TREX Decks

[Captain Awesome]

And it will cause more curse words than any product I've ever seen as it's being worked.

This is true. My brother and I built a deck "with" (for) my father a few years back, using IPE (pops mostly supervised, I guess). It was brutal. To make things worse, my dad's amazing design called for a herringbone pattern in the decking, with the stairs at the corner going down both sides of the corner, meeting in the middle (think nested L-shapes).

It's a good looking deck, but not something I'm in any hurry to try again. Oh, and forget about using a cordless drill to pre-drill the holes for the screwdrivers. You'll never make it!

[Pegleg]

Just curious... would the same concerns about Trex and other composites apply with something like an arbor/pergola that doesn't really have to support much weight, other than its own? I'm thinking of building one and it looks like it would be a bitch to maintain a finish on because of all the exposed surfaces, so I was thinking of a composite. I'm also in Boulder county, so wary of rainforest wood.

[timeo]

Agree on the corded drill comment. When I built my deck I used a heavy duty corded drill to pre-drill the holes and then was able to use a cordless drill to actually drive the screws. Make sure you use a countersink bit when you are pre-drilling since you cannot just over drive the screws into the Ipe to make them flush.

[LaBelle23]

Pegleg - will you need a permit for what you're doing? If so, Boulder makes you overbuild everything sufficiently that you should not have the issues that you read about on the internet. I'm not sure what other concerns you have, but the bending due to high heat is not a possibility for the materials we will have to use. We were initially concerned about figuring out how to make it sturdy enough for our wind and snow load, but found out Boulder makes you build it so bomber that you don't have to think about those things.

[Moeghoul]

I built my deck in PA 19 years ago with Ipe, stainless screws and copious amounts of drill bits and saw blades. Bomber wood, I would roll Penofin oil on it in the spring and looked like a hardwood floor. Zero rot. Glad I poked around on this thread because I need to replace my deck in VT next spring and was considering composite like Trex or Azec. Any recent experiences with either product? Last post was 2011.

[old goat]

We have a deck with a composite called Moisture Shield. It has held up very well for 10 years or so. Be aware that there are issues with sustainability and illegal logging with ipe.

[Vt-Freeheel]

I built my deck in PA 19 years ago with Ipe, stainless screws and copious amounts of drill bits and saw blades. Bomber wood, I would roll Penofin oil on it in the spring and looked like a hardwood floor. Zero rot. Glad I poked around on this thread because I need to replace my deck in VT next spring and was considering composite like Trex or Azec. Any recent experiences with either product? Last post was 2011.

I have built decks with both Trex and Azek in the last 10 years. All are holding up well with only a light scrubbing required to remove dust/pollen which can lead to algae, lichens ect.. Dark Azek colors get hot like the surface of the sun when south facing. Azek also generates an impressive static charge that is annoying as fuck. Trex decks holding up well with less heat and static. Ipe and Caramba decks looking great after 11 years with recoat every 2 years.

[retirwntm]

We were quoted almost $50k for trex materials alone recently. That was a little surreal. It’s a decent sized deck but WTF. That’s all I know.


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[pepperdawg]

We did Trex back in 2012(?) No issues to date.

[iceman]

Interesting coincidence, I read this morning that 500 sq. ft. of Trex decking uses 140,000 recycled plastic grocery bags, so there's that.

[old goat]

Does that mean that as states ban plastic grocery bags there will be a Trex shortage? Interesting that in CA at least plastic grocery bags can't be recycled yet of all the plastic crap seem to be the only kind that have a use (also good for picking up dog shit).

[Vt-Freeheel]

Verboten in Vermont recycling as well and on the new list of statewide products to be banned.
More dogshit is likely to be left on the trails.

[iceman]

well that's better than dogshit in plastic bags being left on the trails.

I'd have to assume that Trex could use new material or find another source of recyclables if they can't get the bags.

[EWG]

I spec nothing but Trex decks unless requested otherwise. Lowest number of issues of any material, in my opinion.

I'd always recommend Trex.

[Self Jupiter]

We were quoted almost $50k for trex materials alone recently. That was a little surreal. It’s a decent sized deck but WTF. That’s all I know.


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Can anyone confirm if this is unusual or not? That’s expensive as hell.

[Vt-Freeheel]

14x 36 Azek deck with a flight of stairs and cable railing. My cost was 38k

[BigDaddy]

Lattitudes by New Cedar is supposedly good. It's going on three years now, but I used Rhino for mine and have just slight problems like two or three bubbles over the whole deck. The place I bought the Rhino said Trex was shit and they wouldn't carry it.

Ten years later and still no problems. It does seem to have swollen a bit, but who hasn't in ten years?



Just built a new deck and used Trex, tho. It seems like a better product now, so fingers crossed.