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05-16-2006, 03:31 PM #1Zen Master
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NSR: Composite or Wood for my deck?
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?
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05-16-2006, 03:40 PM #2
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....
"In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair." -Emerson
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05-16-2006, 03:45 PM #3
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 / LFLast edited by Below Zero; 05-16-2006 at 03:49 PM.
"Can't vouch for him, though he seems normal via email."
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05-16-2006, 03:47 PM #4
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.
He who has the most fun wins!
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05-16-2006, 03:48 PM #5
I've never heard of that problem Frozen. But wood will also pit, warp, split, splinter and sag if not constructed or kept up.
Quando paramucho mi amore de felice carathon.
Mundo paparazzi mi amore cicce verdi parasol.
Questo abrigado tantamucho que canite carousel.
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05-16-2006, 03:52 PM #6
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...
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05-16-2006, 04:00 PM #7
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.
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05-16-2006, 04:04 PM #8
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.
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05-16-2006, 04:04 PM #9
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.Living vicariously through myself.
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05-16-2006, 04:06 PM #10
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."boobs just make the world better really" - Woodsy
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05-16-2006, 04:08 PM #11Originally Posted by Tippster"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Ben Franklin
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05-16-2006, 04:10 PM #12click click boom
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Originally Posted by RootSkier
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05-16-2006, 04:11 PM #13Hucked to flat once
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05-16-2006, 04:11 PM #14
I Forgot One Thing...
TECH TALK, BITCH!!!!
Quando paramucho mi amore de felice carathon.
Mundo paparazzi mi amore cicce verdi parasol.
Questo abrigado tantamucho que canite carousel.
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05-16-2006, 04:20 PM #15Originally Posted by truth
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05-16-2006, 05:51 PM #16Originally Posted by Below Zero"In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair." -Emerson
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05-16-2006, 06:36 PM #17
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.
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05-16-2006, 07:12 PM #18
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.
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05-16-2006, 07:28 PM #19Registered User
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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.
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05-16-2006, 07:33 PM #20happy
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Originally Posted by Below ZeroLast edited by divegirl; 05-16-2006 at 07:36 PM.
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05-16-2006, 07:45 PM #21
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.
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05-16-2006, 08:13 PM #22happy
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Originally Posted by RootSkier
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.
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05-16-2006, 08:55 PM #23Originally Posted by Tippster
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05-16-2006, 09:07 PM #24
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.
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05-16-2006, 09:12 PM #25
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.
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