Composite decking

[farmeratheart]

10 or 11 years ago we had a new deck framed for us. My wife and I then covered it with Fiberon bought from 84 Lumber. We have power washed it once or twice and waterproofed the exposed framing once. The joists are 12” oc . I would do it again with no changes- very happy with the product.

 

[downsizingnow48]

About 20 years ago I worked for a cranky old contractor that only did decks and kitchens. And if it was a deck, he only did treated 2x4's laid 45 degrees over 8" joists 16" oc. If you wanted anything else, you had to get another contractor. We could lay those boards arrow-straight and although they were so green they squirted, shrinkage would be perfect 1/8" after a few months. And the decks were extremely strong.

 

[Cord]

I’ve done several decks with Ipe. It’s become my go to deck material. Currently have a building under construction that has Ipe for siding. I’ve blind fastened with good luck, but for the trouble now use trim head stainless fasteners. Once the deck weathers, you can’t even see them. The trim head screws must be predrilled or they will snap off.

I know that there are experts out there that know more, but I don’t space my deck boards. When installed with a gap I find the shrinkage results in an excessive gap. With pressure treated lumber I’ll put the boards tight because I know that each board will loose 1/8” in width. With Ipe, it still shrinks, but not as much as PT so I’ll space Ipe using an 8d nail.

 

[Fallon]

We have a composite deck. Not sure how old, but it wasnt new when we bought the place almost 7 years ago. It's a bit faded & chalky, but sun up here in Colorado is brutal. It scratches a bit when I shovel snow off of it or drag stuff across it, but realistically even faded as it is, it's no worse than most wood would be at it's best. I havent done a lick of maintnance to it. Which is a good enough reason for me to plan on using it for any future decking needs.

 

[ericm979]

The newer Trex with plastic wood grain caps is supposed to be more durable than the old raw stuff. I sure hope it is- we just had the old deck rebuilt with it. It's also more fire resistant which is a big deal here.

Ipe would have been more expensive due to labor costs. Fresh stained ipe sure looks nice though. But what turned us off from it is that you have to strip the old stain and re-stain it annually.