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.