Composite decking??? worth it

bucktaker · Feb 4, 2014

Thanks FF
Looks good I dont mind the fade its uniform

To add more confusion I have found Lowes carries Style Selection brand which is a renamed major brand depends on color is whose product it is. Seems some lowes areas carries product made by timbertech rebranded capped composite and some carry Treks capped product.

Thinking about plunging into the deep end and going with a capped composite, hidden fasteners, 12"OC for the sun deck 16" OC for the walkways.

tow653 · Feb 4, 2014

I highly recommend the hidden fasteners,makes for a nice clean look. Another tip if you like,rather than have butt ends staggered throughout the deck,place a transition board perpendicular,and have common lengths end and start at it.Did this with 20'ers,then transition board,16'ers,transition,another run of 16'ers.for a total length of 52'.Sure like the way it looks.Did have to use more lumber in framing but well worth it.

NorTracNY · Feb 5, 2014

I have wood for the porch and Trex for the deck. Trex was worth the extra cost. I hate the yearly maintainance the porch requires. I've tried several products, but they wear too quickly. If I wanted my porch to look as good as my deck, I'd have to paint/stain it twice a year. The Trex is a lot heavier, so you need more support underneath.

I also went with screws that snap off. They were about the same price as a normal deck screw, but took more time to put in. This left nearly no marks on the deck. I found that the hidden fastener systems were all a lot more money AND if you had to replace a board, you'd have to screw it down from the top anyways.

bucktaker · Feb 5, 2014

Called Trex and spoke to customer service about the product they sell at lowes and my application...seems they have all the answers for how to void a warranty. You must use the recommended screws, ok I get that i guess, told them I was building a floating dock well now they are concerned if the "platform moves" it will void the warranty.

txdon · Feb 5, 2014

Do not take shortcuts and make sure you do everything exactly to specification. The inspector that came to my house spent nearly four hours and took hundreds of photos. most included a measuring tape and level. He never smiled and would not tell me anything just left and said I would be notified. That is an eerie feeling. I'm glad this one time I read and followed the installation instructions to the letter.

I was ready to replace it myself after all the complaints on the internet from the people who were denied coverage because they were off on their measurements by just a little.

You can imagine my joy when this and a crew showed up one day - almost 6 months after I filed a claim. It took 4 guys 3 days to just replace the top decking. All my understructure was solid and spaced right with appropriate sized lumber. It does matter.

This was also a weight test for my newly laid paver drive and it also passed - no movement whatsoever!!!!!!

oosik · Feb 5, 2014

I had an aluminum dock (12 x 20) built ten years ago. Its been in my lake ever since. It has Trex decking and I've got no complaints with it at all. The only thing I've noticed is that in the heat of the summer the Trex does get hotter than wood under the sun. The only maintenance preformed on the deck is to occasionally wash off the goose poop. Have no idea what the price of the Trex is but I'm sure pleased with its performance.

KubotainNH · Feb 5, 2014

I have the Lowe's basic composite decking for my above ground pool deck. It's the solid decking type that you can use either side depending on the texture you want. It's all screwed down onto 12" on center joists. 16" oc would make for sagging of the decking. We've had it for a few years and I like it much better than the p/t stuff I have elsewhere. My main concern was swimmers getting slivers so went with the composite. I don't think it's any hotter than the p/t and it takes a beating from the salt water pool. Yeah it has some stains on it but nothing some cleaning shouldn't help. Not that I've done more than swept it off...lol. Every summer my wife asks if the p/t deck on our front porch can be replaced with the composite stuff. Did I mention that I dislike deck maintenance?

bucktaker · Feb 6, 2014

Wife and I made the decision last night..... After concerns raised by the Trex rep about usage on a dock and movement voiding any and all warranty. We will be using the pressure treated grade 1 2x6x16 as decking and scraping the idea of composite decking.

Really wanted it but in the end all the worries arent worth the benefits plus the added cost.

Thanks for the help

Beltman60 · Feb 6, 2014

I think the Trex rep help make that decision for you

EddieWalker · Feb 6, 2014

I agree, that was a good conversation you had the Trex rep. While I don't think he tried to talk you out of it, his not being able to warrantee it sure does send a strong signal on how delicate those composite decks are. I'm not totally against them, but it sure is hard to justify the added expense when you don't know how long it will last or what it will look like in a decade. With the PT 2x6's, you can always go over it with a sander every decade and freshen it up as good as new!!!!

Buy the best screws you can. My preferred choice is the square drive ones, but the star drive work too. NEVER go with Phillips head screws if you can find anything else.

Eddie