not heard of any "valley" problems as you describe.

You can do your handrails also out of composite also. Powstash - why the change of material from deck to handrail? I would of stuck with one material.

Just to get a price comparision for yourself. The price of a guardrail (top/bottom rail with pickets 4" o.c.) at a recent project we just completed:

Redwood: $6.30 / LF
Trex: $17.50 / LF
Clear Hem Fir: $10.70 / LF

**comish** · 05-16-2006, 03:47 PM

Mr parents have it here in SoCal on the beach. Obviously different environment, but it has held up to the constant moisture/sun/sand for the last few years far better than the wood deck did. Everything there gets pretty rotted, stained, etc from all the constant sea air/moisture and these things look about as new as ever after about 5ish years.

**irul&ublo** · 05-16-2006, 03:48 PM

I've never heard of that problem Frozen. But wood will also pit, warp, split, splinter and sag if not constructed or kept up.

**MOHSHSIHd** · 05-16-2006, 03:52 PM

I helped my friend do his deck with Trex and I will be doing the rails and stuff with trex this summer. It holds up really well, but building with it can be a hassle cause sometimes the boards are bent and twisted until you get them screwed down nice and tight...

**RootSkier** · 05-16-2006, 04:00 PM

Trex can and does sag between joists over time. It can be a real problem on 16" OC joists when it is 100 degrees.

That said, staining wood sucks. But so does hot plastic. Solution? Ipe or any other exotic wood that is naturally oily and dense. It will be similar price or cheaper than Trex, look 10X better, feel 100% better on bare feet in the summer, and is maintenance free. Just let it dull to a natural silver. It will last a loooooooong time in the intermountain west.

**Tippster** · 05-16-2006, 04:04 PM

Yep - the runners need to be closer with Trex. You and your kids will love the feel of it on their bare feet, and the no-splinter thing is huge. It does get ugly if you let it get moldy, and it does tend to bleach out significantly depending on the color, so get a cheap pressure washer and start out with a lighter hue.

We also had redwood caps. It just feels nicer on the hands - the real wood feeling vs the soft feeling of the Trex.

The Frau did mention a new product that's out, supposedly more "Wood-like" in look and feel than Trex, but I cannae remember the name, Laddie.

**grrrr** · 05-16-2006, 04:04 PM

Composite materials have also shown to be worse than wood in fire resistance, particularly during wildfires.

I advocate foregoing decks in favor of stone patios. Safer, lower maintenance, cooler in the afetnoon and warmer in the evening.

**Buzzworthy** · 05-16-2006, 04:06 PM

Natty has comp on his deck and I have yet to see any damage, splintering, ..........Call him or call me if you need his number.

I vote no on the wood deck for you, especially with all the snow.

**fez** · 05-16-2006, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Tippster

Yep - the runners need to be closer with Trex. You and your kids will love the feel of it on their bare feet, and the no-splinter thing is huge. It does get ugly if you let it get moldy, and it does tend to bleach out significantly depending on the color, so get a cheap pressure washer and start out with a lighter hue.

We also had redwood caps. It just feels nicer on the hands - the real wood feeling vs the soft feeling of the Trex.

The Frau did mention a new product that's out, supposedly more "Wood-like" in look and feel than Trex, but I cannae remember the name, Laddie.

trex is supposed to be coming out with a more wood grained looking board this year i think.

**truth** · 05-16-2006, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by RootSkier

Ipe or any other exotic wood that is naturally oily and dense. It will be similar price or cheaper than Trex, look 10X better, feel 100% better on bare feet in the summer, and is maintenance free. Just let it dull to a natural silver. It will last a loooooooong time in the intermountain west.

Agree 100%. My folks have an Ipe deck that only looks better with every passing year.

**Conundrum** · 05-16-2006, 04:11 PM

It was about 90 or so here this weekend and I was at a bar outside with Trex railing and it was frickin hot to the touch, quite a bit hotter than I think wood might have been but it was a dark color. I think the lighter colors don't have this problem.

**irul&ublo** · 05-16-2006, 04:11 PM

TECH TALK, BITCH!!!!

**Tippster** · 05-16-2006, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by truth

Agree 100%. My folks have an Ipe deck that only looks better with every passing year.

My in-laws do too at their Shorehouse and I would agree. They actually washed it with a special Ipe cleaner and hosed it down last month. My MiL says it was amazing how much salt/dirt came off. I can't wait to see the difference when we go there Mem. Day Weekend.

**powstash** · 05-16-2006, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Below Zero

You can do your handrails also out of composite also. Powstash - why the change of material from deck to handrail? I would of stuck with one material.

$$$$ - needed to cut some somewhere and the redwood handrails and 2x2's look nice.

**Theodore** · 05-16-2006, 06:36 PM

I just got back from a friends wedding on the gulf coast in Alabama. THat house had 2 composite decks on it and it was holding up fine. Judging by the rest of the building, I'd put it at a few(3-4) years old. Heavy use, tons of sand and salt.

**warthog** · 05-16-2006, 07:12 PM

How about Thompsonized lumber? I just did a deck with this. Pre-treated with Thompson Deck stuff, so no real need to stain it. I probably will stain it later, though, as it ages.

The composite decks I have seen are totally uneven. This is probably due to improper spacing of the joists. From what I have seen, you need to space the joists much closer together. This is not a huge problem, but you have to figure it into the overall cost. Joists are a big part of the equation, as are screws, joist hangers, and support beams. All of which, you seem to need more of when building with composites.

The weather here is a ton different, but we get tons of rain, and constant sun beating down all year round. Thompsonized lumber is what everyone recommended here.

**quota** · 05-16-2006, 07:28 PM

No questions about it....Composite.
I used ChoiceDek about 7-8 years ago. 16" spans. No sagging. Put a hot tub on part of the deck. Used the composite railings as well. Loved the deck so much, I built another in front of the house the following year. Even with running the snowblower and shovelling every winter, it still looks great. It only gets to about 90F on the hottest days here in Park City. Sure it gets warm on bare feet, but the wood that I used to have was warm as well.
Best thing about it is that I can sit on it and watch my neighbors spend a lot of time maintaining their decks each year.

**divegirl** · 05-16-2006, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by Below Zero

Composite products still have a span rating. So make sure your structural members are place accordingly. I have not heard of any "valley" problems as you describe.

Exactly. Be sure to follow the span rating, and be conservative on it. If you are having these "valley" problems, be sure to go down to 14" on center between joists. I think if you're conservative, the benefits of composite - trex - will outweigh any problems you (probably won't) have.

**RootSkier** · 05-16-2006, 07:45 PM

Let me say it again. Exotic hardwoods.

Has anyone here actually had significant experience with Ipe or mahogany and composites and still prefers plastic?

Trex has AWESOME marketing.

**divegirl** · 05-16-2006, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by RootSkier

Let me say it again. Exotic hardwoods.

Has anyone here actually had significant experience with Ipe or mahogany and composites and still prefers plastic?

Trex has AWESOME marketing.

I actually like the way trex feels beneath my feet as opposed to wood. It's very soft. Screw marketing - I have a trex deck at my current residence.

That, in addition to the fact that trex is a recycled material. You can't say the same for your EXOTIC hardwoods. Don't believe the greenwashing. I like the idea of walking on something that has been downcycled into a very reliable and useful material.

**chaka** · 05-16-2006, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Tippster

My in-laws do too at their Shorehouse and I would agree. They actually washed it with a special Ipe cleaner and hosed it down last month. My MiL says it was amazing how much salt/dirt came off. I can't wait to see the difference when we go there Mem. Day Weekend.

I have been researching ipe as a deck material for a project this summer. How hard is it to source? For those in the construction business, do you quote ipe jobs more than regular wood/trex for the labor/install, or is it the same to work with... I've heard it can be a pain as you are supposed to wear dust masks and carbide saw blades due to its density. Pretty cool it has the same fire rating as steel and concrete!

**focus** · 05-16-2006, 09:07 PM

My dad has literally thousands of square feet of composite decking... Holds up much better than wood thus far, no splinters, etc. It's faded to a nice looking/cool to the touch gray.

16" on center won't work with composite... valleys forming when this is ignored isn't the material's fault -- it's the builder's.

**Sublime** · 05-16-2006, 09:12 PM

Yes you have to wear some sort of respirator/dust mask when you work with trex. The dust it gives off is posionous but so is MDF, particle board, and cedar so just be careful.

Like divegirl said it's nice that trex is made from recycled material so it's pretty enviromentally freindly which is cool. And doesn't cause deforestation.